3-HEADED MONSTER in Running Back Room? | Starter Emerging... | Texas Football

0:00There's a reverence with which people talk about him that leads me to believe it's more than just Here say Welcome on Texas football time for a Saturday update. I'm Bobby Burton joined by Jerry Hamilton question today Is there a three-headed monster emerging at running back for the University of Texas? Jerry this episode brought to you by our friends over at price mix. We'll talk about them more later But is there a three-headed monster is that what you're hearing because I tell you that's what I'm hearing Well, yeah, I mean that seems to be where we're headed right now Obviously, we don't want to count anybody out, but I do think we're nine spring practices in now and I It's everything we're hearing. I think we're hearing the same thing is that Relic Brown Hollywood smothers and Derek Cooper are separating themselves and that doesn't mean a James Simon It's not a really good player, but I just think we we're all here in the same thing There's a little separation after nine spring practice or a lot of separation depending on who you trust and listen to

1:04Yeah, and Michael Terry in that backfield to Jeff Walker as well They've got a number of guys, but look and let's start with little Relic Brown because I will say this Derek Cooper had a good scrimmage yesterday our last night. I'm told Hollywood smothers had some nice runs as well But Relic Brown again, I was told this morning actually that Texas thinks that if they start day one He's most likely the starter and he continues to make people miss and is Proving to be a better receiver even than they had perhaps contemplated and that's a big part of the plan for for him in 2026. Yeah, for sure. I think look this running back room is extremely versatile. We've been talking about this But if you know, this is kind of a bold statement. So people will take it and run with it and said I said this roti have said this but In Relic Brown, what if you had a more instinctive runner Maybe tougher between the tackle runner version of Jayden blue

2:08Yeah, I mean, I'm not saying he's gonna be quiet as good down the field as a pass catcher But what if that's what you had then you have a really really good football player That's what I would say because a Jayden blue wasn't your go-to guys a runner on the interior, but if Relic Brown Ended up being the starter Against Ohio State. You aren't putting him out there. He's not also a really good runner between the tackle So I think there's he's showing a lot and look Relic Brown was really good and had the injuries early on at USC We actually had an injury at Arizona State and so I think he had a fully healthy season last year built that confidence off of it But to your point Bobby, I think the passing game with the running backs are going to come Really all the way back on this team and that could be brown that could be smothers that could be Derek Cooper So I think it's going to be really interesting Combination because they all have different strengths as runners But I think brown has that explosiveness and that make you miss ability that might fit really well with the other guys on this offense

3:13And I'll add this you talk about adding that passing game in one of the things we've heard to this spring So far is that archmaning even though he's not a full participant. He is playing in past skeleton now He is checking the ball down quicker And giving those guys a chance to do stuff which means that's why we're even talking about the running backs at some level Because last year they weren't really the focal point. It was archmaning whether he could do it with his legs or throw deep, right? Well a little different now with the the group of running backs I have Hollywood smothers had another good practice yesterday Jerry the one thing he's had issues with At some level we're told is as hanging on to the ball in practice But young man rush for near a thousand yards at NC state last year brings a lot of maturity He and brown both through to this offense He's kind of the mix guy for them. He's not Relic Brown in space and he's not the big back that Derek Cooper is But he does have a certain role on this team that he fits what Steve Sarkeesian wants to do

4:18Yeah, and look I would say this. I think smothers and Cooper are competing for carries And they're all gonna play competing for carries because they're more similar in Relic Brown's different There's versatility difference even between smothers and Cooper But I think those two guys are more similar in what they'd be asked to do in this Texas offense Then brown versus either one of those guys. So I think that's really is going to be interesting I think smothers brings the consistency of vision And maximizing runs in the intermediate game, you know the six to ten yard runs I think he's a really good maximizer that through vision really good feet Has that fall forward abilities played a lot of football. He's carried the ball a lot So I think that is kind of is what he's gonna bring you also caught 30 plus passes last year But he would be asked to do that in a different way than a really brown within the offense Well a lot of people have seen Relic Brown play they've seen

