Hey PK -- What would you say you do here?

[GringoSalado 1,651]

4 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

So if you're an optimist, how/where does this defense get better in 2022??

Maybe...

• Barron at Nickel
• Watts at CB
• Safety is a little better w/out BJ Foster
• Stronger and better conditioned DL
• GP as DC

Hopefully experience in the same defensive system helps too...

ugh 😬

fifm

[Jkwellborn 6,653]

So if you're an optimist, how/where does this defense get better in 2022??
Maybe...

• Barron at Nickel
• Watts at CB
• Safety is a little better w/out BJ Foster
• Stronger and better conditioned DL

Hopefully experience in the same defensive system helps too...
ugh

How many years are we gonna keep hoping for addition by subtraction

[Tex Long 4,347]

1 hour ago, Jkwellborn said:

How many years are we gonna keep hoping for addition by subtraction

I dunno. Whatta ya got?

[Pam Cummings 9,576]

All i know is if the D struggles it's PK's fault, and if the defense is good it's because of Patterson.

[LTtxfan 48,966]

6 minutes ago, Pam Cummings said:

All i know is if the D struggles it's PK's fault, and if the defense is good it's because of Patterson.

[LTtxfan 48,966]

      HEY PK...

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Hopefully in passing situations...

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

PK --  Gotta maximize Jaylan 

 

Edited July 25, 2022 by LTtxfan
Damn autocorrect

[JBJ 3,649]

On 7/15/2022 at 7:10 AM, LTtxfan said:

Hopefully in passing situations...

 

Sounds like they are bringing in an ILB for odd front personnel with DMO moving to Ovie's OLB/EDGE role.

I see this as Ovie getting squeezed out for one of the younger guys.

[Codaxx 5,601]

8 minutes ago, JBJ said:

Sounds like they are bringing in an ILB for odd front personnel with DMO moving to Ovie's OLB/EDGE role.

I see this as Ovie getting squeezed out for one of the younger guys.

For this to happen that means Gbenda and/or the transfer will have to play solid at ILB. Unless you see some 5-1 type looks 

Edited July 25, 2022 by Codaxx

[LTtxfan 48,966]

3 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

For this to happen that means Gbenda and/or the transfer will have to play solid at ILB. Unless you see some 5-1 type looks 

 

Yeah, need #2 DTD to be productive 

[JBJ 3,649]

17 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

For this to happen that means Gbenda and/or the transfer will have to play solid at ILB. Unless you see some 5-1 type looks 

The stack doesn't exist until I see it.

I supposed it could also mean Ovie+DMO as OLBs with a DL coming out.

[Codaxx 5,601]

12 minutes ago, JBJ said:

The stack doesn't exist until I see it.

I supposed it could also mean Ovie+DMO as OLBs with a DL coming out.

There is just so many ways to get DMO on the edge. Can’t imagine that 2-4-5 with DMO and Ovie on the edges (neither at particularly stout), so it has to be something new. I could see some 5-1 looks, with Ovie/Sorrell and DMO on the edge or 4-2 with DMO on the edge. Basing is all on a 3 DL front. It will start coming out when practices start

[JBJ 3,649]

He'll still be at Will in 4-2.  He spoke about it in the interview was as if it were in addition to his current role.

[Codaxx 5,601]

20 minutes ago, JBJ said:

He'll still be at Will in 4-2.  He spoke about it in the interview was as if it were in addition to his current role.

I was thinking 3-3 with the DMO brought to the edge, like Ossai.  The 4-2 was what it would basically look like. I honestly don’t love that, because having someone 225-235 on the edge is a bit scary. I’m assuming a 3-3 personnel, but moving them around to create 4 and 5 man fronts 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Codaxx

[Eskimohorn 5,613]

I was thinking 3-3 with the DMO brought to the edge, like Ossai.  The 4-2 was what it would basically look like. I honestly don’t love that, because having someone 225-235 on the edge is a bit scary. I’m assuming a 3-3 personnel, but moving them around to create 4 and 5 man fronts 

Against Bama we need 4 grown-ass men on the line on most downs. That will lead to some other issues but its not like anyone did better than 2.5 sacks last year anyway. Need to slow down the running game and thats the only way to do it with this team.

