Tag: Barryn Sorrell

Packers assistant coach will get up close look at potential first-round targets during Senior Bowl

Packers assistant Wendel Davis will get an up close look at some top prospects while coaching at the Senior Bowl.

Green Bay Packers defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis will lead the linebackers and edge rushers for the American Team during Senior Bowl practices throughout the week. It’s a group that includes a pair of players who could be targets for the Packers in the first round of the 2025 draft.

Let’s take a look at five players from this group that could be targets for Brian Gutekunst:

Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M

The Purdue transfer recorded 14 tackles for loss, five sacks and 36 pressures during his lone season at College Station. Scourton is a powerful edge rusher, who may have the best spin move in this draft class. If Scourton is on the board when the Packers are on the clock with the 23rd overall pick, it would not be shocking to hear his name get called.

Video Player

Shemar Stewart, DL, Texas A&M

The Texas A&M defensive lineman has a unique blend of power and speed. He’s listed at 6-6, 290 pounds and moves closer to a player built like Clay Matthews. Stewart would bring instance juice to Green Bay’s pass rush while providing a powerful presence against the run. If he’s still on the board when Green Bay is on the clock, it would not be surprising to see Gutekunst add Stewart to the defensive line mix.

Video Player

Barryn Sorrell, Edge, Texas

A member of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list, Sorrell is a well-put-together edge rusher. As a run defender, he snatches and tosses and sets a hard edge. The Texas edge rusher finished this past season with 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and 49 pressures.

Video Player

Shemar James, LB, Florida

James shows good range in pass coverage. He plays with the lateral athleticism to match up with tight ends in coverage. The Florida Gator linebacker shows good burst in pursuit.

Video Player

Princely Umanmielen, Edge, Ole Miss

The Florida transfer has a quick first step and is a twitched-up edge rusher. He’d bring instant juice to Green Bay’s pass rush. He finished his lone season as a Rebel with 14.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and 55 pressures. He’s not a dominant force against the run, but he has the functional strength to hold up on the edge.

Video Player

Chiefs scouting report: Texas Longhorns DE Barryn Sorrell

Texas #Longhorns defensive end Barryn Sorrell might be a perfect target for the Kansas City #Chiefs in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Texas Longhorns advanced to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff with a win against Arizona State on New Year’s Day. Several Longhorns should be on general manager Brett Veach’s board when the Kansas City Chiefs make their selections in the 2025 NFL draft.

According to Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy, Sorrell is a verified 6’3.5″, 260 lb. pass rusher. His 32 1/4-inch arms fall below the league’s preferred thresholds, but that hasn’t prevented Sorrell from putting together a career year in 2024. He leads one of the nation’s most dominant defensive fronts in pressures.

Sorrell is a freaky athlete. Bruce Feldman for The Athletic claims the senior reached 19.4 miles per hour in a game in 2023. Sorrell’s power shows up in the weight room, where he benches 425 pounds and squats 575 pounds.

Sorrell primarily plays 5-tech for the Longhorns with a sprinkle of snaps at wide-9 and 4-tech. He releases from the line of scrimmage with a noticeable burst before getting into his pass rush plan, which includes clubs, cross-chops, long-arms, spins, swims, swipe-rips, and two-armed bull rushes.

Sorrell excels at attacking the offensive tackle’s hands with his swipes and forklift moves. He needs to use more refined hand counters to revive his power rushes when offensive tackles re-anchor. Sorrell knows a full arsenal of moves but doesn’t capitalize on them. He lacks the bend to threaten offensive tackles around the corner consistently.

Sorrell’s pad level impacts his ability to win as a pass rusher, but he stays low to hold his position in the run game. He stacks and peaks around blocks with precise hand placement before shedding the lineman with a rip move. Sorrell’s speed and motor make him a threat against RPOs and help him track down ball carriers as a backside run defender.

Texas draft prospects for Packers fans to watch during College Football Playoff

Draft prospects from Texas for Packers fans to watch during the College Football Playoff.

The Texas Longhorns had 11 players drafted during the 2024 NFL Draft. They could match or even exceed that number during the 2025 draft. Let’s look at eight players who could be targets for the Green Bay Packers.

