Here is the Demarco Cobbs recruiting continuum:
1. Demarco Cobbs visits Texas as a junior. He tries to commit, but Texas does not offer juniors until after signing day.
2. He starts getting other offers early, from some pretty big-name programs, and starts looking around.
3. Texas finally offers, but Cobbs isn't ready to pull the trigger this time. Wants to look around a little more.
4. Cobbs schedules a trip to Texas. Most people will think he will commit on this trip. But something comes up, and he never makes it in.
5. Texas staff decides they're not going to wait on him, so they essentially stop recruiting him, and focus their attention elsewhere. Quite a few good WRs in Texas this year.
6. WR Ross Apo, a Mormon, decommits from Texas in favor of BYU. Another scholarship is open for a WR, but Texas still focusing their attention elsewhere. They figure that Cobbs just isn't interested anymore.
7. Demarco Cobbs commits to Tennessee.
8. Texas starts off undefeated, beats Oklahoma on national TV, this is all happening in his own back yard, and Cobbs is thinking hard about Texas again. At the same time, Tennessee is having a rough season, and maybe isn't quite as attractive as they were in the offseason.
9. Demarco Cobbs re-initiates contact with Texas and asks if they've got a spot for him.
10. Bruce Chambers, the coach involved with his recuitment, asks Mack Brown if he can offer a scholarship. Mack approves.
11. Cobbs changes his commitment.
That is the general idea.
Now a few other things. Earl Thomas is a RS sophomore, and a 5'10" safety. He is unlikely to go pro after this year. In fact, most of the defense will be back. The biggest concern is replacing a pair of pretty good D-tackles. One of whom is a standout.
Replacing Colt McCoy will be super-recruit Garrett Gilbert, who was neck-and-neck with Matt Barkley in the recruiting rankings. He's 6'4", strong arm, and his dad was a long-time NFL QB. He won't be Colt right away, but he'll be pretty good.
Shipley is a pretty fast WR. He would be the fastest and most athletic WR on a lot of teams. He's not on ours, but he is the best.
We really won't be all that down next year. Can we say the same for Tennessee with the same kind of confidence?
And finally, who the hell cares who the "real UT" is? I have never seen this idiotic discussion on a Texas board. When we're talking about Tennessee and Texas in the same topic, we say Tennessee and Texas. Not UT and UT. Sometimes we'll say "the other UT", but that's not a slam or anything. It just means "UT other than Texas"
Tennessee and Texas both start with T. They are both the real UT, because its the same letter.
