Texas DL Byron Murphy and Alfred Collins make our starting lineup prediction.
The Texas Longhorns are getting set for what could be a special football season. From top to bottom, the squad is loaded with talented and developed depth. It makes for hotly contested position battles heading into a pivotal season for head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Last year saw a handful of players breakout, some of which we saw coming and others that were unforeseen. Linebacker Jaylan Ford was my biggest breakout prediction ahead of last season. For anyone who watched the linebacker position closely, it was evident Ford had a strong handle on pursuit and field awareness as he consistently found himself near the football.
This year, defensive tackles Byron Murphy and Alfred Collins are generating some of the most chatter. Murphy appears to be a bull in a china closet over the spring, while Collins is coming into his own.
Here’s a look at who we could see starting for the Longhorns in 2023.
Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Samuel Omosigho tabbed as one of the biggest risers in the final update in the On300 rankings.
Several members of Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class had fantastic years prior to signing with the Sooners.
Their work in the offseason led to tremendous senior seasons. For [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] that work earned them five-star status. [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag], who was considered a three-star prospect at the time of his commitment, has seen his stock rise dramatically over the last 10 months.
As a prospect from smaller town where he was asked to play multiple positions on both sides of the ball, we needed to see Samuel Omosigho’s ability to play off-ball linebacker with our own eyes and see how he handled the increase in speed of the game. At the All-American Bowl he proved that the game was not too fast for him, and he showed the willingness to stick his head into traffic and get physical with some of the top prospects in the country. – Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant
Playing in the All-American Bowl, Omosigho impressed Parker Thune of OUInsider at 247Sports.
“He is perhaps the most physically ready player that I witnessed at the All-American Bowl,” Thune shared on the “Locked on Sooners” podcast. “Especially when you limit that query to the linebacker position and you took stock of the linebackers that were there. … Sammy Omosigho looks like a guy that could show up and instantly play Power Five football.”
With as young as the linebacker room is at Oklahoma, it wouldn’t that surprising to see Omosigho earn snaps early in his Sooners career. If he’s able to keep a similar trajectory to the one he’s been on over the last year, the sky is the limit.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.
Ahead of the Red River Shootout with the Oklahoma, John Williams of Locked on Sooners joined Locked on Longhorns to preview the game.
With Texas-OU week on tap, Locked on Sooners host John Williams joined the Locked on Longhorns Podcast to preview the game. In the first segment Locked on Longhorns host Patrick Conn finds out what is going on with Oklahoma. Spencer Rattler has gotten off to a fast start in his first season, so how much of their woes are to blame on him? What is the biggest issue with Oklahoma as they head into the Red River Shootout?
In segment John asks the questions regarding the Texas Longhorns to find out what is wrong on the Forty Acres. These two teams are similar in that the offense has done enough to win football games so what is going on with the defense? Is it a lack of effort or are the little things biting Chris Ash’s group?
In the final segment Patrick and John discuss the mentality of both teams. Is there a wrong mentality or is it a confidence issue for the two premiere programs in the Big 12 Conference? Going into the game, which team needs this win more? Is it Oklahoma who is 0-2 in conference play? Or is it Texas who can’t afford another loss under Tom Herman who will likely be under fire if he doesn’t compete for the title this year?
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