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Coach pop a bitch

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Bobby Burton   I’m a Cam Williams fan. Daniel Jeremiah, ESPN NFL draft analyst, talked about Williams yesterday. It’s nice, yet unsurprising, that Williams is starting to turn head

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Mitch Cumsteen

Anybody remember how terrible he was against Kansas in 2021? Unbelievably, that was his FOURTH!?!!? fucking year in the program where he had apparently been taught next to nothing about playing offens

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satyanash

satyanash 14407

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Scipio Tex: Putting Money Away On The OL/DL

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I’m in the middle of writing the 8th Annual Thinking Texas Football preview. Aside from the fact that I get to stare way too long at a computer screen for 12 hours a day, it affords me the opportunity to dig into the football program at the macro and micro levels in every conceivable way. It was during this process last year that I began to have some insights on Orlando and the positional staff that allowed me to be the early driver on That Dog Won’t Hunt bus once I saw how we were going to play our 2019 cards.

This deep dive always reveals some good and bad, but one thing that’s trending well is the program’s ability to take the long view, put money in the developmental bank, and draw interest over a longer time period at some key developmental positions. I’ll explain. The Texas offensive line currently boasts 15 names.

Kerstetter
Cosmi
Angilau
Jones
Okafor
Johnson
Hookfin
Imade
Moore
Ghirmai
Tyler
Parr
Majors
Garth
Karic

Which of those things is not like the other?

..
...
....

Hint: you may add the letters RS (redshirt) after every single one of those names save one. That would be jack-of-all-trades Derek Kerstetter. The 2017 bulldog puppy we threw into a swimming pool and wished him luck. While technically there has no been determination made on the four incoming freshmen, I have 95% confidence that RS will be added after their names too.

When 14/15 offensive linemen in your program redshirt, you’re putting money in the bank instead of leasing a car with the money from your home equity loan. You’re building on a solid foundation instead of a Jenga of debt. Even when immediate needs are dire and a staff sells itself in the moment that a true freshman offensive lineman might swing a game result, it is important to understand that once you start overspending on your credit card instead of putting money in savings, you’re never going to get on the positive side of the ledger. At some point, you have to take your lumps and do what’s right for the long term viability of the program.

Tom Herman, whatever his other faults, has done that. In fact, he has even redshirted offensive linemen who had already progressed in eligibility in an attempt to set back the clock on developmental time. In 2016, Charlie Strong pissed away Denzel Okafor’s freshman year with a handful of puzzling snaps that precluded him from redshirting. Little wonder Okafor struggled in 2017 when thrust disastrously into a starting role at tackle. In an attempt to reclaim his developmental timeline, the staff wisely redshirted him in 2018 - his third year in the program - even though Texas lacked offensive line depth. Okafor could have helped us a bit in 2018, but putting him into savings means he might really help us in 2020. This year, a 5th year senior Okafor will have a chance to compete for the starting right guard position. A player that once drew fan ire in 2018 may be in line for a Gaskamp Award.

Defensive line is a different beast with varied developmental timelines in all phases, but whenever possible for certain DL archetypes, it’s always useful to gain a year of interest. Redshirting players as diverse as Keondre Coburn, Moro Ojomo, and Myron Warren was a positive. Coburn might have helped in bursts as a true freshman, but he badly needed conditioning to meet his long term upside. Young Ojomo, who started kindergarten while still in the womb, needed simple seasoning. Myron Warren needs the time to transform from a bouncy (trademark @Eric Nahlin ) edge rushing tomahawk dunker into a 290 pound 3 technique. Peter Mpagi was also the right instinct, but you can’t control for health. Who knows what Daniel Carson could become as a 5th year senior?

Mind you, the first three key redshirts happened against the backdrop of Charlie Strong’s disastrous 2016 DL recruiting class that was supposed to solve all DL problems for eternity. Wilbon, Southall, Christmas, Daniels and Elliott solved few problems and created many. Being able to strategically redshirt anyone on the defensive line from 2017-2019 is a triumph given that boondoggle.

Broughton and Collins will be a fascinating case study in how to manage the short, medium and long term view. Texas has a good defensive line with legitimate depth. But those two are pretty special. What’s the best approach? Beyond just physical readiness, there is also an element of managing their expectations and happiness. Can’t bank an investment that does an ACH transfer, but you also don’t want to piss away a season on 60 snaps. Putting on pads in August will help clarify the matter quickly.

 

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Elmer_Fudd

Elmer_Fudd 22150

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I'm assuming the 2 new starters starting out will be Jones at RT and Okafor at RG, any chance one or both of these gets unseated??  Does Tyler Johnson make the jump and start as a RS Fr like Cosmi 2 years ago and Junior last year?  Is Willie Tyler ready to be a road grader at Guard?  Is Hoofkin ready or does he need another year?