5:19Hollywood smothers play Jerry what they have it seen is Derek Cooper And to give you an idea and I want to make sure people Understand the level of hyperbole here because We can say this and y'all say yeah, but show it to me completely agree Anytime you hear of a freshman doing well, yeah prove it buddy, right? That's what everybody wants to hear and I think that's completely fair The reality of it is I asked someone this morning Jerry who's who's the one freshman If I had to ask you that would play on day one Their answer Derek Cooper without question He's going to find a role. I was told he's further along at this point than some big time backs that have come through Including Cedric Baxter as a true freshman If you remember that he ended up starting at it Jonathan Brooks to start the year He's on that caliber or higher at this point So what does that really mean is is he kind of take him maybe James Simon's reps

6:24Or is he going to in your point your point of view maybe even take some of Hollywood's mothers the thing that I keep coming back to and keep hearing about him and get your take. I want to get your take on this is that Long largely he's got power But it's his quickness and speed that surprises you now So it's not just he's a power back that can run through some arm darkness Instead it's he's got quickness a little bit of make you miss and then he's got He's got deep speed They are in love with him We'll see whether or not he pick up press protection. That's been an issue that he's he's tried to hone down this spring training And hanging on the ball as well all these running backs Texas did not lose many fumbles a year ago They don't want to do that this year, but my question to you is Can can fans truly believe the hype or are you still in proven mode because I know you're hearing the same stuff And look I saw him twice in high school

7:25I went to shamanah madonna a couple times to see him and and the one thing I'll I'll say about bear Cooper and I'm always in Go prove it mode on Saturdays right we talk about all this stuff, but I'm always in in in that will house Hat but we're having seen him in person the one thing I'll say is I think he's got football intelligence them I we talk about six one and two ten and If he was still in high school might have ran ten five five ten six this spring on the track. He's got real speed um I think he's got real football intelligence about him and and I say that one watching him in two talking like his running back coach in high school was um Shavers who played running back at Auburn is now a coach running that coaching college marker shavers and And he he talked about how smart of a football player was Damian Jones the coach at shamanah madonna said Jeremiah Smith a bunch of other guys can yada jacks I mean you name it. He's got multiple pros to the play there

8:26Said look the guy can play anywhere on a football But we had Matt debunk on here he said he can play anywhere He literally played wider receiver and he was at Cardinal Gibbons before he went to shamanah madonna He played linebacker he played so he can play anywhere on a football field So those guys have football intelligence about it But I think the main thing with Derek Cooper in this three-headed monster that I think is we think is forming here Is does he have a chance to do something neither one of the other two older backs can do and that is vertical power Does he get vertical quicker because he's more of a one-cut guy and the decisive runner and then he's got More of a trunk and frame behind that when he hits full speed Does that give him a really good chance to differentiate himself from the other two older backs in this scheme Because the one thing we talk about Bobby Who's going to close games out for you? Who's going to be a red zone back? Who's going to be that guy called upon to get the toughest your The second one from the gold line against in a college football playoff game. Who's going to be that guy?

9:28We don't know that's a question has to be answered But I think Derek Cooper has a chance Because early early is a freshman because I think he has the trait That natural trait that maybe those guys don't have and maybe some of us do the size speed combo I think we can go even a step further with with Derek Cooper than you can with a lot of guys that we hear about and I want to be Transparent here I've I've been victim to hearing positive things about freshman before too. Yeah, but I'm here to tell you There's a reverence with which people talk about him That leads me to believe it's more than just Here's saying Um, they're seeing things behind the scenes that we can't see and may not even be seen on a pet on a practice field right frankly Because if you're saying a this guy is going to play It'll be interesting to see but I'll go so far as to say this. I mean I think that there are some other good players in that running back room, but yeah