[Codaxx 5,601]

8 hours ago, Eskimohorn said:

Against Bama we need 4 grown-ass men on the line on most downs. That will lead to some other issues but its not like anyone did better than 2.5 sacks last year anyway. Need to slow down the running game and thats the only way to do it with this team.

You know that OL was probably one of the worst OLs under Saban's tenure at Bama. Texas finished higher than Bama in Average line yards.https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaa/sp/overallol/2021

 

Bama finished 10th in the SEC in yards per game and yards per carry, while having the 4th most rushing attempts. They were not a good running team last year. 

http://www.cfbstats.com/2021/team/8/rushing/offense/gamelog.html

 

2ndly, I have no idea why people think 4 DL looks are better vs the run than 3 DL. You would think watching guys like Belicheck and Saban dominate football with 3 DL defenses for 2 decades would change people's mind. Georgia doesnt and they are pretty good vs the run. Arkansas held Bama to 3.11 yards per rush. 

 

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Crosspost...  Thx @BurntOrange&White

Texas has worked plenty this offseason to improve its 2022 defense

Joe Cook•21 minutes    (Inside Texas)

Steve Sarkisian (Will Gallagher/IT)

At one point during his Big 12 Media Days breakout session, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned to reporters that to play successful defense, “you’ve got to have the ability to stop the run.”

Minutes later, in a different response, he said “I think the natural thing is you want to affect the quarterback more, but it’s hard to affect the quarterback when you’re giving up easy completions and the ball is coming out so quickly.”

If being ranked No. 100 in total defense and No. 99 in scoring defense wasn’t enough, Sarkisian’s words should get the point across: the Longhorn defense under Pete Kwiatkowski was a weakness on the 2021 team.

Kwiatkowski assuredly faced some headwinds entering his first year in Austin. As the third defensive coordinator in three years, he walked into a roster without perfect fits for his unique 2-4-5 defense that bullied the Pac-12 for the better part of the last decade. He also felt the effects of the season-long culture change that some players on his defense simply did not buy into.

That said, Kwiatkowski does bear responsibility for instances of misplaced personnel, tactical errors, and the plain inability to stop outside runs for a significant portion of the season.

Because of Sarkisian’s interview policies, Kwiatkowski has only faced the local media once in his Texas tenure. The offensive playcalling head coach prefers the questions about his defense go to him, and at Big 12 Media Days, they assuredly did.

How will the defense improve? Well, in addition to bolstering the run defense, ranked No. 114 in the country last year, Sarkisian knows his team has a need for improved coverage and pass rush.

“We tried to move people around in different spots and do some things schematically that would allow us to play tighter coverage that can help the pass rush, but also in turn continue to develop that pass rush to where we can get third-down stops and then create turnovers especially late in games,” Sarkisian said.

One such move is moving DeMarvion Overshown around the defense instead of slotting him only at the Will linebacker spot. Also included were shifting Anthony Cook and Kitan Crawford to safety from their respective Star and cornerback spots. Personnel additions were made in the offseason when Texas added Ohio State transfer cornerback Ryan Watts and James Madison transfer linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey to the defense, plus five-star defensive back Terrance Brooks from the 2022 class.

Plus, the current Longhorns say they have a better understanding of Kwiatkowski’s defense. And even though the pieces still may not be perfect fits, Kwiatkowski has the advantage this summer of additional instruction time with players during their workouts. In the extra time with the team, he emphasized an area where Texas struggled last season.

“I think this year, our point of emphasis is learning our playbook and also understanding why our job is so important to the defense as a whole,” Texas linebacker Ovie Oghoufo said at Big 12 Media Days. “As we’ve been learning that throughout the spring and heading into fall camp, all those counters and all types of runs, stretch, whatever you want to call it, will be shut down.”

