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

There'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

Yeah, 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

Yeah, 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

And 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

Yeah, 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

Hollywood 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

Or 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

I 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

Said 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?

We 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

We 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

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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

Many 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

Is 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

I

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

Matt Hutchinson guys you guys have a good weekend. Look I'm horns. Hey guys Blake Monroe here from coffee and football

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