2019 Texas Longhorns fall practice thread

[TommyGufano 6,023]

12 minutes ago, lazygringo said:

Hmm, I was under the impression that Green and Cook would be our starting corners but it sounds like they'll be battling it out for the same side. And Jamison will get the corner spot on the other side.

I'm not sure I like the idea of keeping one of Cook or Green off the field. I also question how much Boyce can really challenge Jamison for the #1 spot.

We have a lot of really good DBs. Who plays when and where will sort itself out, but I would fret over the idea of Jamison getting considerable run. Kid is a really good football player, and if he's getting PT it's because he came in and took it

[Bobby_Batronic 1,994]

5 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Two times Shipley's anacondas ? Arms like that don't grow on trees. 

I’ll settle for double the production then. 

[Victor Lazlo 1,812]

36 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Haha I'm in this picture. 

So a guy that purports to have attended SMU is in the middle of Longhorns going crazy over the Sugar Bowl win?

[Machinator 32,103]

Just now, Victor Lazlo said:

So a guy that purports to have attended SMU is in the middle of Longhorns going crazy over the Sugar Bowl win?

We have plenty of non-Texas graduates in our fanbase.

[ztejas 44,226]

2 minutes ago, Victor Lazlo said:

So a guy that purports to have attended SMU is in the middle of Longhorns going crazy over the Sugar Bowl win?

I love "purports to attended SMU". Like people are coming on here posting as much as I do lying about where they attended college.

Do you also want me to point out my buddy in the picture who attended Tx St that is also a huge Horns football fan? 

[Victor Lazlo 1,812]

Ok. Cool Hook em. 

No, not your buddy, but point yourself out so we can all see your smiling face. 

[Foosters 18,274]

11 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I love "purports to attended SMU". Like people are coming on here posting as much as I do lying about where they attended college.

Do you also want me to point out my buddy in the picture who attended Tx St that is also a huge Horns football fan? 

Actually, yes. We're going to need you to do that.

[Red Five 41,725]

58 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Haha I'm in this picture. 

$100 says you're the guy in the Malik jersey. 

[ztejas 44,226]

21 minutes ago, Victor Lazlo said:

Ok. Cool Hook em. 

No, not your buddy, but point yourself out so we can all see your smiling face. 

PM Derka. 

[Machinator 32,103]

Jamison

Owens

[Machinator 32,103]

 

[lazygringo 369]

It's also pretty interesting to see Kennedy Lewis running #3 behind CJ and Epps.

[Machinator 32,103]

1 minute ago, lazygringo said:

It's also pretty interesting to see Kennedy Lewis running #3 behind CJ and Epps.

I think you're paying entirely too much attention to depth charts this early in fall camp.

[mininghorn88 2,336]

7 hours ago, Machinator said:

Sam Ehlinger

Interesting grip on the ball. Wonder how often he throws the ball like this?

[Sgt Hulk 14,427]

Jordan Whittington is a grown ass man

[Happy Gilmore 1,004]

12 minutes ago, mininghorn88 said:

Interesting grip on the ball. Wonder how often he throws the ball like this?

On quick developing plays like some screens they're taught to just grip it and rip it. 

[Irieguy 1,059]

2 hours ago, Machinator said:

I think you're paying entirely too much attention to depth charts this early in fall camp.

I’ve got no where else to go!!!!!

[Ricky Butler 2,809]

6 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

This team is starting to really feel special. I cannot wait for the season to start.

I think when you've got someone like Sam returning, it's easy to see how the team can make a leap. We have a lot of questions to answer, but having a good, experience QB is invaluable.

Also, I saw this today. https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/texas-qb-sam-ehlinger-tops-in-money-wagered-on-fanduel-sportsbook-to-win-2019-heisman-trophy-01dheyky9tsw

While I'm not a gambler, this can't be bad, right?

[texasstrong12 4,668]

Almost all the players in the press conferences have mentioned Tyler Owens. He's going to get on the field in some role. We have so many athletes in the secondary it's just a matter of figuring out how to get them on the field. 