Kwiatkowski also has some newfound help this season in the form of former TCU head coach and current special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson. All reviews from Sarkisian regarding Patterson have been positive, and not all of those reviews have been concerning the defense. That said, defense is Patterson’s specialty and he’s taken chances to help current Longhorn defenders whenever the opportunity arises.

“Every little bit that you get from a coach like Coach Patterson, it means a lot,” Overshown said at Big 12 Media Days. “Knowing his resume, knowing the guys he’s put at the next level, if he says something you’re going to sit down and listen because you know he’s saying it for the good of you and for the team.”

In addition to working on the schematic and technical aspects of football, Longhorn defenders have worked to improve their mental conditioning during their physical workouts. Overshown mentioned there’s a pause in some workouts to note the end of the session is near, meaning it’s time to push past their perceived limits.

“We get to the last portion of it, and it’s the hardest part,” Overshown said. “We call everybody up to let them know that last year this is where we lost control of some of our games.”

Those are all positive sentiments coming from the side of the football that was a net negative against SEC and Big 12 opponents last year. With the influx of talent on the offensive side of the ball, competence from Kwiatkowski’s unit could be enough to create a winning product for Sarkisian in year two.

Have they reached that threshold? That’s to be determined in practices and games, but after fielding a historically bad unit in 2021, there’s nowhere to go but up in 2022.

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Thanks for finding this tweet @Hookem2147

 

If you can bear watching, here's the video...

 

[Eskimohorn 5,613]

You know that OL was probably one of the worst OLs under Saban's tenure at Bama. Texas finished higher than Bama in Average line yards.https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaa/sp/overallol/2021
 
Bama finished 10th in the SEC in yards per game and yards per carry, while having the 4th most rushing attempts. They were not a good running team last year. 
http://www.cfbstats.com/2021/team/8/rushing/offense/gamelog.html
 
2ndly, I have no idea why people think 4 DL looks are better vs the run than 3 DL. You would think watching guys like Belicheck and Saban dominate football with 3 DL defenses for 2 decades would change people's mind. Georgia doesnt and they are pretty good vs the run. Arkansas held Bama to 3.11 yards per rush. 
 
 

A 3-man front looks good when you have linebackers that know how to play and 3-men who maintain gap integrity. Last year’s defense couldnt stop the worst offenses in the big12, let alone a pedestrian Bama championship-caliber offense.

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Cross-posting a link to decent explanation of "PK's defense with the traits he is looking for at each spot" called  "The Husky Nickel Defense - The Front 6"

Thx for this goes to @Codaxx

https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2018/4/9/16859732/coach-bs-breakdown-the-husky-nickel-defense-front-6

 

I also found the 2nd part...    

" The Husky Nickel Defense - The Back 5"      

https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2018/8/30/17232588/coach-bs-breakdown-the-husky-nickel-defense-the-back-5

[JFKFC 4,878]

7 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

If you can bear watching, here's the video

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Nice find @OB3 

 

[Codaxx 5,601]

18 hours ago, Eskimohorn said:

A 3-man front looks good when you have linebackers that know how to play and 3-men who maintain gap integrity. Last year’s defense couldnt stop the worst offenses in the big12, let alone a pedestrian Bama championship-caliber offense.

There isn’t a defense known to man that works without gap integrity. I agree it was a massive issue, but a 4 man line doesn’t fix that. 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Thx for this @westexhorn

Today in media availability 

Pete Kwiatkowski

-Kwiatkowski says they were “very inconsistent playing team defense as a whole. We had stretches where we were really good, then for whatever reason, adversity, bad plays in the game, guys get injured, whatever, the wheels fell off.”

-Kwiatkowski on wide zone issues: “Just executing the defenses. Whoever is the force player, whether it’s a secondary player, linebacker, or defensive lineman, doing a better job of getting the ball turned back in.” — Said at certain points, there were players who were not doing their jobs. He used the term “freelancing.” — “A lot of times last year, we would get into those stretches where the wheels were coming off and then guys started pressing and feeling like they had to do more than what they’re supposed to do, then they started guessing or trying to ad lib, and it wasn’t good.”