10:30We kind of projected this and thought it might happen with Smothers and brown and potentially Cooper when he signed those three coming in Might move ahead of the rest of the group It's sounding like that's the case. I I wouldn't give up yet on James Simon I wouldn't give up on on Michael Terry either But we are where we are at this point you mentioned it nine practices in and the guys we're hearing the most about are those first three by four and so Not not a bad thing all right. I want to say thank you to our presenting sponsor We also have one more question. I got for Jerry here for our presenting sponsor That is the folks over at prize picks if you're watching games today You need to be on prize picks. It's America's number one sports pick up and it's super easy to use Thank you for being our newest long-term sponsor here You just pick more or less on player stats and build your lineup. That's it. No complicated stuff It makes every game way more interesting. You're not just watching. You actually have something tied to every drive every bat every at bat every possession

11:37It's almost like fantasy football on steroids right now. I'm looking at lineup where I'm taking Jade Bradley to have more than 14 and half points plus assists because the areas on a guard has been hot lately Here in the final four and Michigan's more as Johnson to have more than 5.5 rebounds based on the fact He's averaging over six per game in the big dance so far That's really what it comes down to just trying just trusting your read on how the game is going to play out And if you're new here's the deal download the app use code hma that's code hma Play $5 and you'll get a $50 lineup instantly again That's $50 in line-ups after your first $5 lineup when you use code hma Jerry the question I want to go back to as we talk about the Texas running back guru Um, I did some checking on tray wiser and how he's doing Cedric backster tray wiser is part of a running back tandem right now at florida state that includes a guy that

12:38Many people think is going to be tremendous, but yeah, it may be running more two back sets Cedric backster up in lexington, Kentucky at Kentucky um, he's he's doing okay, but They aren't talking about him like he's the next great one up there This three-headed monster we expected to Improvement from texas The question that I still have even with how good brown and Cooper in particular have been the question I still have Is are they just incrementally better in 26? Are are they over the top better and I think that's still a fair question Because I think the most talented one in the group is the freshman and you don't know if he's ready What yeah, what you're like ready for 20 carries a game or 15 crazy kind of what what do you think of that? I think they're drastically better in the passing game Okay, I think we can go drastically better in the passing game because relief brown

13:40Is closer to a jane blue as a past after they're a little different, but they're close, right? Yeah, it makes sense and I think smothers pretty good in the passing game I think Derek Cooper is going to be good in the passing game too So I think they're a lot better in that area As the runner and I've talked about this before the the biggest thing there's two things that remain that these guys have to prove Who's going to take the ball and do what Trey wiser did against a an eminocal homo for you Deliver in big game. I mean, that's really what it comes to who's going to take the ball by the horns You know, just the three-headed monster in those games you may just want to one and you have a closeout guy Who who could close out a game at Tennessee if you're up a touchdown in the fourth quarter And you have one drive and that Tennessee has one time out left and you get two first downs the games over who's your guy Because you're not going to be chucking at it at that point in time Who's the guy that's going to step up and be that take on that role or be your short yardage back in the red zone Who can score a touchdown from inside the five for you? I think those things have to play out

14:43I So I think the biggest one though of that is who is going to go to Into the cotton bowl and deliver like Trey wiser did Go to a nm and deliver like Trey wiser did because those were pretty big-time performances By guy who wasn't the biggest wasn't the strongest and what in the fastest But that dude's heart was beating out of his jersey and through his pads in those games I'll he wore it on his sleeve yep He wore that the the fight on a sleeve. I agree with the let your your Assessment of Trey wiser there all right Look long story short. I think Jerry and I both heard the same things Texas right now three backs kind of separating. Yes. Does that mean it's going to end up this way Freefitting practices are in the next fall. No But if I were a bedding man That's kind of where it looks like it's headed currently Again, don't forget about James Simon or Michael Terry though Yet it is what it is all right. Thank you again to our presenting sponsor That's the folks over at price fix. Thank you to Jerry Hamilton as well as our friend behind the scenes Matt

15:46Matt Hutchinson guys you guys have a good weekend. Look I'm horns. Hey guys Blake Monroe here from coffee and football YouTube thinks that you're going to like this video right here and if the algorithm knows ball It's a good one so go check it out and then don't forget hit that like and subscribe button