It feels like the secondary is weirdly being undervalued because of the inexperience at corner. Based on the talent level I bet it ends up one of the best position groups. 

[Ricky Butler 2,809]

7 minutes ago, texasstrong12 said:

Almost all the players in the press conferences have mentioned Tyler Owens. He's going to get on the field in some role. We have so many athletes in the secondary it's just a matter of figuring out how to get them on the field. 

Our coverage teams better be good this season!

8 minutes ago, texasstrong12 said:

It feels like the secondary is weirdly being undervalued because of the inexperience at corner. Based on the talent level I bet it ends up one of the best position groups. 

I can't remember having a position group this talented and deep in a long time. You'd list off 3-4 guys before you get to Chris Brown, and it seems like he could be a really solid starter if we need him.

[gmr548 16,695]

24 minutes ago, texasstrong12 said:

Almost all the players in the press conferences have mentioned Tyler Owens. He's going to get on the field in some role. We have so many athletes in the secondary it's just a matter of figuring out how to get them on the field. 

It feels like the secondary is weirdly being undervalued because of the inexperience at corner. Based on the talent level I bet it ends up one of the best position groups. 

Young secondaries, even when extremely talented, tend to get abused in this league. Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, DeShon Elliot, and soon to be Brandon Jones were big time recruits that panned out into NFL draft picks and all conference guys. They were... Not good when they played early in 2015-16. OU has had no shortage of DB talent in its past few classes and you've seen what's happened to that defense.

I hope I'm wrong, and it does help to have experience over the top at safety, but I would bet on the CBs being a liability on multiple occasions throughout the B12 schedule. That's just life in this league when you trot out guys who aren't battle tested.

Edited August 5, 2019 by gmr548

[texasstrong12 4,668]

1 minute ago, gmr548 said:

I would bet on the CBs being a liability on multiple occasions throughout the B12 schedule. That's just life in this league when you trot out guys who aren't battle tested.

I would say that's the life regardless of experience. Even with Boyd and Davis we were getting burned in the secondary. You're going to give up yards and points in the Big 12. 

[Ricky Butler 2,809]

6 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

That's just life in this league when you trot out guys who aren't battle tested.

Well at least the guys replacing KK and Holgerson are going to run less terrifying offenses.

[Plorant 895]

11 minutes ago, Ricky Butler said:

Well at least the guys replacing KK and Holgerson are going to run less terrifying offenses.

Are you sure about that?  I look at Wells and Brown out there.  See the things that they have done at other places and it just scares you to death.

[Born Burnt 6,274]

6 hours ago, ztejas said:

Haha I'm in this picture. 

Front row, far left with KISS face paint?

 

[HOOK'EMHOOAH 1,610]

In just about every season since 2009, Texas hasn't an offense that could truly take over games and bail out the defense when needed. This year that changes. There will be games where the defense gets behind the ball game. However, the offense will be strong enough to overcome deficiencies like that.

[sushihorn 3,249]

2 hours ago, gmr548 said:

Young secondaries, even when extremely talented, tend to get abused in this league. Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, DeShon Elliot, and soon to be Brandon Jones were big time recruits that panned out into NFL draft picks and all conference guys. They were... Not good when they played early in 2015-16. OU has had no shortage of DB talent in its past few classes and you've seen what's happened to that defense.

I hope I'm wrong, and it does help to have experience over the top at safety, but I would bet on the CBs being a liability on multiple occasions throughout the B12 schedule. That's just life in this league when you trot out guys who aren't battle tested.

In general there is a kernel of truth to the idea but I think the majority of this feeling is Charlie PTSD.   I would not say that either Caden Stearns or BJ Foster was anything like a liability last season even as true freshmen.  Each year that Todd Orlando has been here, multiple players have taken big leaps in performance or come out of nowhere to become stars.  Would it be nice to have proven and talented upperclassmen starting at every position?  Of course.  But with the trend towards more 3rd year players declaring plus the kind of talent Tom Herman is bringing in, that dream just isn't realistic every year.

