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The Longhorns are putting on pads and could distinguish the men from the boys.
The Texas Longhorns are putting on the pads as the reality of the upcoming season sets in for the football team. Continue reading “Texas Football: Padded practices begin in Austin, here’s who to watch”
The Texas defense was poor last year, but one player could help change that in 2022.
The Texas defense was poor last year, but one player could change that in 2022. Continue reading “Opinion: Ovie Oghoufo could be the X-factor for Texas’ defense”
What to make of fall camp news thus far for the 2022 season.
We are less than a month from the 2022 college football season, and fall camp is in full swing. With anticipation building, it is easy for fans to latch on to any finding and make it more of a story than necessary.
Of the many potential stories that could be blown out of proportion, depth chart positioning is toward the top of the list.
For those new to college football training camp specifics like myself, freshmen players are generally asked to earn their way up the depth chart from the bottom. For that reason, you could see Day 1 starters have to earn their way up from third or fourth string.
Clearly, there is not always significance attached to training camp practices, but some news can be reason for alarm. Let’s take a look at what findings should and should not cause concern for Texas right now.
Rave reviews keep pouring in for mammoth-sized freshmen linemen.
Texas football is wrapping up the first week of their annual preseason fall camp. From early reports, it appears the camp is going as well as Steve Sarkisian and company envisioned.
Earlier this week we mentioned that Kelvin Banks is off to a strong start. Rave reviews keep pouring in for the mammoth-sized freshman offensive linemen.
Bobby Burton, Eric Nahlin and Justin Wells of Inside Texas published a great recap of what they have seen through the first couple practices.
Burton tempered expectations with a thought I am sure is common among the Longhorns’ fanbase. While the Texas roster has a number of great players, particularly at running back and wide receiver, Burton feels that they do not have overwhelming depth.
On a more positive note, the trio discussed the talent advantage Texas could have over Big 12 teams. Justin Wells commended Isaiah Neyor, calling him, “a true NFL prospect.” Burton echoed Wells’ praise of Neyor.
Here are a few takeaways from the camp’s first week.
Kelvin Banks is a grown man.
Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks might be close to game ready.
After the media’s first glance at Texas’ fall camp, Horns247’s Jeff Howe took notice of the massive freshman offensive lineman.
Howe had the following to say about Banks.
Texas football returned to the practice field today. Media viewing window is closed. Best on the hoof among newcomers might have been Kelvin Banks, who’s working at left tackle to open camp.
The news is exciting for a handful of reasons. Head coach Steve Sarkisian does not need Kelvin Banks to start, but he does need up to four linemen to emerge as high quality starters alongside Junior Angilau.
Jake Majors and Christian Jones might be among the more fundamentally sound linemen in the run game, but they could improve in pass protection. Hayden Conner has been lauded by the coaching staff dating to last season.
The wealth of talent paired with continued development should yield a strong two-deep roster up front.
.@TexasFootball returned to the practice field today. Media viewing window is closed. Best on the hoof among the newcomers might've been @247Sports five-star Kelvin Banks, who's working at left tackle to open camp. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/tuU5GrVDXh
— Jeff Howe (@JeffHowe247) August 3, 2022
If the offensive line can prove reliable, the Texas offense has a chance to be special.
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Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian discusses the 2022 season.
Steve Sarkisian has a big season ahead of him. And while there is pressure on the second-year coach, you would not know by his demeanor.
Sarkisian spoke confidently and optimistically throughout the offseason. He continued his upbeat talking points for the Texas media on Tuesday as fall camp gets underway.
The Texas head coach spoke on a number of things including the hype and excitement heading into what could be a career-defining season for him. Among the topics discussed was fan enthusiasm leading to high ticket sales.
As for on-field developments, Sarkisian discussed the high turnover on the roster. Texas likely believes it got a lot better this offseason.
A number of new players are set to make an impact. Ja’Tavion Sanders seems to have developed into a starting caliber tight end, while Texas added a number of skill position transfers.
Here’s a look at what Steve Sarkisian had to say to the media on Tuesday.
Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman met with media following the second scrimmage. He talked at length about several aspects of the team.
Longhorns head coach Tom Herman spoke with the media on Saturday following the Longhorns second scrimmage of fall camp. In his opening comments Herman mentioned that the offense won this scrimmage. The first and second team received about 35 snaps total. The team will resume practice on Tuesday, which gives them a couple of days off.
When asked about the linebacker position, Herman pointed out that Jaylon Ford is getting better every day. “Jaylon Ford is proving every day that he is going to be a solid player for us at some point. We are trying to accelerate that learning curve.”
Herman went on to say that he thinks they have four capable guys at the cornerback position it is just a matter of the “cream rising to the top.” The head coach did bring up they haven’t had their full compliment of guys due to precautions. Any time a player has a sniffle, a cold or a stomach bug they are reporting it to the staff and they hold the player out until they are cleared. Herman did mention they haven’t had any positive cases of COVID-19.
In response to being asked about the NCAA’s decision to freeze eligiblity for players this season, Herman said “The NCAA got it right. It is the fair and right thing to do.” Coach did say that the information about how to move forward with the new ruling is very limited. He only knows that the seniors this year won’t count against the scholarship limit in 2021.
When the topic of how different this camp has been, Herman stated that it has been “drastically different.” Not from a COVID-19 standpoint but since the team didn’t have spring and summer workouts. They are trying to condition their bodies. He mentioned giving the team a day off following padded practice. The scrimmage on Saturday and Tuesday’s practice were the only ones in pads.
“It’s been a great marriage thus far. We’re cut from the same cloth” -Tom Herman on his relationship with Mike Yurcich
Herman went on to talk about the new route concepts that Yurcich has introduced to the offense. “The quarterbacks and wide receivers have really liked it. But at the end of the day we all run the same plays,” Herman said jokingly. He did mention that Yurcich has done a great job of enhancing the offense. Herman stated that Yurcich will call the plans with input from himself throughout the game when the situation dictates.
“We’re very very thankful that we have him, because we need him”- Herman on Tarik Black
Herman mentioned the second scrimmage was “so much cleaner than last week and that’s encouraging.” During the scrimmage on Saturday the tight ends were playing on the line, inside and outside receiver due to being thin at receiver. Herman mentioned they played the entire scrimmage in 12 personnel. The 12 personnel group is one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends.
When asked about quarterback Sam Ehlinger, Herman mentioned that he is always working and never satisfied. The big difference he noticed is a bigger jump from his off platform throws. He is getting the ball out quicker.
“The competitor that you see on Saturdays is the same competitor that he is with himself”- Herman on Sam Ehlinger
The running back position is another group that came up during the media session with Herman. When asked about the rotation of the three, Herman said “I have no idea.” Being that they are three weeks away from the first game, he alluded to the fact that it is a bit early. Herman did say having only three backs on scholarship at a violent position makes him a little “apprehensive.”
