2021 Texas Offseason: Sark Attacks Austin

[Red Five 40862]

"Our new S&C guy knows what he's doing!" is my favorite part of coaching changes. 

[Tex Long 4401]

17 hours ago, CastHorn said:

I hope Sark is in the lab devising some nut busting RPO concepts because this WR group doesn’t look like the the kind that will be creating a bunch of separation. 

Yeah, ok. 

Me? I hope Sark is layng plans to have a Mensa-member in the box, with a copy of the current NC2A football rules, so when we score a safety against TCU with 1 second on the clock, Sark can belabor the refs with the fact that TCU must now punt the ball to us for (probably) the last play. Hopefully with a version of The Rugby Return ready to try to make a try, and with a side dish of inveigling TCU into committing a foul during the runback - game doesn't end on a play on which the D is penalized. It could happen, but not if your Mensa coach doesn't inform the HC about the rule.

[Eskimohorn 5635]

“The Tight End room is stacked!”

is like the cop in Die Hard saying the twinkies are for his wife.

“Yeah, sure.”

[texifornia 57000]

1 minute ago, Eskimohorn said:

“The Tight End room is stacked!”

is like the cop in Die Hard saying the twinkies are for his wife.

“Yeah, sure.”

It's certainly got a three freshmen with huge potential. The top end..... well lets hope Wiley learns how to block effectively. 

[Tex Long 4401]

1 minute ago, Eskimohorn said:

“The Tight End room is stacked!”

is like the cop in Die Hard saying the twinkies are for his wife.

“Yeah, sure.”

May not be "stacked", but it's damn sure full. And some of the filling looks more like TE than the twinkies...

[Machinator 32099]

 

[South Austin 52519]

There's a National Work From Home Day?

[Machinator 32099]

Ojomo

https://www.instagram.com/stories/morojomo/2603254580146142297/

[Red Five 40862]

12 minutes ago, South Austin said:

There's a National Work From Home Day?

Guess your mom gets to spend it in bed all day.

(because she's a whore)

[Machinator 32099]

Ray Thornton and Ben Davis

https://www.instagram.com/stories/rahssan_thornton/2602661630140442821/

[closetohumping 17449]

15 minutes ago, South Austin said:

There's a National Work From Home Day?

Your mom works from home

[TotallyLegit 3053]

1 minute ago, closetohumping said:

Your mom works from home

Better than working from other folks' homes

[Machinator 32099]

FCB: Going inside Sarkisian's 'All-Gas, No-Brakes' passing game

Spoiler

There was no offensive play-caller more on fire last year in college football than Steve Sarkisian. He took an overlooked, three-star recruit at quarterback (Mac Jones) and turned him into a first-round NFL draft pick.

His running back (Najee Harris) scored 30 touchdowns last season (26 on the ground and four through the air) while rushing for 1,466 yards, and his leading receiver (Devonta Smith) won the Heisman Trophy BEFORE catching 12 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of a national championship game victory over Ohio State.

The Frank Broyles Award winner as the nation’s top assistant coach in college football last season, Sarkisian draws a crowd whenever he talks offense.

But now that he’s also the new head coach at Texas, it’s no wonder Sarkisian was asked to give the opening presentation (on progression in the passing game) last Thursday at the 47th annual Angelo Coaching Clinic, which also featured presentations from new Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien (on protections and routes out of an empty formation), Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko (on third-down defense) and Austin Westlake coach Todd Dodge (on training a championship quarterback).

The Angelo Clinic was a three-day event, and if you want strong attendance from the beginning, you start things off with a can’t-miss headliner (even if Sarkisian did his presentation via Zoom - because he was speaking to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Austin at the Fairmont Hotel in Austin right afterward).

For the coaches in attendance, Sarkisian broke down a couple passing-game concepts - a run-pass-option (RPO) play called “Thumb” as well as a more straightforward drop-back pass called “Railroad” in which the first read is the running back on a wheel route.

Alabama’s Harris feasted on Railroad (hint: so should Bijan Robinson), including in last season’s national championship game victory over Ohio State.

It was during Sarkisian’s diagramming of the RPO “Thumb” that the Texas coach divulged where his “All Gas, No Brakes” mantra originated.

In Thumb, Sarkisian is overloading one half of the field by having the H (slot) receiver and Z (outside) receiver on one side of the formation run a deep cross and post route while having the tight end or running back leak into the flat underneath those receivers on the same side of the field.

Each time Sark showed Thumb, whether it’s when he was with the Atlanta Falcons, Alabama or in practice at Texas, the tight end or running back is consistently wide open near the sideline.

But Sarkisian stressed that the dump-down to the tight end or back is NOT the preferred option.

“We always read top-down,” Sarkisian said, adding that he wants opponent’s safeties and outside linebackers to constantly be under decision-making duress about who and how to cover.

If a chunk/explosive gain can be had in any of his passing game calls, Sarkisian wants that first and stresses that to the quarterback from the very first explanation to installation to implementation.

In other words, Sarkisian is the antithesis of dink and dunk. His attack mentality down the field in the passing game is where his “All Gas, No Brakes” mantra originated.

I spoke with a few coaches who attended the Angelo Clinic who have studied Sarkisian’s offense, and they had some interesting thoughts about how and why Sarkisian is so effective.

“What stands out to me is how well he identifies matchups he wants to exploit and then consistently dials up plays that successfully exploit the matchup,” said the offensive coordinator for a prominent Texas high school program.