[lulz 21]

6 hours ago, gmr548 said:

Young secondaries, even when extremely talented, tend to get abused in this league. Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, DeShon Elliot, and soon to be Brandon Jones were big time recruits that panned out into NFL draft picks and all conference guys. They were... Not good when they played early in 2015-16. OU has had no shortage of DB talent in its past few classes and you've seen what's happened to that defense.

I hope I'm wrong, and it does help to have experience over the top at safety, but I would bet on the CBs being a liability on multiple occasions throughout the B12 schedule. That's just life in this league when you trot out guys who aren't battle tested.

Holton Hill and Davante Davis were honorable mention all Big 12 their freshman year... and then got worse their sophomore year, iirc.

[Not a Sock 2,366]

8 minutes ago, lulz said:

Holton Hill and Davante Davis were honorable mention all Big 12 their freshman year... and then got worse their sophomore year, iirc.

Everyone got worse in 2016 it is why Charlie Strong is the biggest coaching fraud in CFB and why his ass got shown the door.

[Aldo Raine 122]

Holton Hill and Davante Davis were honorable mention all Big 12 their freshman year... and then got worse their sophomore year, iirc.

Clay Jennings

[Ricky's one-hitter 9,622]

7 hours ago, texasstrong12 said:

It feels like the secondary is weirdly being undervalued because of the inexperience at corner. Based on the talent level I bet it ends up one of the best position groups. 

As a whole, sure. Specifically, the safety group is probably the best in the country. Especially if they take a step forward. 

The corners are going to get a lot of blame this year. I'll bet that they will be mostly a victim of circumstance and not a bad unit, but when the uneducated fan watches shit baylor get over top of one of them one time, we are going to get fed the narrative that we have inexperienced corners with a lot of room to grow. CB is one of the most criticized positions on any defense and one of the most challenging in which to be elite. 

[Burt Macklin 19,230]

7 hours ago, gmr548 said:

Young secondaries, even when extremely talented, tend to get abused in this league. Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, DeShon Elliot, and soon to be Brandon Jones were big time recruits that panned out into NFL draft picks and all conference guys. They were... Not good when they played early in 2015-16. OU has had no shortage of DB talent in its past few classes and you've seen what's happened to that defense.

I hope I'm wrong, and it does help to have experience over the top at safety, but I would bet on the CBs being a liability on multiple occasions throughout the B12 schedule. That's just life in this league when you trot out guys who aren't battle tested.

1. Holton Hill and Davante Davis were both very good their freshman years. It wasn’t until Charlie/Vance got an offseason with them that they struggled.

2. TO>>>>>>>>>Vance/Charlie

3. We don’t have a young/inexperienced secondary. Jones is a 4th year safety and a known positive. Sterns/Foster started basically the whole season last year, so 3/5 of our secondary have at least a season of starting under their belt and have proven to be above average to elite players.

4. We won’t be starting any true freshman. The best 2 of Green, Cook, and Jamison will start at outside corner. All three of those guys have had a full offseason in the defense and Cook has had two. 

So basically, this secondary situation is nothing like 2015. 

[Machinator 32,103]

 

[Zavala 1,384]

13 hours ago, Victor Lazlo said:

So a guy that purports to have attended SMU is in the middle of Longhorns going crazy over the Sugar Bowl win?

Check the "post your degree" thread it's next to the "post your dick size" thread.

[Richter 2,413]

56 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

1. Holton Hill and Davante Davis were both very good their freshman years. It wasn’t until Charlie/Vance got an offseason with them that they struggled.

2. TO>>>>>>>>>Vance/Charlie

3. We don’t have a young/inexperienced secondary. Jones is a 4th year safety and a known positive. Sterns/Foster started basically the whole season last year, so 3/5 of our secondary have at least a season of starting under their belt and have proven to be above average to elite players.

4. We won’t be starting any true freshman. The best 2 of Green, Cook, and Jamison will start at outside corner. All three of those guys have had a full offseason in the defense and Cook has had two. 

So basically, this secondary situation is nothing like 2015. 

That and the Big 12 has had some crazy good quarterbacks the last few years.  On the surface, this year looks like most of the teams will take a step back on offense.