-Kwiatkowski: (On GP)  “He’s a resource to me and all our coaches. He’s been in the conference for 20-something years. He has the lay of the land in the state of Texas, so there’s a lot of info. that he has brought to the table that’s been invaluable.”

-Kwiatkowski on how to help players fight through the wall or adversity instead of cowering at it: “You make it hard on them. Whether it’s Coach Becton in the weight room or running, you stress the guys physically or mentally. They’ve got to learn how to fight through it, come together, support each other, learn from those mistakes or experiences in the past, and keep moving forward.”

-Kwiatkowski: “Overshown is an impact player. He’s a guy that can do some things. Very explosive, fast guy. We’ve got some young guys we’re gonna see what they can do.”

-Kwiatkowski: “I think one of the strengths of our defense is going to be our interior linemen.”

-Kwiatkowski says his edge guys all are twitchy and quick: “They’re quick off the ball. They can change direction. They’re sudden. The good ones, they have power.”

-Kwiatkowski says he feels “okay” about linebacker depth. “We’ve got D-Mo, we’ve got Jaylan Ford who has been awesome. He’s had a really good offseason mentally and physically. We’ve got David Gbenda. Jett Bush moved back to linebacker. We’ve got Tucker-Dorsey, the transfer. I think he’s going to be a welcome addition.”

[Burt Macklin 18,997]

45 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

There isn’t a defense known to man that works without gap integrity. I agree it was a massive issue, but a 4 man line doesn’t fix that. 

This isn’t really correct. While gap integrity always matters, it gets much more simplified, and therefore much easier to execute, when you run a 4 man front and have most of your DL 1-gap, like Ash did the year prior. PK switching the DL to mostly 2-gapping and then having LBs make reads off of that was absolutely a contributing factor to our poor Run D. It’s much simpler to execute what Ash did in year one. 
 

I doubt PK will quit 2-gapping so hopefully our guys have improved at executing it in year 2. 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

 

[Codaxx 5,601]

33 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

This isn’t really correct. While gap integrity always matters, it gets much more simplified, and therefore much easier to execute, when you run a 4 man front and have most of your DL 1-gap, like Ash did the year prior. PK switching the DL to mostly 2-gapping and then having LBs make reads off of that was absolutely a contributing factor to our poor Run D. It’s much simpler to execute what Ash did in year one. 
 

I doubt PK will quit 2-gapping so hopefully our guys have improved at executing it in year 2. 

Of course it is correct. If you have bad gap integrity, you have a bad defense. The  biggest issue with the defenses was the edges and their love of running up field 5 yards opening up massive holes. Edge runs averaged almost 7 yards per last year. The edges  weren’t given 2 gapping assignments for the most part, so that responsibility isn’t changing in a 4 man front.  PK actually mentioned this today. Something like guys freelancing, instead of setting an edge.  I know IT and Ian love talking about 2 gapping, but this isn’t new to any of the DL. It is a bit odd, since PK has been doing this for years. It’s funny how people loved his hire, but complain about a staple of his philosophy. The DL were  doing it under Orlando. Oddly, Coburn’s best year was under Orlando as a freshmen. To be honest if you are 6’2 and 350, you better be able to 2 gap.  I’ll agree that a 3 man line is more complex, the issue last year wasn’t complexity, it was undisciplined play. I believe Texas defenses have been between 40-50 the last 3 years in DFEI. Last year was around 50 and that was with losing 3 draft picks. Ossai on the edge would have helped massively. You can add TQ, who was the best run defender on the DL in 2021. Sadly, bad defense has become common at Texas. 

Edited August 2, 2022 by Codaxx

[Tex Long 4,347]

I still think the biggest problem last season is that all the coaches - including PK - somehow managed to come to a conclusion that their first year was a free pass on the W/L front, and their primary jobs were to instill the culture and identify the players - both on board and recruits - suited for the various roles. The fact that D players went completely off the rails repeatedly seems to me to have been a combination of frustration with the coaches and a certain amount of infighting between groups of unpersuaded versus those buying in well. One of the long-time fundamentals of football is that you take care to stay on your script and trust your teammates to follow theirs, and I think we had a lot of people trying to do more because their teammates weren't doing their parts, and then winding up out of position and unable to make the play.