“In the College Football Playoff semifinal last season, Clemson ran a play in which the running back (Travis Etienne) runs a seam route against Ohio State. Ohio State was in cover-three man, and Etienne came off the line as an inside receiver matched up on Ohio State inside linebacker Tuf Borland down the seam and beat him for a nice gain on a reception,” the coach said.

“I’m sure Sarkisian saw that and immediately started devising a way to take advantage of that matchup as long as he got cover-three man in the middle of the field again.

“And then, in the national championship game, sure enough, near midfield, Sark ran trips to the left side with Devonta Smith as the inside receiver. Ohio State was in cover-three man, and Smith, who is lightning fast, ended up matched up on Borland, who is a nice box linebacker - but stiff - and Smith just runs Borland diagonally up the field to the opposite hash and beats him badly for a touchdown.

“Sark was obviously aware that Ohio State had shown a tendency to play cover-three man in the middle of the field and straight man in the red zone, and they didn’t adjust from that, so he took advantage of both of those tendencies over and over again in the first half with Smith before Smith suffered the ankle injury.”

Part of the reason Smith was able to post 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the first half against Ohio State is because Sarkisian had so many weapons for the Buckeyes to defend. And when Sarkisian ran trips left and had the middle receiver run a go route, the safeties had to roll to defend that, creating even more space for Smith to operate.

It’s clear a big part of Sarkisian’s passing game is the deep dig route against man coverage, in which the receiver sells the defender that he’s going deep only to break the route and come back toward the quarterback. It’s a route Sarkisian used a lot in the NFL and then brought to Alabama. Sarkisian would often run a couple deep digs to receivers such as Smith and Jaylen Waddle, and then, when the defenders started sitting on the deep dig, Sarkisian would call the dig-and-go, creating a double move that often resulted in chunk plays.

In talking to sources familiar with Texas’ personnel, they said Joshua Moore could have a bigger role than most anticipate, because he can run a lot of the featured routes in Sarkisian’s RPO passing game.

“If Moore is doing his homework, he should be really excited about this offense,” one source told Horns247.

That source said 6-foot-3, 230-pound redshirt freshman receiver Troy Omeire could develop into a problem for defenses on the outside in Sarkisian’s offense.

“Sark’s RPO game revolves around receivers who understand the concepts of how they’re putting defensive players in conflict and knowing exactly where they need to be,” the source said. “If Omeire can digest the offense, become more of a technician and play fast, without having to think his way through things, he could be something. If I’m Omeire, I’m watching film of what Sark did in Atlanta with Julio Jones, who is also a big receiver (6-3, 220).”

Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowl receiver (now with the Tennessee Titans), had the second-best season of his NFL career in 2018 at age 29 with 113 catches for 1,677 yards and eight touchdowns in Sarkisian’s offense.

Jordan Whittington (6-1, 206) is a “wildcard” at receiver for Sarkisian, the source said.

“J Whitt has a high football IQ and can do a little bit of everything - including motioning in and out of the backfield,” the source said. “He should be excited.”

I continue to hear good things about the work being put in by freshman receiver Xavier Worthy. And there’s hope among coaches that Marcus Washington and Kelvontay Dixon can take the next step as wideouts in 2021.

One quick note on Jake Smith’s decision to enter the transfer portal. While we don’t expect Smith to return to the Texas team, it should be mentioned that UT coaches wanted Smith to remain a Longhorn. He was well-liked in the locker room. He was very close friends with - and was planning to room with - Jake Ehlinger before Ehlinger passed away in May.

One source on the team said Smith, who thought about transferring after his freshman year, “just couldn’t seem to get enough forward momentum going to feel completely at home at Texas.

“I think he looked at his foot injury (on the first day of spring ball) and Jake (Ehlinger’s) death as a sign that he needed a fresh start somewhere else - even though he was about to have Steve Sarkisian as his play-caller,” the team source said. “That sort of tells you everything right there. I think everyone in the locker room wishes he was staying, but we wish him the best.”

An offensive-minded head coach who attended the Angelo Clinic talked about the ability of play-callers to “get hot.”

“When you study Alabama’s offense from last season, you could argue he (Sarkisian) got hot and never cooled off,” the coach said. “But that can happen when you have explosive, experienced personnel like he had playing behind what equates to an NFL offensive line under the leadership and culture of the best college head football coach (Nick Saban) of all time.

“At Texas, he’s got to build all of that. Starting out, he’s got a top-end running back in Bijan Robinson and a lot of unknowns everywhere else, including quarterback. No one should expect him to come out as hot as he was last season. If he does, watch out.”

 

[Machinator 32099]

(Scipio Tex) Sark Bytes: 6th edition

Spoiler

When the Sark bytes, with his teeth, yeah, scarlet ribbbbbbons, do appearrrrrrrrr!

There's no blood in the water during the recruiting-focused doldrums of late June, but halibut a few juicy morsels?

I'm truly sorry for that. Let's move on...

**

Kyle Flood is not displeased with his potential OL depth. The issue is not that EVERYONE STINKS as swathes of FanInternet would have us believe, but rather it is making choices at a few key positions that will determine the character of the offensive line group overall. Which will in turn influence the character of the offense. Do Flood and Sark want a massive wall of pass protectors who will not surrender ground on the bull rush and can wear down a defense over time in the running game? Or do they want more quick-footed technicians that can operate deftly in the outside zone running game and on counters (playing to Bijan's strengths), but may give up some ground and collapsed pockets in pass protection without the aid of play action?

The answer to that question will determine whether it is Majors or Angilau at center (this is a real thing), Tope Imade at guard (also a thing), Andrej Karic vs multiple comers at two different positions.

Flood currently has nine guys he could play in a game with decent to high confidence. But he's not just picking positional battles. He's picking a total unit combination that must play in concert.