[BurdineBandit 846]

9 hours ago, gmr548 said:

Young secondaries, even when extremely talented, tend to get abused in this league. Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, DeShon Elliot, and soon to be Brandon Jones were big time recruits that panned out into NFL draft picks and all conference guys. They were... Not good when they played early in 2015-16. OU has had no shortage of DB talent in its past few classes and you've seen what's happened to that defense.

I hope I'm wrong, and it does help to have experience over the top at safety, but I would bet on the CBs being a liability on multiple occasions throughout the B12 schedule. That's just life in this league when you trot out guys who aren't battle tested.

You may be right, and obviously we're hoping you're not, but I also hope La. Tech comes to play Week 1 and throws the ball a bunch to put these guys to the fire early. I won't mind giving up 21-28 in a comfortable win (and to an experienced QB/offense) if it means we get the young corners some experience against a Big 12 style wide-open offense. I know LSU is supposed to have revamped their O or whatever but we can't count on them to actually open it up with Burrow. And Rice, well......

[ousux 5,637]

Sterns does look huge.

Team “make our practice jerseys our game jerseys”.

Brandon Jones is the DB that stands out to me..Yancy has given him an NFL ready body.

[Sock Monkey 745]

Hopefully, with our fantastic safeties, Orlando will put more responsibilities on their shoulders on obvious passing downs and just allow our talented young corners to focus on executing a more simple assignment. However, I am not a coach so I don't really know how practical that is. 

[Coelenterate Fuccboi 13,431]

55 minutes ago, Zavala said:

Check the "post your degree" thread it's next to the "post your dick size" thread.

Obligatory, my “post your dick size” post won’t be viewable on mobile. 

[Bruh Man 3,160]

This team really really really looks the part. And I'm not someone who's said that the last 2 years.

[OnAComputer 1,443]

18 hours ago, Burntcowboy said:

 

Everybody here missed me asking Brandon Jones about the documentary. Come on people. I did that for y'all.

[Burt Macklin 19,230]

7 minutes ago, OnAComputer said:

Everybody here missed me asking Brandon Jones about the documentary. Come on people. I did that for y'all.

Oops. I must’ve accidentally pos repped @35dimes for asking that question.

[Hiphopopotamos 21,189]

31 minutes ago, OnAComputer said:

Everybody here missed me asking Brandon Jones about the documentary. Come on people. I did that for y'all.

Didn't know that was you.  Excellent question - I chuckled when I heard it.

[Machinator 32,103]

IT team notes

By: Eric and Justin

This is a good team. I can tell not because of the enthusiasm of sources but by what they're saying. The zero-sum isn't stalemates across the board, it's talented individuals winning and losing their share of battles during robust competition. 

Sources are just as high on the offense as they have been since the spring, while there's a bit more optimism on what the defense can become. 

So far they haven't scrimmaged but situational work amounts to that on a play by play basis.

Quarterback (from sources not direct quotes): Sam's been great, throwing the ball all over the field with no clear favorite target. One day he's hitting Collin Johnson and Malcolm Epps at X, the next it's Duvernay. First play of situational work on Sunday he hit Duvernay for a 60 yard touchdown. Great command of the offense so far but it's early install, he should know it.

Casey is looking to stay in the pocket more and has a better understanding of the playbook. He's becoming more viable as a back-up and at least gives them a chance against a solid opponent. His accuracy isn't great yet (he is sharper) but keeping him in the pocket is step one. He worked hard this off-season.

As third string Roschon isn't getting nearly as many reps. He's not ready to be the back-up yet. He has the mental attributes to get where he needs to be but mechanics and comfort within the offense aren't there yet. He worked with a private trainer over the summer who changed his mechanics some and he's still working through that.

Commentary: No real surprises here. Thompson has some good carry-over from 7 on 7 forcing him to make throws rather than rely on his legs. 

Running back: Jordan Whittington is fast but not a natural, he lacks shake in the hole (being compared to Keaontay doesn't help in this regard). He has decent vision to get to space and is better suited to cut-and-go rather than running between the A and B gaps. 