Sark having taken a page from the Gospel of Saban and not allowed his coordinators and assistants to do media things, so I don't have a good read on PK, and thus have no idea how the players feel about PK and/or position coaches, I hope it's all good, and we're going to have that season we've been waiting for since 2009.

Oh, and I hope that everyone, from Sark on down, understands that the first Commandment is Win The Game. Whatever it takes, let next year take care of itself and Just Win.

 

[Burt Macklin 18,997]

22 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

Of course it is correct. If you have bad gap integrity, you have a bad defense. The  biggest issue with the defenses was the edges and their love of running up field 5 yards opening up massive holes. Edge runs averaged almost 7 yards per last year. The edges  weren’t given 2 gapping assignments for the most part, so that responsibility isn’t changing in a 4 man front.  PK actually mentioned this today. Something like guys freelancing, instead of setting an edge.  I know IT and Ian love talking about 2 gapping, but this isn’t new to any of the DL. It is a bit odd, since PK has been doing this for years. It’s funny how people loved his hire, but complain about a staple of his philosophy. The DL were  doing it under Orlando. Oddly, Coburn’s best year was under Orlando as a freshmen. To be honest if you are 6’2 and 350, you better be able to 2 gap.  I’ll agree that a 3 man line is more complex, the issue last year wasn’t complexity, it was undisciplined play. I believe Texas defenses have been between 40-50 the last 3 years in DFEI. Last year was around 50 and that was with losing 3 draft picks. Ossai on the edge would have helped massively. You can add TQ, who was the best run defender on the DL in 2021. Sadly, bad defense has become common at Texas. 

Again, it’s obvious gap integrity matters, but the added complexity makes it much harder to execute. 

A huge part of it was obviously personnel, especially at edge, but the scheme caused problems too. Guys like Sweat struggled mightily with gap integrity in 2-gapping. That adds a level of complexity, which leads to guys thinking, playing slow and making the wrong reads. Plus our personnel on DL were more suited for attacking. On top of that, it’s much harder for a LB to have gap integrity in a 2 gap because they have to make reads on the fly. 
 

Overshown looked way better under Ash than he did last year, and that’s because Ash’s defense is easier and more straightforward for LBs, especially in the run game. The added complexity for DL and LBs in that scheme absolutely contributed for the struggles of our defense. 

[Codaxx 5,601]

19 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Again, it’s obvious gap integrity matters, but the added complexity makes it much harder to execute. 

A huge part of it was obviously personnel, especially at edge, but the scheme caused problems too. Guys like Sweat struggled mightily with gap integrity in 2-gapping. That adds a level of complexity, which leads to guys thinking, playing slow and making the wrong reads. Plus our personnel on DL were more suited for attacking. On top of that, it’s much harder for a LB to have gap integrity in a 2 gap because they have to make reads on the fly. 
 

Overshown looked way better under Ash than he did last year, and that’s because Ash’s defense is easier and more straightforward for LBs, especially in the run game. The added complexity for DL and LBs in that scheme absolutely contributed for the struggles of our defense. 

LBs almost always have gap and scrape.  Even in HS they teach LBs to read the DL in front of them and exchange gaps. The old saying “make the DL right”, which I am sure you have heard. That is kind of what makes a good LB. 2 Gapping DL is actually helpful to LBs.  In theory a 2 gapping DT should help LBs stay clean. That should give additional time to make reads. Though Texas LBs seemed to just read the backfield and ignore the triangle, which has oddly been going on for years. Not to mention they loved to just sit at 4-5 yards and wait for OL to climb to them. I am not sure Overshown looked worse this year. He had the same issues 2 years ago, but given the better supporting cast was not asked to do as much.  Think it was more a case of being exposed. Again PK’s system was much less complex than Orlando’s, so I am not buying the idea being floated that complexity was the main reason. I happen to think playing mostly honest boxes with holes in the front (edge being the biggest) was the reason for terrible run defense. Based on Sark’s comments on the secondary, I have hope that will change. 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Codaxx

[Burt Macklin 18,997]

7 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

Think it was more a case of being exposed. Again PK’s system was much less complex than Orlando’s, so I am not buying the idea being floated that complexity was the main reason.