Devil's advocacy: is there a danger that Flood could be too proscriptive around his preferences (massive OL) at the expense of nimble quality that showed real upside late last season? You bet. That's always a concern. Even very good football coaches can have that blind spot. Ultimately, we trust that he's seeing a much more complete picture than we are.

**

Xavier Worthy is a dude. Perhaps you've heard. We are hesitant at Inside Texas to get into the padless shorts Olympics and make grand proclamations, but multiple sources have commented that Worthy has special agility and acceleration to the football. It's not that he's fast - which he is - it's that he finds extra gears when needed. The name DeSean Jackson might have been thrown around. That's the holy grail of skinny guy acceleration. Does this mean Worthy is a potential true freshman starter or does it mean he's simply someone you need to file away for 2022 and beyond as he learns the offense and grows into his lithe frame?

The answer is yes.

**

Brayden Liebrock has been cleared from his persistent shoulder woes that cost him an offseason of upper body work that he needed. His fundamental value proposition has not changed: easy mover, hands, route running, can separate with catch radius and quick feet despite a 6-4+ frame. Cade Brewer's weight loss has rejuvenated him, but the coaches aren't going to keep Liebrock on the bench gathering dust if he proves to be a reliable chain mover who hoovers up everything within four feet of him while Longhorn designated possession receivers struggle. Conversely, he could find himself 3rd or 4th team at the flex TE spot if he doesn't have a strong Fall camp. The quality of the Longhorn TE room is finally trending up, but it will take time for it to fully realize on the field.

 

[Tex-19 2872]

16 minutes ago, Machinator said:

(Scipio Tex) Sark Bytes: 6th edition

  Reveal hidden contents

When the Sark bytes, with his teeth, yeah, scarlet ribbbbbbons, do appearrrrrrrrr!

There's no blood in the water during the recruiting-focused doldrums of late June, but halibut a few juicy morsels?

I'm truly sorry for that. Let's move on...

**

Kyle Flood is not displeased with his potential OL depth. The issue is not that EVERYONE STINKS as swathes of FanInternet would have us believe, but rather it is making choices at a few key positions that will determine the character of the offensive line group overall. Which will in turn influence the character of the offense. Do Flood and Sark want a massive wall of pass protectors who will not surrender ground on the bull rush and can wear down a defense over time in the running game? Or do they want more quick-footed technicians that can operate deftly in the outside zone running game and on counters (playing to Bijan's strengths), but may give up some ground and collapsed pockets in pass protection without the aid of play action?

The answer to that question will determine whether it is Majors or Angilau at center (this is a real thing), Tope Imade at guard (also a thing), Andrej Karic vs multiple comers at two different positions.

Flood currently has nine guys he could play in a game with decent to high confidence. But he's not just picking positional battles. He's picking a total unit combination that must play in concert.

Devil's advocacy: is there a danger that Flood could be too proscriptive around his preferences (massive OL) at the expense of nimble quality that showed real upside late last season? You bet. That's always a concern. Even very good football coaches can have that blind spot. Ultimately, we trust that he's seeing a much more complete picture than we are.

**

Xavier Worthy is a dude. Perhaps you've heard. We are hesitant at Inside Texas to get into the padless shorts Olympics and make grand proclamations, but multiple sources have commented that Worthy has special agility and acceleration to the football. It's not that he's fast - which he is - it's that he finds extra gears when needed. The name DeSean Jackson might have been thrown around. That's the holy grail of skinny guy acceleration. Does this mean Worthy is a potential true freshman starter or does it mean he's simply someone you need to file away for 2022 and beyond as he learns the offense and grows into his lithe frame?

The answer is yes.

**

Brayden Liebrock has been cleared from his persistent shoulder woes that cost him an offseason of upper body work that he needed. His fundamental value proposition has not changed: easy mover, hands, route running, can separate with catch radius and quick feet despite a 6-4+ frame. Cade Brewer's weight loss has rejuvenated him, but the coaches aren't going to keep Liebrock on the bench gathering dust if he proves to be a reliable chain mover who hoovers up everything within four feet of him while Longhorn designated possession receivers struggle. Conversely, he could find himself 3rd or 4th team at the flex TE spot if he doesn't have a strong Fall camp. The quality of the Longhorn TE room is finally trending up, but it will take time for it to fully realize on the field.

 

OL stuff is pretty interesting. I loved that outside zone game last year and would hate to see it messed up. Like he said, it's a great fit for Bijan. But it did seem like the OL got pushed around in pass pro in the spring game

[Newy25 7692]

“Why say in 350 words when 10,000 will do?”

- Ian Boyd

[LTtxfan 49247]

2 hours ago, Eskimohorn said:

“The Tight End room is stacked!”

is like the cop in Die Hard saying the twinkies are for his wife.

“Yeah, sure.”

 

You're Welcome Eskimo...

[El Squared 1802]

On 6/21/2021 at 5:42 PM, LTtxfan said:

 

Sark knows how to beat aggy...

 

I didn't know that you could be eligible to be QB at BYU w/o a knee brace.

[closetojumping 62746]

13 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

 

You're Welcome Eskimo...

Bag it.

[closetojumping 62746]

The Ian Boyd posting is a board highlight for me today. Thanks for that. 

[Eskimohorn 5635]

OL stuff is pretty interesting. I loved that outside zone game last year and would hate to see it messed up. Like he said, it's a great fit for Bijan. But it did seem like the OL got pushed around in pass pro in the spring game

Not sure bull rushers have been the problem. Kerstetter his 1st year at right tackle was a revelation because he could actually engage people.

