Mike Craven

Hookem.com staff

The Dotted Line: Questions face Texas heading into final weekend before early signing period

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 13th, 2019

Texas holds 16 commitments heading into the final weekend before the early 72-hour signing period begins on Dec. 18. The class is heavy on offensive talent, which is probably good for the Longhorns considering the firing of defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. Only five of … Read More

Bevo Beat

Three-star athlete Ty Jordan spurns Texas for Utah

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 12th, 2019

Utah didn’t wait for the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 31 to strike a blow against the Longhorns. Utah drew first blood in the upcoming feud by flipping three-star athlete Ty Jordan. The West Mesquite product picked Tom Herman’s program back on Sept. Read More

The Dotted Line: Five future Longhorns are one win away from state title games

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 12th, 2019

Two remain. The last two 2020 Texas commitments left in the state playoffs are quarterbacks Ja’Quinden Jackson of Duncanville and Hudson Card of Lake Travis, who returned last week from injury to lead the Cavaliers past Converse Judson. Card and his teammates … Read More

Mike Craven

Hookem.com staff

Craven’s Corner: Our hot betting streak hopes to trickle up to the NFL

The Corner is cooking just in time for extra holiday money. We swept the conference championship games last week to go 4-0. The record over the past three weeks is 16-5-1 with an overall season record of 57-50-3. Not to mention we cashed on Memphis winning … Read More

The Dotted Line: Texas leads with 13 commitments on winter update of 2020 Fabulous 55

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 11th, 2019

The 2020 Fabulous 55 receives its winter update with the early signing period looming. Seniors can sign national letters of intent from Dec. 18-20 or wait until national signing day in February. The past two years indicate most of the list will sign in … Read More

The Dotted Line: Texas commit Ja’Quinden Jackson, to fans — ‘you got a dog coming’

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 10th, 2019

MCKINNEY — Texas is on the verge of signing one of the state’s best winners. Duncanville quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson tortures defenses when he’s allowed in the game. He and his teammates are so dominant that the south Dallas powerhouse only needed him to play … Read More

The Dotted Line: Who will be this year’s top senior football player in Texas?

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 6th, 2019

The approaching early signing period and the winding down of the high school season in Texas translates to an upcoming update to the 2020 Fabulous 55. Our last update was done before the season. Don’t expect a ton of major changes or an influx … Read More

The Dotted Line: Seven future Longhorns remain in Texas high school football playoffs

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 5th, 2019

Four of the 17 Texas commitments in the 2020 class are still alive in the Texas high school playoffs. That’s assuming Lake Travis quarterback Hudson Card is back and healthy for the Class 6A Division I Region IV championship game against Converse Judson on … Read More

Mike Craven

Hookem.com staff

Craven’s Corner: Conference championships take center stage for sports bettors

November was great for Craven’s Corner. A 6-2 week brings us to 57-50-3 on the season. Our college football picks the last three weeks are 12-2-1. The bets this week focus on the conference championship games. Readers who remember our … Read More

The Dotted Line: What to expect from Texas’ seven potential early enrollees?

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 4th, 2019

Seven of the 17 current Texas commits are expected to enroll early and participate in spring football, which includes offseason workouts and spring practices. It’s a definite advantage for incoming freshmen, and it helps programs build depth with the growing presence of the transfer … Read More

Big 12 football power poll: Sooners finish at No. 1; Texas mired in meh

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 3rd, 2019

1. (Prev: 1) Oklahoma (11-1) A loss by Alabama cracked the door for Oklahoma to return to the College Football Playoff. It’ll take an impressive win over a Baylor squad playing with house money. The pressure is firmly on the Sooners as Oklahoma searches for its fifth consecutive Big 12 … Read More

The Dotted Line: Texas’ 2020 recruiting wish list as early signing day approaches

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 3rd, 2019

Texas head coach Tom Herman decided to overhaul his coaching staff less than three weeks away from the early signing period, which starts on Dec. 18. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando was fired, as was wide receivers coach Drew Mehringer. Other members of the staff … Read More

The Dotted Line: Offensive line commit Majors insists the 2020 class is ‘solid’ to Texas

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 2nd, 2019

WACO — Help is on the way. Texas closed out its regular season at 7-5, a disappointing year for everyone involved. Still, the young commitments across the state continue to back Tom Herman and his vision in Austin. The latest to assert … Read More

Bevo Beat

Defensive lineman Van Fillinger de-commits from Texas

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 1st, 2019

The losses for Texas on Sunday didn’t just include assistant coaches. Texas lost the commitment of three-star defensive lineman Van Fillinger. The big man from Corner Canyon High School in Utah announced the re-opening of his commitment on Twitter. Texas’ 2020 class is now down to … Read More

Bevo Beat

Texas’ recruits react to Todd Orlando, Drew Mehringer firings

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

December 1st, 2019

News broke Sunday that Texas was moving on from defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. That news impacts recruiting as much as it does the current football team. The early signing period is less than three weeks away, but early indications are that the Longhorns should hold onto … Read More

The Dotted Line: Eight Texas commitments remain in the Texas high school playoffs

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

November 29th, 2019

Texas’ 2020 commits remaining in the state playoffs went 4-0 in the area round. All four are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Defensive end Van Fillinger helped Draper Corner Canyon win a Class 6A state championship in Utah. Five-star running back … Read More

Mike Craven

Hookem.com staff

Craven’s Corner: Closing the regular season out by betting against Texas, Texas A&M

Slow and steady. That’s our approach to life and gambling here on Craven’s Corner. A second consecutive winning week moved our season total to 51-48-2. The corner is 10-3-1 over the past two weekends and Thanksgiving provides another opportunity to … Read More

The Dotted Line: In-person scouting reports on Texas commitments, targets

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

November 27th, 2019

It’s playoff time in Texas and that has provided me with a chance to watch a handful of Texas commitments and targets in must-win games across the state. Texas’ 2020 class stands at 18 commitments, ranking eighth in the nation and first in the … Read More

Big 12 football power poll: Top 4 unchanged; Texas drops to bottom half

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

November 26th, 2019

1. (Prev: 1) Oklahoma (10-1) Quarterback Jalen Hurts accounted for each of Oklahoma’s four touchdowns in a sloppy victory over TCU. The Sooners can still reach the College Football Playoffs, but it’ll take a few breaks plus style points in wins. Oklahoma is presented with two ranked teams to finish … Read More

The Dotted Line: Highland Park pass rusher Prince Dorbah is all-in on Texas

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

November 26th, 2019

ARLINGTON — One defensive commitment that Texas fans don’t need to sweat down the stretch to the early signing period in December is Highland Park’s Prince Dorbah. The state’s premier pass rusher emphatically affirmed his pledge to the Longhorns as he and his teammates … Read More