Keaontay is a beast, he can shake a defender and go for 60. He's bigger and better.

It goes Keaontay, Whittington, Daniel Young, and Kirk Johnson. Kirk isn't getting many carries due to injury history.

There hasn't been much two-back stuff yet but it's coming. They have been going empty out of one-back and Whittington looks very comfortable in that regard.

Commentary: Nothing surprising here either. I've mentioned the questions over Whittington are about how natural he is. He's such a specimen he can get the job done. There will be plays where he leaves yards on the field, there will be other plays where he'll do something special due to raw athleticism. Ingram is the man at the position. 

Tight End: So far in the first few days tight ends have been split out wide more than in the past. It goes Cade Brewer, Reese Leitao, and Jared Wiley.

Commentary: If they keep using these guys more as receivers we'll start to hear about Brayden Liebrock as camp wears on. It seems like they're about to open this offense up considerably. If they keep using tight ends like this I wouldn't be surprised if they tried Malcolm Epps there.

Wide Receiver: Devin Duvernay is at H, Collin Johnson at X, and Brennan Eagles at Z. 

Johnson looks great and is battling his ass off with Jalen Green, which is good news on Green. Duvernay is making plays like the aforementioned 60-yarder.

Eagles has been quiet but is big and fast. A win will be him getting through camp without tweaking something. 

Jake Smith is very fast and very quick. Expect him to rotate a ton this season. He's already rotating with Duvernay to get him up to speed. Great hands.

John Burt at boundary receiver has been catching the ball and running good routes. Marcus Washington also looks like he's for real, making difficult catches look easy. 

Commentary: It seems like the passing game will continue to go through the slot and boundary. Duvernay had a big spring where he showed good shake (for once) and he catches everything. He and Johnson figure to be the chain movers. It's early in practice so we haven't heard too much about younger guys. Good to hear on Washington. Give him a red-shirt and let the roster thin in front of him. Burt in the boundary just seems like they're going to hammer an offense with Johnson and Epps and then ask Burt to go run by everyone.

Offensive Line: Sam Cosmi-Parker Braun-Zach Shack-Derek Kerstetter-Denzel Okafor. 

Kerstetter and Okafor are flipping at guard and tackle per the usual. Sources still say that Kerstetter is the better tackle and Okafor the better guard.

A source got excited when he discussed Braun's run blocking. "The left side is going to pick up some people and move them out of the way."

Kerstetter and Okafor have been struggling with Ta'Quon Graham. 

Junior Angilau is the first guard up and Christian Jones the third tackle, though for practical purposes the third tackle is either Okafor or Kerstetter. Tope Imade is viable depth. They have 8 but they still want to get the younger guys up to speed.

Commentary: We know Kerstetter struggles with strength at guard and Okafor with pass rushing at tackle, so, that's probably why Hand has them working on those weaknesses. If they played tomorrow I'd bet Kerstetter was at tackle. Very encouraging to hear about Cosmi and Braun in tandem. They aren't going up against slouches in practice, either.

Defensive Line: "TQ's playing out of his mind." Graham is stacking the line in the running game, making it easier for the linebackers. "Roach is Roach, he's just been going up against Cosmi and Braun."

The front is going to be good, better than we thought. Depth will help a lot. Back-up d-ends are Jacoby Jones and Marqez Bimage for the most part but there's tons of rotation with the twos.

Moro Ojomo is flashing thanks to his ability to penetrate....from defensive tackle. He's made the move.

T'vondre Sweat has been solid. At this point just knowing what's expected of you and not getting caved in is a win for a true freshman.

Commentary: It should be noted Sunday's practice was four-man install while the previous day was three-man. That's why you heard Graham mention playing 3-technique in his press availability. This is a very deep position, aided by linebacker providing the "fourth man" in most looks.

Linebacker: McCulloch's been sick and missed a couple practices. That means Ayodele Adeoye (Dele) and Caleb Johnson have been playing more. Joseph Ossai has been playing both B-backer and Rover depending on the defense. 