Stunts have been an issue.

Both the QBs can scramble from pressure. They can make engaged fat dudes miss. But cant operate when random, untouched defenders get in their grill within 2 seconds.

[maninblack 7974]

4 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

The Ian Boyd posting is a board highlight for me today. Thanks for that. 

And it wasn't spoilered. Took two whole seconds to scroll past on the phone.

[El Squared 1802]

On 6/22/2021 at 2:59 PM, Machinator said:

 

So are people saying choking a family member is somehow illegal or wrong?

[texifornia 57000]

Just now, El Squared said:

So are people saying choking a family member is somehow illegal or wrong?

[Eggo 3977]

2 minutes ago, El Squared said:

So are people saying choking a family member is somehow illegal or wrong?

In Bryan? Doubtful.

[Newy25 7692]

4 hours ago, Red Five said:

"Our new S&C guy knows what he's doing!" is my favorite part of coaching changes. 

Our new S&C coach focuses on “function” while the last guy did not know wtf he was doing is the most 9.95 thing every written about a team during the off-season. 

[Domedriver 655]

43 minutes ago, El Squared said:

So are people saying choking a family member is somehow illegal or wrong?

Or if Aggie family member, then just setting family pecking order!  We should hire him a good lawyer!

[HtownHorn 14724]

6 hours ago, Machinator said:

Some team notes from Darius Terrell

  Hide contents

***Josh Thompson and D’Shawn Jamison have both looked like big-timers so far, this summer. Maybe it’s the presence of Darion Dunn? I’ve heard that competition brings out the best in folks. Texas has a good problem at cornerback right now.

 

Weren't we told Dunn was slower than shit.

[ousux 5597]

Ojomo
https://www.instagram.com/stories/morojomo/2603254580146142297/

I expected something about his sweet sixteen party or something. Hopefully he can legally hit up 6th before he leaves the 40.

[Burt Macklin 19038]

4 hours ago, Machinator said:

(Scipio Tex) Sark Bytes: 6th edition

  Hide contents

When the Sark bytes, with his teeth, yeah, scarlet ribbbbbbons, do appearrrrrrrrr!

There's no blood in the water during the recruiting-focused doldrums of late June, but halibut a few juicy morsels?

I'm truly sorry for that. Let's move on...

**

Kyle Flood is not displeased with his potential OL depth. The issue is not that EVERYONE STINKS as swathes of FanInternet would have us believe, but rather it is making choices at a few key positions that will determine the character of the offensive line group overall. Which will in turn influence the character of the offense. Do Flood and Sark want a massive wall of pass protectors who will not surrender ground on the bull rush and can wear down a defense over time in the running game? Or do they want more quick-footed technicians that can operate deftly in the outside zone running game and on counters (playing to Bijan's strengths), but may give up some ground and collapsed pockets in pass protection without the aid of play action?

The answer to that question will determine whether it is Majors or Angilau at center (this is a real thing), Tope Imade at guard (also a thing), Andrej Karic vs multiple comers at two different positions.

 

Devil's advocacy: is there a danger that Flood could be too proscriptive around his preferences (massive OL) at the expense of nimble quality that showed real upside late last season? You bet. That's always a concern. Even very good football coaches can have that blind spot. Ultimately, we trust that he's seeing a much more complete picture than we are.

**

 

 

 

Definitely seems like IT’s been pushing the idea that Majors may not start at Center lately and that Karic won’t be our RT. I’m not sure Flood would have offered either of those guys out of HS, but they’ve shown they can play.
I really struggle to imagine Angilau working out at Center for us.  

[Vito Andolini 9126]

He seems like a good kid and and an excellent student, but I’m kinda glad I haven’t heard Ghirmai tossed out as an option after he had difficulty with the snap in the spring a couple years ago, but some $9.95er articles from April still listed him as an option. Maybe the yips have subsided.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Vito Andolini

[UncleSonny 6573]

I'm curious about the interplay of Becton's mobility and functional athleticism approach vs. Flood's preference of size and strength. 

Probably no big deal because the whole thing is reductive. A strength program will obviously have different goals for different position groups (and even individual players) but the messaging from the 9.95ers do seem at odds a bit. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by UncleSonny

[Burt Macklin 19038]

21 minutes ago, Vito Andolini said:

He seems like a good kid and and an excellent student, but I’m kinda glad I haven’t heard Ghirmai tossed out as an option after he had difficulty with the snap in the spring a couple years ago, but some $9.95er articles from April still listed him as an option. Maybe the yips have subsided.

Doesn’t really matter if he can snap the ball or not, because he also can’t block anyone. 

[Red Five 40862]

1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

Definitely seems like IT’s been pushing the idea that Majors may not start at Center lately and that Karic won’t be our RT. I’m not sure Flood would have offered either of those guys out of HS, but they’ve shown they can play.
I really struggle to imagine Angilau working out at Center for us.  

I'm chalking a lot of this up to tinkering at this point. I can't really process Karic and Majors on the bench while they try to find a way to put Imade in the starting lineup. 

[Machinator 32099]

Reports on linemen are mostly useless until the pads come on.

[Tex Pete 20399]

3 hours ago, Machinator said:

Reports on linemen are mostly useless until the pads come on.

Right. Tom Herman says we have the best OL ever. Or something. 

[Auto Driller 2506]

6 hours ago, Tex Pete said:

Right. Tom Herman says we have the best OL ever. Or something. 

Tom’s legacy looks worse the closer you look at it. There were a lot of talented players on his teams and an above-average coach would have definitely won more games with that roster.

