Monday Mornings with Sean: Football thoughts
Malik Jefferson and Hassan Ridgeway sizing up K-State. (Will Gallagher/IT)
COACH V’s take on Hassan Ridgeway and the defensive line
We talk Hassan Ridgeway, Kyler Murray, and the Tulsa offense in Monday Mornings with Sean.
Hassan Ridgeway going to the NFL
I never have an opinion on a player leaving to go to the NFL save for the occasional, “He could make more money if he were to come back and raise his draft stock.” But the fact of the matter is that I went to college to learn a skillset to make more money than the folks that didn’t. If he has reached that level and wants to move on, more power to him. If he drives south on I-35 and exits MLK and look to the right, the University of Texas will always be there to finish his education if that is what he truly wants.
Many times fans and media look at these young men around the country through the lens of having six-figure salaries, 401K’s, equity in a home, life perspective, and a real college education (not some useless major like Tourism meant to keep kid eligible).
Many of these young men could go in the 3rd round and make more money than their parent have ever made by 10X. I cheer them all on because they are chasing their dream. I just hope they have the presence of mind to take advantage of the opportunity that places like Texas offer to always come back, retain the tuition scholarship and finish their education.
Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech
Like most people I have taken every single opportunity to watch as much of Tulsa and the last offense that new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert worked in as possible.
It never disappoints. Though they lost the bowl game to Virginia Tech 55 – 52, it was hardly the offenses responsibility. The Hokies have one of the best defensive coordinators in the country in Bud Foster and Tulsa torched that defense from start to finish.
You might be temped to overplay the offensive prowess but the one thing that we all know is that playing against this offense for the first times is a bear of a challenge to manage.
While the offense might be new for Texas, it will not be new for this league. The offense will surprise nobody and the only thing different will be the jerseys worn. Obviously Gilbert will not run it exactly the same but nobody in this league will be shocked like poor Virginia Tech was in that bowl game. Texas’ advantage with the offense will be structured around the fact that Texas could just have better athletes so even if the defense has the right play call, Texas could have large levels of success.
Kyler Murray going to Oklahoma
I never had a thought in my mind that Texas could bother with Kyler Murray even though my general thoughts on transfer acceptance is – If you can line up all your players at a certain position and that transfer can immediately be in your top two, he’s a take regardless of who it upsets.
Murray would not help until 2017 and there is no point to upset the QB room for 2016 when that is essentially the only year you have to win. I would upset that QB room in five minutes for a quarterback that was good enough to compete for the starting job in 2016.
Is it problematic that Murray went to Oklahoma?
Hell yeah it is!
I always thought he would go play baseball if given the opportunity because of his size and structure but we have seen plenty of ‘smallish’ quarterbacks have huge success. I think he is way better that Joe Hamilton ever was at Georgia Tech and think Murray is a quarterback that in the right system with enough weapons around him is special enough to win a national championship.
If they can figure the seemingly smooth transition from Baker Mayfield to Murray in 2017, Oklahoma could be set at QB for the next four years. That is a great place to be.