I'm also basing this off Kerstetter gets moved to Center, unless Ghirmai is absolutely ready.

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Mother mopar

Mother mopar 3311

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I'm assuming the 2 new starters starting out will be Jones at RT and Okafor at RG, any chance one or both of these gets unseated??  Does Tyler Johnson make the jump and start as a RS Fr like Cosmi 2 years ago and Junior last year?  Is Willie Tyler ready to be a road grader at Guard?  Is Hoofkin ready or does he need another year?
I'm also basing this off Kerstetter gets moved to Center, unless Ghirmai is absolutely ready.
Thoughts on Reese Moore, I know he was on the long road of development but curios how he looks after a few years in the program.
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Coach pop a bitch

Coach pop a bitch 5459

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7 minutes ago, Mother mopar said:
56 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:
I'm assuming the 2 new starters starting out will be Jones at RT and Okafor at RG, any chance one or both of these gets unseated??  Does Tyler Johnson make the jump and start as a RS Fr like Cosmi 2 years ago and Junior last year?  Is Willie Tyler ready to be a road grader at Guard?  Is Hoofkin ready or does he need another year?
I'm also basing this off Kerstetter gets moved to Center, unless Ghirmai is absolutely ready.

Read more  

Thoughts on Reese Moore, I know he was on the long road of development but curios how he looks after a few years in the program.

He's still adding weight so that next season he can carry Tommy Brockmeyers shoulder pads.

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HtownHorn

HtownHorn 14609

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3 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

I'm assuming the 2 new starters starting out will be Jones at RT and Okafor at RG, any chance one or both of these gets unseated??  Does Tyler Johnson make the jump and start as a RS Fr like Cosmi 2 years ago and Junior last year?  Is Willie Tyler ready to be a road grader at Guard?  Is Hoofkin ready or does he need another year?

I'm also basing this off Kerstetter gets moved to Center, unless Ghirmai is absolutely ready.

I would hope that the 2019 class get some playing time, but they would have to be clearly better than the upperclassmen to make it into the 2 deep. Junior was better than Imade, and Okafor was RS'ing. The OL really didn't have the luxury not playing Junior last year.

I think the OL would be more consistent year to year, if players in the 3rd season on campus are making the 2 deep, and by 2 deep I mean 6-8 that actually play during the important reps of the game.

Kerstetter is definitely the center. The fall off from him to Ghirmai is probably much higher than the fall off from him and the next RT.

Taken into account that generally Hand likes to play 5-8 guys per game, you have Cosmi, Kerstetter, Angilau, Okafor, Imade, Jones, Moore, and Ghirmai all in their 3rd year+ on campus.

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futureman

futureman 22441

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3 hours ago, HtownHorn said:

Taken into account that generally Hand likes to play 5-8 guys per game

I think that was the result of not having five clear starters, and a less than ideal situation.  I doubt that any OL coach wants to have to play eight guys. 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49078

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https://247sports.com/college/texas/Article/Texas-Longhorns-football-predicting-starting-offensive-line-for-2020-college-football-season-148281279/

Who will be the starting five on the offensive line come the Sept. 5 season opener?

Bobby Burton, Publisher

Going left to right, give me the following five: Samuel Cosmi, Junior Angilau, Derek Kerstetter, Denzel Okafor and Christian Jones. I think the two wild cards are Willie Tyler and Tyler Johnson. If either of those two step forward, then Okafor and Jones are going to have serious competition at guard and tackle, respectively. For the first time in so long, this OL should be a team strength and have depth. It truly is one of the biggest accomplishments of Tom Herman’s tenure, which makes the current OL recruiting issue somewhat crazy.

FUCK CHIP BROWN

Obviously, two of the best position battles going into fall camp involve the two vacancies created on the offensive line by the departures of All-Big 12 center Zach Shackelford and left guard Parker Braun.

With Derek Kerstetter moving from right tackle to center and Junior Angilau possibly moving from right to left guard, the vacancies are likely to be on the right side of the line.

So here's my projected starting five on the O-line as of right now:

Samuel Cosmi at left tackle, Angilau at left guard, Kerstetter at center, Denzel Okafor at right guard and Christian Jones at right tackle.

Tope Imade and Willie Tyler should have something to say in the battle at guard, and Tyler Johnson and Reese Moore should have something to say in the battle at right tackle. I may need to adjust my projection as camp gets under way!

Jeff Howe, Senior Writer

I think the starting offensive line on Sept. 5 will look as follows (left to right): Samuel Cosmi, Junior Angilau, Derek Kerstetter, Denzel Okafor and Christian Jones.

What I think would be best for the Longhorns, however, would be if Rafiti Ghirmai proves capable to be the starting center. The more flexibility Herb Hand has to use Kerstetter wherever he’s needed as opposed to forcing him to play a position strictly out of need would make the group stronger (again, assuming Ghirmai is ready to take on a starting role).