[KYHorn 17076]

16 hours ago, El Squared said:

So are people saying choking a family member is somehow illegal or wrong?

Welcome back, Junior Miller.

[Thiefery 5012]

has Bobby Burton written anything lately.. feels like i haven't seen an article or brief thoughts from his since NSD2

[Machinator 32099]

IT

Spoiler

Player Driven Practice

We’ve been asked a few times what goes into these bi-weekly events. To the best of our knowledge, here’s what these informal practices entail.

- Brief meetings
- ”Big skill” will lift; “little skill” will run.
- Big skill is OL, DL, LB, and TE. Little skill is WR, RB, QB, RB, and DB.
- Individual position drills (agility)
- Walk-throughs. These are somewhat scripted in advance.
- OL and DL will work on pass rush/pass pro while everyone else breaks up into 7 on 7.

IT asked where the OLB’s go during 7 on 7. Jacks work pass rush while X-backers will work both pass rush and coverage in 7 on 7. That should tell you the differences between those two positions.

Team Notes

- Freshman wide receiver Xavier Worthy continues to be the talk of June. Internet expectations are high but not as high as they are behind the scenes. Previously he was working more in the slot but of late he’s been working outside quite a bit and still making plays. His speed is showing on go routes but he’s more complete than just a speed receiver. Everyone wants to see what he looks like when the pads come on.

- The linebackers continue the trend from the spring of being able to get their hands on the ball. You may recall this defense requests deep drops of the linebacker so this may become a common theme for the season. DeMarvion Overshown, David Gbenda, Jaylan Ford, and Luke Brockermeyer came up with picks this week.

- Other than Xavier Worthy winning reps, the DB’s have looked good. They’re on the same page as a unit. Kitan Crawford and Josh Thompson were mentioned at corner.

- Keilan Robinson joined the fray this week. The Alabama transfer showed great balance and burst on one poorly thrown ball. He was into the flat but the ball was behind him. As his momentum carried him forward he reached low and behind him while spinning out and showing breakaway speed. The staff is very high on his potential, and yes that has factored into recruiting. The staff feels like its in a great spot at the position for the foreseeable future.

- Byron Murphy received a bunch of praise this week. The true freshman interior lineman is simply hard to block because of his movement skills and strength. ”You think he and his guy stalemate but then realize the OL is three yards in the backfield.“ IT has been high on Murphy for a long time because of his “RB” body mechanics and high floor. We’re not sure if it’s been mentioned, but Casey Hampton lended a hand on the flip from Baylor through a familiar contact at DeSoto. Hampton allegedly said, “He’s not me but he’s good.” We’ll take it.

Murphy is at nose tackle which is important. That’s a big need when looking ahead.

- Quarterbacks continue to switch back and forth between the 1s and 2s. They seem to alternate between practices, not within them.

- The best note we received this week as it pertains to the 2021 season is regarding the OL. The full return of Derek Kerstetter has been huge, not just for adding an experienced starter, but for his leadership. He is the ring-leader and has been organizing daily extra work for his unit and it is beginning to show. The extra work includes footwork as a unit (choreography), fundamentals, and communication (making calls). These guys are doing well in individual work versus a good d-line unit.

- When asked for the best offensive lineman right now, IT heard Christian Jones, Junior Angilau, or Kerstetter.
 

 

[Royale with cheese 1467]

1 hour ago, Machinator said:

IT

  Hide contents

Player Driven Practice

We’ve been asked a few times what goes into these bi-weekly events. To the best of our knowledge, here’s what these informal practices entail.

- Brief meetings
- ”Big skill” will lift; “little skill” will run.
- Big skill is OL, DL, LB, and TE. Little skill is WR, RB, QB, RB, and DB.

They practice every two weeks?

 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Vertigo 20290]

There are some gruntling points in that update. 

[Eggo 3977]

3 hours ago, Machinator said:

IT

  Hide contents

 

- Keilan Robinson joined the fray this week. The Alabama transfer showed great balance and burst on one poorly thrown ball. He was into the flat but the ball was behind him. As his momentum carried him forward he reached low and behind him while spinning out and showing breakaway speed. The staff is very high on his potential, and yes that has factored into recruiting. The staff feels like its in a great spot at the position for the foreseeable future.

 

 

All I got from this is our QBs can't throw a decent screen. Doomed. 

[Royale with cheese 1467]

1 hour ago, Eggo said:

All I got from this is our QBs can't throw a decent screen. Doomed. 

Yeah, it's a zero-sum game. Dammit.

[cmontexas 3272]

Murphy is gonna be the best player in the class

[texifornia 57000]

6 minutes ago, cmontexas said:

Murphy is gonna be the best player in the class

Xavier Worthy says naaaaah

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Machinator 32099]

 

[Machinator 32099]

The article:

Spoiler

It’s good to be a Ragin’ Cajun right now.

Louisiana has won three consecutive Sun Belt West division championships and a conference co-championship last season. Last year’s team reached the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1943. Head coach Billy Napier is back for a fourth season after interviewing for several SEC jobs. And earlier this month, the school announced a $15 million gift for stadium naming rights, the largest athletics gift in school history.

“We’ve made progress,” Napier said, underselling his program’s trajectory by a little bit. “The big thing is trying to think systematically in terms of all the different areas of the organization, all the way down to nutrition, academics, training room, how we develop leadership and accountability. We’ve improved the personnel, will certainly have more quality depth than we’ve had at any point.”

One major reason for that depth is the NCAA’s waiver to allow all players another year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic season last year. The Cajuns took advantage of that opportunity, as more than 10 seniors chose to come back, including several key starters like quarterback Levi Lewis. About 19 starters return.