Alred Collins, DT

A former five-star recruit, Collins looks every bit the part of a future wrecking ball. Collins plays with some raw power and walks blockers back into the quarterback’s lap. He has the range to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage and his motor is always running. 

Video Player

Barryn Sorrell, Edge

Sorrell checks the boxes with his frame and athleticism. As a run defender, he snatches and tosses and sets a hard edge. According to Pro Football Focus, Sorrell has recorded 21 run stops this season. The Texas edge rusher enters the matchup against Clemson with nine tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 39 pressures. 

Video Player

Jahdae Barron, DB

A year ago Barron was one of the best slot defenders in the country. This season he’s shown that he can survive on the boundary. Barron led the SEC in interceptions (5) and recorded nine pass deflections. He has the drive explosion to arrive before the pigskin and has wide receiver-like ball skills. He’s a physical downfield defender and stays balanced as a tackler. 

Video Player

Jake Majors, C

Majors enters the matchup against Clemson with 54 career starts at center for the Longhorns. Majors has heightened awareness and understands protections. Over the past two seasons, Majors has given up zero sacks and 20 pressures.  

Trey Moore, Edge

At 245 pounds, Moore could be too light for Green Bay’s liking. Moore can easily add five pounds without losing his explosive first step. The UTSA transfer has recorded 3.5 sacks and 26 pressures. 

Video Player

Vernon Broughton, DT

At 6-5, 306 pounds, Broughton has an ideal NFL frame. The Texas defensive tackle has good initial quickness off the snap to get upfield quickly and disrupt the action in the backfield. He maintains his gap and shows the lateral quickness to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage.

Video Player

Matthew Golden, WR

With his instant acceleration off the line of scrimmage and finds a second gear to win vertically. He runs sharp routes and does a good job of mixing up his tempo to keep defensive backs off balance. Golden also brings special teams value as a kick and punt returner. 

Video Player

Isaiah Bond, WR

The Alabama transfer is a dynamic playmaker. The former track athlete is a vertical threat and can take swing passes the distance with his game-breaking quickness. Bond is similar to Jayden Reed and having those two on the same offense would put a lot of stress on opposing defenses. 

Video Player

Musical Chairs: The toughest Texas position battle for 2024

Texas has two starting positions for three plus starters on defense.

The Texas edge rushing room is loaded in 2024. In fact, it’s so loaded that out of three potential all-conference talents one will start games on the bench.

The room starts with Barryn Sorrell who was the lone certainty at the position group an offseason ago. Sorrell led the Texas pass rush with 5.5 sacks in 2022 and was a good player for the team last season with four more sacks for the year.

Among other returning players is Ethan Burke who broke out early last season. Burke put up sacks against Rice and Alabama to start the year before finishing with 5.5 sacks of his own. Albeit, it’s his closing speed and ability to make the shoestring tackle on potential explosive runs that carves some of the most value from the edge position.

Then there’s the addition of Trey Moore who is being billed as perhaps the best player on the team by one source. While there’s some concern as to whether or not his 14 sack season and 22 career sacks at UTSA will transfer to major college football, reports from offseason workouts make one wonder if those concerns are valid.

We haven’t yet mentioned five-star freshman Colin Simmons who comes in looking to make an immediate impact. Justice Finkley, Colton Vasek, Tausili Akana and J’Mond Tapp are among the others looking to make a splash.

Texas has as difficult a decision in who to start at edge as it has anywhere else. That said, it won’t lack for quality depth in 2024. While it’s uncertain who will start at the position, expect heavy rotation and perhaps without much drop off from starter to backup.

Texas edge Barryn Sorrell announces return for another season

Barryn Sorrell is coming back for another season!

Texas edge rusher Barryn Sorrell is returning for another season. The news comes a day after veteran center Jake Majors announced his return to Austin.

We expected Sorrell to come back, but the decision wasn’t as much a no-brainer decision as we anticipated. In the end, Sorrell came around to the notion that returning for another season on the Forty Acres was in his best interest.

Sorrell has the ability to play on Sundays. He flashed that ability for the first time last season compiling 5.5 sacks, 44 tackles and a forced fumble.

His 2023 campaign wasn’t as prolific perhaps in part due to the talent around him and the added attention that comes with being a proven commodity. Even so, the skilled edge rusher put up 4 sacks for the year.