Ghirmai at center means Hand would then be able to decide whether Jones, Okafor, Tope Imade or Willie Tyler (in all likelihood, those would be the four guys vying for one spot) is most equipped to occupy a starting role. Kerstetter has started at both spots on the right side of the line, so Hand could then pick the best player, plug Kerstetter into the fifth spot and be ready to roll into a game with a starting unit that everyone in the building should feel good about putting on the field.

Taylor Estes, Managing Editor

I imagine the starting five on the offensive line will look like this come the season opener: Left tackle Samuel Cosmi, left guard Junior Angilau, center Derek Kerstetter, right guard Denzel Okafor and, for a wildcard pick, I’m going with Tyler Johnson at right tackle. The right side of the line is likely to be the one with the most battles for starting roles. If Okafor, as a fifth-year senior, is even remotely a question and Willie Tyler steps up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tyler take over for Okafor at right guard.

Mike Roach, Recruiting Analyst

At left tackle the only answer is Sam Cosmi. He’s the best player in the unit and a future NFL pick. Left guard would be Junior Angilau following a promising year last season. I would say Derek Kerstetter at center where he has experience and could be a stabilizing force. The right side of the line will likely be a question mark. Denzel Okafor makes sense at right guard from an experience standpoint but Willie Tyler could push him. I’d like to see Tyler Johnson or Christian Jones get a shot at right tackle. 

Nick Harris, Recruiting Reporter

LT: Samuel Cosmi

LG: Tope Imade

C: Derek Kerstetter

RG: Junior Angilau

RT: Denzel Okafor

Cosmi and Kerstetter are the no-brainers here as they are two of the best returning linemen in the conference. I think the experience of Tope Imade wins over Tyler Johnson for the LG spot while Angilau and Okafor man down the right side of the line.

 

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Sock Monkey

Sock Monkey 722

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I don't know if I ever recall hearing of a highly rated tackle moving to center as the skill sets are a pretty different, but that seems to be all the talk around Kerstetter. Makes you really wonder if the coaches are going to do what they can to keep him at tackle.

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Goodman

Goodman 3273

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35 minutes ago, Sock Monkey said:

I don't know if I ever recall hearing of a highly rated tackle moving to center as the skill sets are a pretty different, but that seems to be all the talk around Kerstetter. Makes you really wonder if the coaches are going to do what they can to keep him at tackle.

He was the best center on the team the last few years. He will be progress in the vs. what took place in the 2019 ou/baylor games.

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Atticus

Atticus 3938

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16 hours ago, Sock Monkey said:

I don't know if I ever recall hearing of a highly rated tackle moving to center as the skill sets are a pretty different, but that seems to be all the talk around Kerstetter. Makes you really wonder if the coaches are going to do what they can to keep him at tackle.

Pretty sure Barrett Jones did something similar at Alabama

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49078

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56 minutes ago, Atticus said:

Pretty sure Barrett Jones did something similar at Alabama

Good Call @Atticus 

https://www.espn.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/41666/barrett-jones-prepares-for-another-change

Poor choice of words below by McCarron 😁

 

"Barrett Jones prepares for another change"

Apr 11, 2012  Mark Schlabach   ESPN Senior Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- In his first season as Alabama’s starting right guard in 2009, Barrett Jones helped the Crimson Tide finish 14-0 and win a BCS national championship.  After moving to left tackle last season, Jones was named an All-American and won the Outland Trophy as college football’s top lineman. He also helped the Crimson Tide win their second BCS national title in three seasons, defeating LSU 21-0 in the Jan. 9 BCS National Championship Game.

Barrett Jones will move to center for the Crimson Tide in 2012.   Now Jones, a senior from Germantown, Tenn., is moving to center, where he’ll replace the departed William Vlachos, a three-year starter, who was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the country’s top center last season.     “I think you’ve got to think about how can we make our team the best,” Jones said. “Our philosophy around here has always been to play the best five. I think in order to do that this year, I’m going to have to play center. That’s fine with me.”

The Crimson Tide will bring back four of five starters on the offensive line in 2012. With Jones moving to center, highly regarded sophomore Cyrus Kouandjio takes over at left tackle, where he’ll protect quarterback AJ McCarron’s blind side. Kouandjio, from Hyattsville, Md., suffered a torn ACL in his knee eight games into his freshman season in 2011.

Each of Alabama’s projected five starting offensive linemen weighs more than 300 pounds. McCarron bought them dinner before two scrimmages this spring, dropping about $200 at a wings restaurant and about $300 at a Japanese steak house.      “I’ll take them out as long as they protect me, but good Lord,” McCarron said.