DeMarvion Overshown is at Joker still which they technically consider a linebacker but he hasn't been at Rover.

Commentary: They need McCulloch back ASAP. The speculation of 3-1-7 was kind of funny because they do basic stuff to open camp but we're supposed to believe they have B-backer Joseph Ossai in the middle flanked by 7 DB's on day three? Obviously this position is a point of concern but I'll wait until McCulloch returns to see what's what.

Cornerback: Jalen Green has been a blanket, it's either a PBU, a pick, or Collin Johnson is having to really work for the catch. Anthony Cook is at 2nd team boundary for now. D'Shawn Jamison is looking good, making a lot plays because he breaks on the ball so quick. "You have to be physical to play corner for Texas because of the way the defense is set up and these dudes are not afraid to hit." 

"For a freshman Kenyatta Watson is balling and will play this year." He's still at corner but may get looks at nickel eventually.

Commentary: They're really excited about these corners. That doesn't mean they won't make mistakes but the upside at the position is similar to what it is at safety, these guys just don't have the experience yet. As crazy as it sounds, because we've seen Sterns and Foster, I had Green as the #1 player in the 2018 class. I think corner is in better hands than most realize.

Safety: Brandon Jones and Caden Sterns are all over the place but still not quite back to game speed. They're not far off and are getting where they need to be.

BJ is doing well at nickel in the nickel package, Josh Thompson comes on when they go dime. The way the defense is set up he has safety help over the top. He still needs to iron out some technique issues and get more reps. He'll make a mental mistake every now and then.

Tyler Owens is impressing like Watson. They're not your typical freshmen. Owens is working at field safety and joker depending on the package they're in.

Commentary: Across the board at DB you're seeing Green at BC, Overshown at J, Sterns at BS, Jones at FS, Foster at N, and Jamison at FC. I'm not saying Jamison will hold on to that spot, but the coaches loves his mentality. What a ridiculously loaded back-end. There isn't just depth behind them, either, there's talent waiting in the wings. 

Special Teams: Practice caveats apply. Even you can make a 10-foot putt when nobody is looking. Dicker's been consistent in drilling from 40-45 yards out and showing the leg for 60. 

Ryan Bujcevski is bigger and stronger and showing more confidence and composure. The ball is just a little bit louder off of his foot. 

Schedule: Monday practice, Tuesday off, Wednesday full pads, Thursday, Friday, Saturday practice, off Sunday.

Note: If a player wasn't mentioned it doesn't mean he's in the dog house, portal, or a Mexican prison. It just means he wasn't mentioned.

[Machinator 32,103]

 

[ztejas 44,226]

35 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Moro Ojomo is flashing thanks to his ability to penetrate....

Gary taught him well 

[Burt Macklin 19,230]

21 minutes ago, Machinator said:

The zero-sum isn't stalemates across the board, it's talented individuals winning and losing their share of battles during robust competition. 

[Burt Macklin 19,230]

42 minutes ago, Machinator said:

IT team notes

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

By: Eric and Justin

This is a good team. I can tell not because of the enthusiasm of sources but by what they're saying. The zero-sum isn't stalemates across the board, it's talented individuals winning and losing their share of battles during robust competition. 

Sources are just as high on the offense as they have been since the spring, while there's a bit more optimism on what the defense can become. 

So far they haven't scrimmaged but situational work amounts to that on a play by play basis.

Quarterback (from sources not direct quotes): Sam's been great, throwing the ball all over the field with no clear favorite target. One day he's hitting Collin Johnson and Malcolm Epps at X, the next it's Duvernay. First play of situational work on Sunday he hit Duvernay for a 60 yard touchdown. Great command of the offense so far but it's early install, he should know it.

Casey is looking to stay in the pocket more and has a better understanding of the playbook. He's becoming more viable as a back-up and at least gives them a chance against a solid opponent. His accuracy isn't great yet (he is sharper) but keeping him in the pocket is step one. He worked hard this off-season.

