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Eric Nahlin chose three potential breakout stars on both sides of the ball.
The Texas football roster changed dramatically this offseason. Continue reading “Inside Texas lists six breakout candidates ahead of the 2022 season”
These five players are elite at simply doing their job and could have a big year.
The Texas Longhorns defense struggled in 2021, but not for lack of talent. This season, they will depend on players whose best trait is simply doing their job and making the play.
Texas has the pieces to be a solid defense this season. By that I mean an average Big 12 defense. A host of defensive players will need to step up for that to happen.
DeMarvion Overshown and D’Shawn Jamison are players who could certainly have big seasons.
At safety, Anthony Cook stands to gain from a second consecutive year of reliable play in the secondary. Albeit, I’m not sure even Cook or Overshown fully know what role they will play in the Texas defense in 2022 so I’ve left them off this list.
T’Vondre Sweat, Barryn Sorrell and Keondre Coburn will also have an opportunity to leave their mark on the Texas football season.
With that said, here are my top five defensive players for 2022.
DeMarvion Overshown could be the answer to Texas’ pass rush issues.
Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is back for one final season with the Longhorns. The fifth-year senior is planning on playing a multitude of roles for the Texas defense in 2022.
One spot where Overshown could provide a spark is at the EDGE position. The Longhorns struggled to create duress on opposing quarterbacks during the 2021 campaign. Texas ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 in both sacks and quarterback pressures.
Fellow pass rusher Ovie Oghoufo has been providing Overshown some tips about the position change.
Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski can get creative with the ways he dials up his defensive front. Giving Overshown more time at EDGE allows junior Jaylan Ford and James Madison transfer Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey more opportunity at linebacker. Two guys who Overshown mentioned as stand-out players during Big 12 Media Days.
.@CoachSark once again hinted at utilizing D. Overshown's ability to play multiple roles
"To have him on board and to really start to utilize the versatility his game provides is something that has been beneficial up to now, and will only continue to grow once fall comes around" pic.twitter.com/aF9wAmuNRB
— Joe Cook (@josephcook89) July 14, 2022
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These Longhorns have the potential for monster 2022 seasons.
Steve Sarkisian and the Texas staff have their eyes set on a bounce-back 2022 season.
A rebuilt roster with an influx of talent via the transfer portal and high school ranks has people around the program feeling confident major improvement is coming.
Texas signed the No. 5 recruiting class for the 2022 cycle along with a strong list of exciting transfers, including quarterback Quinn Ewers and wide receiver Isaiah Neyor. The fresh faces on the team hope to establish themselves as premier players in the Big 12 Conference in 2022.
Wide receiver Xavier Worthy and defense back Anthony Cook enjoyed breakout seasons for the Horns in 2021. Texas needs multiple players to step up in a similar way if they want to reach their goal of competing for a Big 12 title this fall.
Here is a look at one breakout candidate for each position group entering the 2022 season. Big seasons from these Longhorns would go a long way towards getting the program headed in the right direction.
Taking a look at which position units inspire the most confidence on the Texas roster this season.
Texas’ offseason featured a high influx of talent for Steve Sarkisian’s team. The Longhorns will now feature a more potent roster with stronger depth than last season.
The roster improved most at skill positions by adding Isaiah Neyor, Agiye Hall, Jahleel Billingsley, and Tarique Milton.
Linebackers coach Jeff Choate improved defensive depth by adding Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey. Dorsey may compete for and win a starting job at inside linebacker prior to the 2022 season.
Much of the conversation this offseason revolves around what they did not add through the portal. Offensive tackles and edge rushers underwhelmed last season, perhaps due in part to new technique and strength and conditioning routines. With Texas unable to bring in elite edge transfers, they may have to manufacture their pass rush.
Here is how I would rank my confidence in each of the position units.
Texas can feel more comfortable with its linebacker depth after the addition of Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey.
Texas made another big splash in the transfer portal with the addition of James Madison linebacker Diamontae Tucker-Dorsey.
Tucker-Dorsey chose the Longhorns after picking up transfer offers from the likes of Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Auburn and UCF. Texas was able to get him to campus for a visit earlier this week and closed the deal on Friday.
The FCS All-American fills a major need in the Texas linebacker room that struggled much of the 2021 season. Tucker-Dorsey has a knack for being around the football. He racked up 116 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and four takeaways for the Dukes last season.
Expect Tucker-Dorsey to push for playing time as soon as he steps foot on campus. DeMarvion Overshown returns with hopes to end his collegiate career with a bang. Jaylan Ford and David Gbenda showed some flashes last season, but need to figure out more consistency.
Here is an updated look at Texas’ linebacker depth chart with Tucker-Dorsey included.
A big spring for these players could equate to them winning the starting job.
With spring football a couple weeks away, there are a plethora of Longhorns that will be vying to cement themselves atop the depth chart before fall camp comes around.
Similar to last season, Texas’ spring and fall camps will be host to position battles all over the field on both sides of the ball. To make matters more complicated, the Longhorns will be without the majority of their offensive line recruits and are still looking to make additions on the defensive side of the ball from the transfer portal.
It has been commonly stated that Texas is emphasizing getting the best players on the field at any position, which can be seen by a few players changing positions. This also implies that regardless of class, whether they be a freshman or a super senior, the starting spots will not be just gifted to anyone.
There are a handful of players that will benefit from participating in spring ball, and will have a prime opportunity to set themselves apart. Here are a few of the players that can shoot up the depth chart over the next few months.
10 players who have the potential to have big seasons in 2022.
Texas will have many fresh faces in the program next season.
Over 30 recruits and transfers will make up an exciting group of newcomers joining Texas’ roster.
Steve Sarkisian has a good amount of talent to work with between the newcomers on the team and the young players who have been held over from last season.
Despite the 5-7 record, many around the program feel they are knocking on the door for a massive improvement. Texas proved they could compete with any team in the conference last season but struggled to find ways to win in the second half of games.
Finding some breakout players could turn Texas into real competitors in the Big 12 conference. Last season Xavier Worthy and Bijan Robinson established themselves as elite players. Who on the roster could share similar leaps in the 2022 season?
Here are 10 players who could break out into major contributors next year:
The Longhorns capped off a disappointing season with a 22-17 win over Kansas State.
The Longhorns capped off a disappointing season with a 22-17 win over Kansas State. The victory snapped Texas’ longest losing streak since 1956.
Texas finished the season 5-7 and will likely miss their first bowl game since 2016.
It was a bit of a struggle passing the ball for both teams. That did not stop the running backs from having outstanding games.
Roschon Johnson got the scoring going on the Texas opening drive on a nine-yard touchdown run. Kansas State star Deuce Vaughn would answer with a nine-yard touchdown of his own later in the first quarter.
Texas would add another touchdown on a fantastic catch by Cade Brewer over two Wildcat defenders. It took Kansas State one play to take a 14-13 lead as Will Howard ran for a 71-yard score.
The teams would trade field goals the rest of the way as Texas finally found a way to win 22-17.
Here is a look at the studs and duds from Texas’ season finale:
Roschon Johnson and Xavier Worthy were the highest graded players on offense. Who was on the wrong end of the curve?
It isn’t easy for a head coach to get his team to play with maximum effort in a meaningless game. Continue reading “Texas Report Card: PFF grades from the Kansas State win”