Napier went 7-8 in his first 15 games, but Louisiana has ripped off a 21-3 record since then. He’s turned division titles into the expectation, and the Cajuns will once again be the heavy favorite in the Sun Belt West. But an outright conference championship is still a goal yet to be reached. Last year’s Sun Belt championship game was canceled because of COVID-19 issues with Coastal Carolina. It would have been a rematch of Coastal’s win earlier in the season. Everyone in the UL program sees that as unfinished business.

There’s also a larger fight for respect. Louisiana beat Iowa State in Ames last season — perhaps the best Iowa State team ever — yet the Cajuns were behind the Cyclones in the College Football Playoff rankings, and Iowa State went to the Fiesta Bowl. Asked if his team was disrespected last year, Napier doesn’t want to go there. He pointed to some narrow regular-season wins and wants to focus on the future.

“It tested our culture,” he said. “It tested our ability to lead. I’m hopeful we can learn and will be better for it.”

The ceiling for this program gets higher and higher. A top-25 preseason ranking is not out of the question. An opening game at Texas is an opportunity for another statement. With nearly every key contributor back, a conference championship and New Year’s Six bowl opportunity are real possibilities.

It keeps getting better in Lafayette, and the best may be yet to come.

Roster analysis
Quarterbacks: A year ago, Napier said the Ragin’ Cajuns had become senior quarterback Levi Lewis’ team. With the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility, Lewis is still here, he’s still a senior, and it’s still his team. Lewis’ passing numbers took a step back in 2020. His 59.6 completion percentage and 7.7 yards per pass were his lowest in three years as a starter, and his seven interceptions were a new high. But he also became a real dual-threat, with 335 rushing yards, five touchdowns and 6.1 yards per rush, all career highs. He earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors, though everyone expects even more.

“I sense a different level of urgency from him,” Napier said. “He’s like having an 11th assistant coach. He’s seeing things with a much bigger-picture perspective. He’s walking around on a mission to get some of these individuals to really step up their game, but also challenge us in certain areas that we need to get better. That’s not only offensively, but him as an individual player. I see just that. I think he’s taken all the feedback. He can improve, he knows that, and he’s excited about that.”

Behind Lewis are plenty of options, but they’ll be new faces. Jaiave Magalei transferred out, but redshirt freshman Chandler Fields, Maryland transfer Lance Legendre, Fresno State transfer Ben Wooldridge and freshmen Zy McDonald and Hunter Herring give Louisiana several candidates.

Running backs: This position has carried the Cajuns under Napier, often with a three-headed attack, and last year’s team finished No. 12 nationally in rushing at 5.4 yards per carry. But last year’s two top rushers are gone, as Elijah Mitchell was drafted and Trey Ragas was signed as an undrafted free agent. The third back, Chris Smith, will be a sophomore after an All-American season as a kick returner. He rushed for 356 yards and had 16 catches out of the backfield.

It’ll continue to be a multi-pronged rushing attack, as junior T.J. Wisham and redshirt freshman Emani Bailey will get more playing time in the rotation. Wisham had a 100-yard game in 2019. Sophomore Michael Orphey showed a burst in limited time last year with a 48-yard touchdown run. There are also four freshman running backs from the incoming recruiting class, as well as former Texas A&M and Incarnate Word back Jacob Kibodi, who should provide some power as easily the roster’s largest running back at 220 pounds. The Cajuns will rely on this group again. It just needs experience.

“I think they all have ability and have improvement in front of them this summer,” Napier said. “We’ve got work to do to develop it and get it game-ready. But I’m excited about it. We’ve got confidence.”

Wide receivers/tight ends: What was a position of inexperience is now an established group. Last year, Louisiana had to replace its top three receivers. This year, every receiver and tight end who caught a pass is back. Lewis spread it around. No player caught more than 30 passes or had 400 receiving yards, but eight players had at least 12 catches, and six had at least 150 receiving yards. The top receivers should be sophomore Kyren Lacy (28 catches, 364 yards, four TDs), returning senior Jalen Williams (20 catches, 360 yards, four TDs) and junior Peter LeBlanc (23 catches, 334 yards, one TD).

But playing time is up for grabs, and players like sophomore Dontae Fleming (12 catches, 190 yards) and sophomore Errol Rogers Jr. (13 catches, 120 yards) could see a jump. The Cajuns added TCU receiver John Stephens and Alabama State receiver Michael Jefferson, making for a deep room.

“That’s where we’re in position to make the most improvement,” Napier said. “We had the three freshmen play last year who really didn’t get the normal preparation to play, and we get a couple guys back healthy. The portal was good to us there, too. The combination of all of that means there’s more players that are in contention for playing time, and it’s going to be very competitive.”

Top tight end Neal Johnson is back after a 13-catch season, as are all of his backups. Lewis will have no shortage of experience options this time around.

Offensive line: The best offensive line in the Sun Belt returns nearly everybody, coming off a year in which UL allowed the fifth-fewest tackles for loss per game at just 3.6. Right guard O’Cyrus Torrence and right tackle Max Mitchell earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors, while left guard Ken Marks and center Shane Vallot were third-team all-conference.

At left tackle, senior Carlos Rubio is most likely to take over, after starting seven games between both tackle spots a year ago. The Cajuns added guard T.J. Fiailoa from ULM, and he’ll likely be in the rotation. But Napier is also excited about the young reserves, and the position is so important that he dedicates two coaches to the group. This year, it’s two new assistants in Jeff Norrid and Darnell Stapleton.