As third string Roschon isn't getting nearly as many reps. He's not ready to be the back-up yet. He has the mental attributes to get where he needs to be but mechanics and comfort within the offense aren't there yet. He worked with a private trainer over the summer who changed his mechanics some and he's still working through that.

Commentary: No real surprises here. Thompson has some good carry-over from 7 on 7 forcing him to make throws rather than rely on his legs. 

Running back: Jordan Whittington is fast but not a natural, he lacks shake in the hole (being compared to Keaontay doesn't help in this regard). He has decent vision to get to space and is better suited to cut-and-go rather than running between the A and B gaps. 

Keaontay is a beast, he can shake a defender and go for 60. He's bigger and better.

It goes Keaontay, Whittington, Daniel Young, and Kirk Johnson. Kirk isn't getting many carries due to injury history.

There hasn't been much two-back stuff yet but it's coming. They have been going empty out of one-back and Whittington looks very comfortable in that regard.

Commentary: Nothing surprising here either. I've mentioned the questions over Whittington are about how natural he is. He's such a specimen he can get the job done. There will be plays where he leaves yards on the field, there will be other plays where he'll do something special due to raw athleticism. Ingram is the man at the position. 

Tight End: So far in the first few days tight ends have been split out wide more than in the past. It goes Cade Brewer, Reese Leitao, and Jared Wiley.

Commentary: If they keep using these guys more as receivers we'll start to hear about Brayden Liebrock as camp wears on. It seems like they're about to open this offense up considerably. If they keep using tight ends like this I wouldn't be surprised if they tried Malcolm Epps there.

Wide Receiver: Devin Duvernay is at H, Collin Johnson at X, and Brennan Eagles at Z. 

Johnson looks great and is battling his ass off with Jalen Green, which is good news on Green. Duvernay is making plays like the aforementioned 60-yarder.

Eagles has been quiet but is big and fast. A win will be him getting through camp without tweaking something. 

Jake Smith is very fast and very quick. Expect him to rotate a ton this season. He's already rotating with Duvernay to get him up to speed. Great hands.

John Burt at boundary receiver has been catching the ball and running good routes. Marcus Washington also looks like he's for real, making difficult catches look easy. 

Commentary: It seems like the passing game will continue to go through the slot and boundary. Duvernay had a big spring where he showed good shake (for once) and he catches everything. He and Johnson figure to be the chain movers. It's early in practice so we haven't heard too much about younger guys. Good to hear on Washington. Give him a red-shirt and let the roster thin in front of him. Burt in the boundary just seems like they're going to hammer an offense with Johnson and Epps and then ask Burt to go run by everyone.

Offensive Line: Sam Cosmi-Parker Braun-Zach Shack-Derek Kerstetter-Denzel Okafor. 

Kerstetter and Okafor are flipping at guard and tackle per the usual. Sources still say that Kerstetter is the better tackle and Okafor the better guard.

A source got excited when he discussed Braun's run blocking. "The left side is going to pick up some people and move them out of the way."

Kerstetter and Okafor have been struggling with Ta'Quon Graham. 

Junior Angilau is the first guard up and Christian Jones the third tackle, though for practical purposes the third tackle is either Okafor or Kerstetter. Tope Imade is viable depth. They have 8 but they still want to get the younger guys up to speed.

Commentary: We know Kerstetter struggles with strength at guard and Okafor with pass rushing at tackle, so, that's probably why Hand has them working on those weaknesses. If they played tomorrow I'd bet Kerstetter was at tackle. Very encouraging to hear about Cosmi and Braun in tandem. They aren't going up against slouches in practice, either.

Defensive Line: "TQ's playing out of his mind." Graham is stacking the line in the running game, making it easier for the linebackers. "Roach is Roach, he's just been going up against Cosmi and Braun."

The front is going to be good, better than we thought. Depth will help a lot. Back-up d-ends are Jacoby Jones and Marqez Bimage for the most part but there's tons of rotation with the twos.

Moro Ojomo is flashing thanks to his ability to penetrate....from defensive tackle. He's made the move.

T'vondre Sweat has been solid. At this point just knowing what's expected of you and not getting caved in is a win for a true freshman.