Heading into the Texas offseason we noted that the edge position could be a strength of the defense. Sorrell was at the forefront of that contention after a production two seasons on the Forty Acres. His experience should garner more respect from the team as he leads his position group in 2024.

Texas edge Barryn Sorrell wants “double digit sacks” next season

Barryn Sorrell has lofty goals for 2023.

Texas Longhorns edge rusher Barryn Sorrell has a chip on his shoulder. The productive pass rusher wants to make an even bigger impact in 2023. Continue reading “Texas edge Barryn Sorrell wants “double digit sacks” next season”

WATCH: Highlight plays shed light on Texas breakout players for 2023

Savion Red’s beast stiff arm, Quinn Ewers’ dime to Ja’Tavion Sanders and more.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has his team looking sharp this spring. That is, if this highlight reel is any indication.

There’s a great deal to unpack with a handful of players flashing on the field. Upperclassmen linebacker David Gbenda, wide receiver Casey Cain and backup quarterback Maalik Murphy see plenty of camera time in the featured reels. It gives credence to the notion that Casey Cain brings some of his best football in practices.

The three biggest takeaways for me involve three players who could have breakout seasons in 2023. First, Quinn Ewers looks incredibly sharp in the limited action we’re able to watch. Ewers makes an effortless throw to Ja’Tavion Sanders on the run, hitting Sanders on a corner route in stride.

The second realization is that edge rusher Barryn Sorrell is huge. Sorrell looks like the freshman iteration of Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins.

The most enlightening highlight sees Texas running back Savion Red displacing second year edge Justice Finkley with a powerful stiff arm. Short as it may be, the highlight gives an idea of why the team thinks so highly of Red heading into the season.

WATCH: Former Texas pass rusher Joseph Ossai scores first NFL touchdown

Joseph Ossai achieves another NFL career milestone.

Pass rushers don’t often score touchdowns. Joseph Ossai earned a rare score of his own on Sunday. The former Texas Longhorns standout recorded the first touchdown of his NFL career.

Ossai has seen plenty of expectation and hype since joining the Cincinnati Bengals. An injury derailed his rookie season from the breakout many believed could ensue. This season, the former Longhorn is making the most of his opportunities.

Texas hopes it has a comparable talent on its roster in Barryn Sorrell. Unheralded and underrated, Sorrell is cut from the same cloth as Ossai. The Bengals pass rusher is known for relentless effort. Sunday’s fumble recovery only strengthens that reputation.

Ossai is just one of the Longhorns that will play meaningful football after this week. The Bengals will have a rematch with the Ravens on the same field they won on this week. The skilled athlete is representing his University well at the next level.

Texas Football: Five players to watch vs. Texas Tech

Keep an eye on these Longhorns against Texas Tech on Saturday.

No. 22 Texas makes the trip to Lubbock this weekend for a matchup against Texas Tech.

Both teams enter with identical 2-1 records through three nonconference games. Texas dropped a nail biter to No. 1 Alabama in between two double-digit wins over UL Monroe and UTSA. Texas Tech is coming off a road loss to No. 12 NC State but won an impressive overtime game against a top 25 Houston squad in Week 2.

Texas’ offense put up historic numbers against the Red Raiders a season ago. The Longhorns ran Texas Tech out of DKR by a final score of 70-35.

New Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire has his team looking much improved early on this season. The new-look Red Raiders and rowdy environment in Lubbock will be no easy task for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns.

Here is a look at five Longhorns to keep an eye on in Texas’ Big 12 opener vs. Texas Tech on Saturday.

Reasons for confidence in Texas against Alabama

Texas enters their own real-life Rocky movie on Saturday.

By now, you’re probably aware that Alabama is the prohibitive favorite on Saturday against Texas. You have also likely seen all the reasons why Alabama will win. Let’s take a look at the other side of the coin.

I hate playing “devil’s advocate” on issues that are not up for debate. This is not one of those scenarios. I truly believe Texas can make this a game, though it will be a difficult ask for a young, inexperienced group.

Texas has talent all over the field. The receiver room is still deep despite the loss of Isaiah Neyor. The running back room is as good as expected heading into the season. Even special teams units are winning when they take the field.

Let’s examine a few more reasons to believe in Texas in Week 2.