“We’ve got some momentum there,” Napier said. “I don’t see contentment. I saw that group really take a step forward in spring. We had a lot of young players in that group that had never been through spring practice before, so we saw huge improvement. Offensive line is a developmental position. We’ve got a lot of veterans, but the young talent will make us better.”

Defensive line: The defense lost just one player of note from last year’s team, and every defensive lineman who recorded a tackle is back. With their three-man front, the Cajuns finished No. 67 in yards per rush allowed (4.3), the third consecutive year of improvement after finishing No. 115 in 2017. On the outside, senior defensive end Zi’Yon Hill earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors after recording 49 tackles and four sacks. He plays opposite end Andre Jones, who had 43 tackles and two sacks as a junior. On the inside is 333-pound returning senior nose tackle Tayland Humphrey, who had 32 tackles.

Among reserves, coaches point to senior end Andre Landry, sophomore Mason Narcisse, junior Kendall Wilkerson and sophomore nose tackle Sonny Hazard as players who could make a leap this fall.

“They all took a step forward this spring,” Napier said. “Zi’Yon, it’s the first time he’s been healthy through the full offseason, so he’s changed his body and was tough to block this spring. I like the depth there, and when you pair both lines of scrimmage having good depth, that leads to good practice and good depth overall.”

Linebackers: This is the only defensive position where Louisiana lost a part-time starter, as former All-Sun Belt linebacker Joe Dillon transferred out, and some other reserves did not return. But four players return with significant starting experience. Notably, that includes Lorenzo McCaskill and Ferrod Gardner on the inside. McCaskill, a senior, was third-team All-Sun Belt with a team-high 83 tackles but underwent offseason shoulder surgery. Gardner, a returning senior, had a team-high seven TFLs and 4.5 sacks, as part of 74 tackles, earning honorable mention all-conference.

On the outside are returning senior Chauncey Manac (31 tackles) and junior Andre Riley. Coaches were happy with Kris Moncrief’s spring, and he could be used more in pass-rushing situations. Rising senior Jourdan Quibodeaux will also be used plenty in the rotation after recording 30 tackles last year.

“I do think we’ve got some young players that just showed up that have a bright future,” Napier said.

Defensive backs: The Ragin’ Cajuns had one of the best pass defenses in the country last season, finishing fourth nationally in yards per pass allowed (5.8), and their 16 interceptions were third-most in the country. And now almost every defensive back who recorded a stat is back. That’s especially important for a team that uses as many as eight safeties in a game.

This group starts with senior cornerback Eric Garror and junior Mekhi Garner, each of whom had three interceptions. Garror earned third-team All-Sun Belt, while Gardner was honorable mention and had seven pass breakups. At safety, senior Bralen Trahan was second-team all-conference with a team-high four interceptions and 48 tackles, while fellow senior Percy Butler enters his third year as a starter coming off an honorable mention All-Sun Belt season with 44 tackles and six passes broken up.

Napier said sophomore cornerback Trey Amos took a big step in the spring, and senior AJ Washington is also in the mix. Coaches are high on safety Brandon Bishop, a former Alabama transfer who missed all of last season with an injury. The Cajuns also have a Star position that functions as a linebacker/safety hybrid, and senior starter Ja’len Johnson and junior Kam Pedescleaux return there as well.

“We play a lot of players on the back end, and they all play special teams,” Napier said. “It’s one of the more experienced groups on the team, and it was one of the best in the country.”

Special teams: Louisiana won games because of special teams in 2020, and it should once again be a strong group. Kenneth Almendares took over kicking duties late in the season and went 5-for-5 on field goals, though just one was longer than 40 yards. Nate Snyder, who has a big leg and beat Georgia Southern with a 53-yard field goal, was inconsistent but will still handle kickoffs. Punter Rhys Burns enters his fourth year as the starter coming off consecutive second-team All-Sun Belt seasons. He averaged 43.5 yards per punt in 2020. Only four of his 36 punts went at least 50 yards, but 14 were downed inside the 20-yard line.

Smith, the running back, earned second-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America after returning two kickoffs for touchdowns. Garror, a cornerback, returned a punt for a touchdown and should continue in that role.

What others are saying about Louisiana
There was a collective groan among Sun Belt coaches when it became clear that Napier would be back for another season, as many expected (or hoped) that he would land a Power 5 job. With Napier back again, with such an experienced team, coaches know the Cajuns will be the favorite to win a fourth consecutive West division title at the very least.

“Billy’s done a great job of establishing his program from what he inherited,” one Sun Belt head coach said. “There’s not many question marks. They have the quarterback coming back, they always have a great offensive line, and there’s always running backs. Once again, that’s gonna be the team in the West that everyone has to worry about.”

With new faces at running back and coaching the offensive line, there are still adjustments to be made, but coaches expect the Cajuns to fill those holes without many issues.

“With what he does, they play a physical brand of football and they don’t beat themselves,” the head coach said. “So I think they’ll be the front-runner for the West.”

How the Ragin’ Cajuns have recruited from 2018 to 2021

Napier was once the recruiting coordinator at Clemson and one of the top recruiters in the nation while at Alabama. That success has continued as a head coach.

“He’s a tenacious recruiter,” Tommy Bowden said last fall about Napier’s recruiting ability. “He’s like a pit bull. He gets his teeth in one and he don’t let go.”

Napier has signed three full-cycle recruiting classes at Louisiana, and all three have ranked No. 1 in the Sun Belt. The 2021 class ranked No. 68 nationally, which was one of the best in the Group of the 5 and the best in school history. All 19 signees were three-star prospects.

“Our people did a really good job,” Napier said. “It was a grind to evaluate and to adjust to the virtual approach. But man, I thought we hit it out of the park.”