Commentary: It should be noted Sunday's practice was four-man install while the previous day was three-man. That's why you heard Graham mention playing 3-technique in his press availability. This is a very deep position, aided by linebacker providing the "fourth man" in most looks.

Linebacker: McCulloch's been sick and missed a couple practices. That means Ayodele Adeoye (Dele) and Caleb Johnson have been playing more. Joseph Ossai has been playing both B-backer and Rover depending on the defense. 

DeMarvion Overshown is at Joker still which they technically consider a linebacker but he hasn't been at Rover.

Commentary: They need McCulloch back ASAP. The speculation of 3-1-7 was kind of funny because they do basic stuff to open camp but we're supposed to believe they have B-backer Joseph Ossai in the middle flanked by 7 DB's on day three? Obviously this position is a point of concern but I'll wait until McCulloch returns to see what's what.

Cornerback: Jalen Green has been a blanket, it's either a PBU, a pick, or Collin Johnson is having to really work for the catch. Anthony Cook is at 2nd team boundary for now. D'Shawn Jamison is looking good, making a lot plays because he breaks on the ball so quick. "You have to be physical to play corner for Texas because of the way the defense is set up and these dudes are not afraid to hit." 

"For a freshman Kenyatta Watson is balling and will play this year." He's still at corner but may get looks at nickel eventually.

Commentary: They're really excited about these corners. That doesn't mean they won't make mistakes but the upside at the position is similar to what it is at safety, these guys just don't have the experience yet. As crazy as it sounds, because we've seen Sterns and Foster, I had Green as the #1 player in the 2018 class. I think corner is in better hands than most realize.

Safety: Brandon Jones and Caden Sterns are all over the place but still not quite back to game speed. They're not far off and are getting where they need to be.

BJ is doing well at nickel in the nickel package, Josh Thompson comes on when they go dime. The way the defense is set up he has safety help over the top. He still needs to iron out some technique issues and get more reps. He'll make a mental mistake every now and then.

Tyler Owens is impressing like Watson. They're not your typical freshmen. Owens is working at field safety and joker depending on the package they're in.

Commentary: Across the board at DB you're seeing Green at BC, Overshown at J, Sterns at BS, Jones at FS, Foster at N, and Jamison at FC. I'm not saying Jamison will hold on to that spot, but the coaches loves his mentality. What a ridiculously loaded back-end. There isn't just depth behind them, either, there's talent waiting in the wings. 

Special Teams: Practice caveats apply. Even you can make a 10-foot putt when nobody is looking. Dicker's been consistent in drilling from 40-45 yards out and showing the leg for 60. 

Ryan Bujcevski is bigger and stronger and showing more confidence and composure. The ball is just a little bit louder off of his foot. 

Schedule: Monday practice, Tuesday off, Wednesday full pads, Thursday, Friday, Saturday practice, off Sunday.

Note: If a player wasn't mentioned it doesn't mean he's in the dog house, portal, or a Mexican prison. It just means he wasn't mentioned.

 

If Shark gets hurt, I bet we would play a lot of 3-1-7, but as long as he’s healthy it’ll probably be a lot more 3-2-6 with McCulloch and Ossai at LB. McCulloch is probably the second most important player to this team behind Sam because I don’t think we have anyone who can cover for him if he goes down at this point.

Someone like Cosmi is important, but we can manage with Kerstetter-Braun-Shack-Angilau-Okafor if he goes down.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Burt Macklin

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2 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

If Shark gets hurt, I bet we would play a lot of 3-1-7, but as long as he’s healthy it’ll probably be a lot more 3-2-6 with McCulloch and Ossai at LB. McCulloch is probably the second most important player to this team behind Sam because I don’t think we have anyone who can cover for him if he goes down at this point.

Someone like Cosmi is important, but we can manage with Kerstetter-Braun-Shack-Angilau-Okafor if he goes down.

Shark needs to stay healthy. I guess we can roll out the quarter but you can't play 7 DBs for an entire game or against certain packages on offense - as talented as they are. 

That said - 3-2-6 might be close to our base package this season.