In both of your posts you’ve confused complexity on a white board with complexity of execution for the player.  Orlando’s scheme wasn’t that complex for each individual player. He called a ton of run blitzes where the front 6 or 7 slanted and each had a gap. That’s easy for the player to know their assignment, even if it’s technically a complex looking blitz play. 
 

Whereas having DL 2 gap makes it more complex for the front 7. The DL has to wait and read the play and then the LB has to read off the DL. This leads to guys playing slow when they’re not used to it yet, which we saw a lot of last year. 
 

And to your point, the 2 gapping can keep guys clean if executed well, but it wasn’t, which then makes it harder on the LBs. I’m not sure what football you watched, but Overshown absolutely played better in Ash’s scheme and a lot of it was because it was more simple so Overshown could think/make reads less and play fast. 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Burt Macklin

[Codaxx 5,601]

20 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

In both of your posts you’ve confused complexity on a white board with complexity of execution for the player.  Orlando’s scheme wasn’t that complex for each individual player. He called a ton of run blitzes where the front 6 or 7 slanted and each had a gap. That’s easy for the player to know their assignment, even if it’s technically a complex looking blitz play. 
 

Whereas having DL 2 gap makes it more complex for the front 7. The DL has to wait and read the play and then the LB has to read off the DL. This leads to guys playing slow when they’re not used to it yet, which we saw a lot of last year. 
 

And to your point, the 2 gapping can keep guys clean if executed well, but it wasn’t, which then makes it harder on the LBs. I’m not sure what football you watched, but Overshown absolutely played better in Ash’s scheme and a lot of it was because it was more simple so Overshown could think/make reads less and play fast. 

You seem to be forgetting Orlando used 2 gapping techniques on his line and added tons of blitzes. I don’t think you would argue that. Every play is sound on a blackboard, but that deep playbook can test assignment soundness. That was a major issue for Orlando defenses. 
 I watched Overshown and I saw the same issues. I don’t think anyone thought Overshown had great instincts and hit guards like a Mack truck in 2021.  Difference being that those issues were exposed much more with a weaker cast around him. It’s kind of like people thinking Casey was the truth based on a bad Tech defense. You could add 7-8 Longhorns to the list of players that looked headed to Canton vs Tech and were exposed within 2-3 games. Football is a team sport. A strong supporting cast can mask weaknesses (or weak opponent).  Play with a weak cast and those weaknesses get highlighted. Time to get a drink. Good conversation, good night. 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

With Gary Patterson as a resource, Texas' Pete Kwiatkowski must improve the Longhorns' defense in Year 2

By FUCK CHIP BROWN      4 hours ago

The last time the media met with Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski - before last season - he was talking about how a successful defense is one that holds opponents to 20 points or less per game.

On Tuesday, one year later, Kwiatkowski was back in front of the media answering questions about a defense that gave up 31.1 points per game (99th in FBS in 2021), 201.6 yards per game rushing (114th in FBS) and 5.2 yards per carry (second-worst in school history) with one of the most anemic pass rushes in the country (20 team sacks, 98th nationally).

When a reporter said he wanted to ask a question about UT’s pass rush, Kwiatkowski quipped, “What pass rush?”

During the off-season, former TCU coach Gary Patterson, a respected defensive mind, was added to the Texas staff as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian.  Kwiatkowski said Tuesday he views Patterson’s presence as “a resource” - even recounting how Kwiatkowski went to Fort Worth to pick Patterson’s brain on defensive ideas after the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, a 17-16 TCU victory over Boise State, where Kwiatkowski was the defensive coordinator under Chris Petersen.