The group is led by four players ranked in the top 1,000 nationally by 247Sports, including junior college defensive lineman Nijel McGriff, running back Terrence Williams, running back Montrell Johnson and wide receiver Robert Williams.

The class features a lot of offensive skill players, including two quarterbacks and four running backs. Those two quarterbacks — Zy McDonald from Mississippi and Hunter Herring from Louisiana — both enrolled early, while everyone else came in the summer.

“Overall so far, we’ve been very impressed with this group,” Napier said. “It’s a unique group and one that I think that lot of people will be talking about before it’s all said and done.”

Transfers to know
The Cajuns added nine transfers, a mix of Power 5 and lower-level additions.

New faces from Power 5 schools include former Maryland quarterback Lance Legendre (a former four-star recruit), Nebraska offensive tackle Matthew Anderson, TCU receiver John Stephens, Kansas State safety Tyrone Lewis and Kansas defensive end Clinton Anokwuru. All but Anokwuru are from Louisiana, returning to their home state.

Additions from non-P5 schools include Alabama State receiver Michael Jefferson, who was a two-year starter and caught 24 passes in six games this spring. Offensive lineman T.J. Fiailoa from rival ULM should be in the rotation. Incarnate Word running back Jacob Kibodi previously played at Texas A&M. Fresno State quarterback Ben Wooldridge played in a handful of games over three years. It could be hard to find playing time in 2021, given how much experience UL has coming back, but the Cajuns clearly plan to use the portal to fill needs.

“It’s just another way to acquire talent,” Napier said of the portal. “It just requires a little bit of an adjustment from a strategy standpoint, roster management-wise. We actually have done quite a bit of work in the portal, and I’ve been very pleased with it. We got quite a few. It’s been good to us so far.”

Impact of coaching changes
Louisiana lost four assistants in the offseason, a result of recent success. Coaches departed for the New York Giants, Georgia, Vanderbilt and the Southern Miss defensive coordinator job. There was also the heartbreaking death of assistant offensive line coach D.J. Looney before the season.

New assistants include offensive line coach Jeff Norrid from Florida Atlantic, assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton from Sam Houston State, inside linebackers coach Galen Scott from North Texas, safeties coach Wes Neighbors from South Florida and cornerbacks coach Jeff Burris from Louisiana Tech.

It’s a lot of change, and that included the loss of offensive coordinator Rob Sale. But Napier calls the offensive plays and will continue to do so. Wide receivers coach Tim Leger and tight ends coach Michael Desormeaux were promoted to co-offensive coordinators.

“They’ve done a good job of getting up to speed learning our system, how we operate here, systems and processes and protocols,” Napier said. “I’ve been very pleased. When you lose people, it creates an opportunity to bring some new ideas and new energy, and I think we’re fortunate that our administration has really invested in giving us the resources to be competitive and go hire really good people. It’s the most important thing that you do. We worked really hard at it in offseason, and so far, so good.”

Schedule analysis

DATE	TEAM	SITE
Sept. 4	Texas	Away
Sept. 11	Nicholls	Home
Sept. 16	Ohio	Home
Sept. 25	Georgia Southern	Away
Oct. 2	South Alabama	Away
Oct. 12	Appalachian State	Home
Oct. 21	Arkansas State	Away
Oct. 30	Texas State	Home
Nov. 4	Georgia State	Home
Nov. 13	Troy	Away
Nov. 20	Liberty	Away
Nov. 27	Louisiana-Monroe	Home

The Cajuns opened last season with a win at Iowa State, which went on to have the best record in the Big 12. This year, Louisiana opens at Texas, in the debut of new head coach Steve Sarkisian and a new starting quarterback. If UL can slow down running back Bijan Robinson, it could open the year with another statement win.

The rest of the nonconference schedule is quite daunting, too. FCS Nicholls scored nearly 50 points per game in the spring season, Ohio is always one of the best teams in the MAC and Liberty went 10-1 last year. That Liberty game comes late in the season on the road and will be an especially difficult challenge.

As for conference play, the Sun Belt just keeps getting better and better as a league and is arguably the second-best G5 conference at this point, as UL, Coastal and Appalachian State have become top-25 staples over the past two years. The Ragin’ Cajuns don’t play Coastal, so any hopes of a rematch after last year’s Coastal win and canceled championship game will have to come in another title game. They do face App State at home, and trips to Georgia Southern and Troy could be tricky. Four of the 12 regular-season games take place on a Tuesday or Thursday, and the Ohio and Georgia State games will come on a five-day turnaround.

“The schedule presents some unique challenges,” Napier said. “It’s very non-traditional in terms of the midweek games and five-day turnarounds. … We’ve got our plan in place to prepare. Certainly a lot of great competition. The Sun Belt Conference continues to elevate itself with quality personnel, quality coaching, it’s very competitive outside of our league, and it continues to get better and better. (The schedule) presents a number of challenges and we’ll cross those bridges when we get to them. Right now, we’re in the middle of working on specific things that need to be handled at this point in time.”

Final assessment
There are just two questions with this Louisiana team: Will the Cajuns have enough quality running backs and can they survive that schedule? Everything else is known. They have one of the best coaches in the Group of 5, one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, a top-level offensive line and a stout defense. They’ve competed for the Sun Belt championship in three consecutive seasons and should be there again for No. 4. But is it enough to reach that next level? To win the league outright and get a New Year’s Six spot? The fact that this is the expectation and goal illustrates how far things have come. It’s good to be a Ragin’ Cajun right now.

Louisiana’s national championship odds from BetMGM: +50,000