Even though Jones is Alabama’s most decorated tackle, he was the most logical candidate to change positions. Guards Anthony Steen and Chance Warmack are back, along with right tackle D.J. Fluker.   “This is really my first year to have the reigns,” Jones said. “It’s a really big adjustment. Not being off the ball is probably the biggest adjustment for you. The guy is just right there, probably not 2 inches from your hands, especially when you’re playing our 3-4 [defense]. It’s a big adjustment, but it’s gone well and I think I’m progressing well. Hopefully, I’ll have a big year.”

McCarron said the transition hasn’t been perfect during spring practice, but Jones is growing into his new position.   “I ride Barrett harder than anybody,” McCarron said. “He’s learning. He’s never done it before. He gets mad sometimes if things aren’t perfect, but there are going to be some speed bumps along the way. He’s gotten a lot better since we started. Knowing him, he’s going to continue to get better. I’m not worried about him at all.”

Jones, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, has never played center before. Playing three different positions in college only figures to help his stock in the NFL draft.    “I think as far as the next level, it will only help me in terms of versatility and being able to play multiple positions,” Jones said. “You think about what’s best for the team and not just for one player.”

 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49078

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Thanks for these nuggets @Ricky's one-hitter 

Humidor:  

OL: Cosmi/Angilau/Kerstetter/Okafor/Jones

The Hookfin injury decided the depth chart for the first game. I asked my source, what happens if Kerstetter gets hurt? “Ghirmai.” What happens if Cosmi gets hurt? “.......good question.”

Offensive line quality is easily the single biggest question/concern going into the season.  (OUCH)

Source, “They’ve struggled all camp with the D-line, but I will say they’re better at pass blocking than run blocking and that’s sort of the name of the game these days. They are leaner and in better shape than previously, so they’re ready for tempo.”

 

Also from Humidor:

— The defense won pretty much every live-fire situation in camp other than the second scrimmage where the linebackers were out. 3rd down defense has been much better than previously as the O-line struggles with blitzes. (DAMN) 

Standard downs have also been difficult for the offense to consistently move the ball. Chris Ash’s goal of having a fast defense sounds like it’s going to be accomplished. He knows what a fast defense looks like and this one meets his expectations.

— One place where the offense is succeeding is in the red zone. So, the situational precursors of a successful team are in place, at least it seems: the defense is getting off the field on third down; the offense is scoring touchdowns in the red zone.

— A few key players have sat out recently due to reasons consistent with our time. Results will be returned today and then they’ll learn if they must quarantine. This is a good year to have a deep team.

Edited by LTtxfan
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victory88

victory88 5663

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There’s been a lot of positive buzz around Angilau starting to become a leader on this team.  This left side of this line is going to be prettt strong.  If we can get Christian Jones to hold his own in practice, he’s not going to be facing any DL in the big 12 as talented as Ossai.  

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49078

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26 minutes ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

Hookfin out.  Was looking forward to seeing him play. Okafor inside and outside Jones. If okafor can't hold it down in excited to see Johnson get some good reps 

 

Yeah, O-line depth already becoming a concern...

  • Hookfin out UTEP
  • Moore out (Maybe 4wks??)
  • W.Tyler opted out for season

Need some younger OL guys to really step up...

 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49078

Posted
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Two Deep OL for UTEP

  • LT:  Sam Cosmi, Andrej Karic
  • LG:  Junior Angilau, Rafiti Ghirmai  or Jake Major
  • 😄  Derek Kerstetter, Jake Majors or Rafiti Ghirmai
  • RG:  Denzel Okafor, Tope Imade
  • RT:  Christian Jones, Tyler Johnson

 

(Damn Center keeps changing to 😀.  Hope it's good luck...)

 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49078

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Thanks for this @satyanash

Eric Nahlin: Fridays in the Humidor: 9/11/01:

  • One of the concerns for the season is o-line play. I’m confident they’ll be fine in the run game, especially with improved tight end play. How are they on blitz pickup?

”It’s been no secret they’ve struggled, both with the first team and second team. They did get better as camp went on. I’m actually not too worried about them against anybody else. Yeah, you’d want more depth, but going against the first team defense all camp will have prepared them for the season. I think what nobody is talking about is they’re going to tire out defenses. The big boys are in pretty good shape.”

  • You’ve voiced concerns about offensive line aggression:

”The difference in the defensive line and offensive line isn’t purely talent, the d-line has some a-holes on it. You need that on the offensive line too. Losing Shack, he had some nastiness to him. Cosmi has it too. Angilau will get there.”

  • In the past you’ve said Christian Jones can be league average. Is that still the case?

”League average this year but better down the road. He’s athletic and wants to be physical. He needs to get more technical. I don’t want to undersell or oversell him, but I like him.“

  • Lots of o-line questions, as you can tell it’s my concern. Okafor?

”He’s more comfortable at guard than tackle because he can hold up against strength better than quickness in pass rush.”

 

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