Bevo’s Daily Roundup: The plug is officially pulled on Texas State 7-on-7 Championship

The annual Texas State 7-on-7 Championship tournament in Bryan-College Station was officially canceled on Thursday. Bryan College Station Sports and Events responded in a statement, saying, “Our organization is dedicated toward finding a solution for the loss of this year’s event. We will work to mitigate our community’s loss, and provide an opportunity for student-athletes to compete this summer, if local and state ordinances allow.”

Given the pandemic’s current climate, that’s a hard “if.”

WHAT THE WISE MEN ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS

Austin American-Statesman: The Dotted Line: Three questions facing Texas on the recruiting trail amid COVID-19

247Sports: Kevin Durant on how Michael Jordan would fare today

USA Today: What draft analysts are saying about Devin Duvernay

USA Today: What draft analysts are saying about Collin Johnson

USA Today: What draft analysts are saying about Brandon Jones

NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE IN LONGHORN LAND AND THE BIG 12

• ESPN’s FPI rankings are out, and the Longhorns are ranked No. 11 and are projected to win at least 9.5 games heading into 2020. In return, 247Sports gave their take. From 247Sports: “Following a full coaching staff makeover, this is make or break time for Tom Herman, who enters his fourth season knowing all eyes will be glued to Austin to see if the Longhorns are Big 12 title material and then some. Chris Ash inherits a defense that largely underachieved last season for various reasons and will continue the development of Joseph Ossai and Caden Sterns, two leaders on that side. The most important player for Texas is quarterback Sam Ehlinger. This team’s championship hopes ride on his shoulders. If he can stay healthy, new OC Mike Yurcich believes the sky is the limit for this offense.”

• Texas softball landed pitcher Molly Jacobsen, a graduate transfer from the Ole Miss Rebels.

• OH, and Texas women’s tennis signed Malaika Rapolu out of Cedar Park on Monday. Rapolu plans to skip her senior year of high school to compete as a Longhorn in 2020-2021, the Austin American-Statesman reports. From the Statesman: “For the Class of 2021, Rapolu was ranked second in the state and eighth nationally by the Tennis Recruiting Network. Earlier this year, Rapolu advanced to the quarterfinals at the ITF 15k pro circuit event in Mexico. Rapolu beat both Mel Krywoj and Anna Baranovski, who respectively played at Baylor and Nebraska this spring, at a tournament in November. ... Texas had previously added Charlotte Chavatipon and Peyton Stearns to its 2020 recruiting class. UT was 11-3 and ranked fourth in the Oracle/ITA national rankings when its season was cancelled because of coronavirus concerns. The only two seniors on UT’s eight-player roster were Anna and Bianca Turati, who are eligible to return in 2021 due to a recent NCAA ruling.”

• Texas football may on to something in their offer to under-the-radar running back Tavorus Jones, six-foot, 180-pound elusive speedster out of El Paso Burges High School, Sports Illustrated reports. From SI: “Jones was is coming off a sophomore campaign that included 1,134 yards and 15 scores on the ground to go along with 33 catches for 498 yards and five receiving touchdowns. ... Jones’ lateral quickness gives off the impression that he’s a side-to-side scat back, but when he hits the hole you can see his powerful 6-foot frame go to work. He does a little bit of everything for his high school team, including catching the ball extremely well out of the backfield and even lining up at quarterback from time to time. ... The Longhorns are the first team to make an offer to Jones, but likely won’t be the last. There will be more teams casting their gaze out to West Texas going into Jones’ junior campaign, but being the first school to offer certainly puts Texas in a good position.”