“He (Patterson) obliged,” Kwiatkowski said. “He was awesome. We played the next year (2009) in the Fiesta Bowl, and we (Boise State) ended up winning. I think Gary thought that summer sharing might’ve been the reason. The following year (2010), they (TCU) ended up going to the Rose Bowl. We’ve been in contact over the years. Him being here is a resource to me.”

As the Texas defense enters its second fall camp under Kwiatkowski, he said he feels like players and coaches are more aligned.

The bad news is there are a lot of new faces in new places, especially in the secondary, and Kwiatkowski won’t know how his defense handles adversity until it happens. (When I asked for the three positions that have the biggest questions to answer, Sarkisian said the offensive line, secondary and kicking game - in that order.)

“To play really good, dominating defense, it starts with playing really good team defense,” Kwiatkowski said. “And we were very inconsistent in playing team defense as a whole. We had good stretches last year where we were really good, but then adversity would hit - guys getting injured or whatever it was - and the wheels would fall off.

“From last year moving forward, it’s all about how we’re going to put ourselves in position to make the plays we have to make. And then how we’re going to handle adversity when it hits. That’s it in a nutshell.”

As Horns247 has reported previously, some of the plan to improve the defense includes:

— Playing more man coverage on the outside, freeing up a safety to help stop the run.

— Getting better play at linebacker, including likely new starting middle linebacker Jaylan Ford along with solid play at weakside linebacker from David Gbenda and James Madison graduate transfer Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, freeing up fifth-year senior DeMarvion Overshown to shoot gaps and rush the passer from the strongside linebacker position.

— Getting better defensive line play from a unit that “has a much-improved rapport” with D-line coach Bo Davis, according to Sarkisian.

— Setting a better edge on running plays to keep perimeter runs from breaking for big gains like they did last year, especially in losses against Arkansas (333 yards rushing), Oklahoma (339 yards), Oklahoma State (220 yards), Baylor (231 yards) and Kansas (218 yards).

“Whoever the force player is on the edge of the defense - whether it’s a secondary player, linebacker or defensive lineman - has to do a better job of getting the ball turned back in,” Kwiatkowski said. “And it’s really guys trusting each other to do their job and not freelancing.

“Last year, we’d get in stretches where the wheels were coming off, and guys started pressing and feeling like they had to do more instead of what they were supposed to do. And they started guessing and ad-libbed, and it wasn’t good.”

Sarkisian said Tuesday it wasn’t ALL bad on defense last season - even in some losses.

“There were stretches where we played really good defense,” Sarkisian said. “I look back at the Iowa State game that we lost 30-7. At halftime, we were leading 7-3 and we were playing really good defense. Against Oklahoma State, we were leading 17-3 and throw a pick-six on offense.”

But as Kwiatkowski said, “There were times we played really good defense. But you don’t just play one quarter to win the game. We gotta be able to stretch that out over four quarters and be able to battle and push through and self-correct when things start going sideways.”

The Longhorns' ability to improve on last year's 5-7 record will depend on it.

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Better safety play would really help the 2022 defense -- coach those guys up Blake and GP.  

[LTtxfan 48,966]

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Dallas Morning News

After an abysmal season, Texas defense seeks mulligan under Pete Kwiatkowski

Chuck Carlton, DMN Yesterday 7:40 PM

AUSTIN – If Pete Kwiatkowski is concerned by the specter of Gary Patterson, the Texas defensive coordinator still managed a solid self-deprecating one-liner.

As a reporter brought up the topic of the Longhorns’ anemic pass rush Tuesday, Kwiatkowski quickly interrupted.

“What pass rush?” he said.

That’s a pretty good mic drop moment.

It also has the virtue of being grounded in truth, which is why Kwiatkowski enters his second season in Austin under a bit of cloud.

Texas ranked 100th in total defense (425.6 yards per game) and 99th in scoring defense (31.1 points per game). The Longhorns never really found an answer to the outside run schemes in the Big 12, finishing 114th in rushing defense (201.6 ypg) and 114th in yards per carry (5.2) and twice allowing more than 300 yards rushing in a game.

Yes, there’s more as they say on the infomercials including the aforementioned pass rush, which ranked 101th nationally with 20 sacks. It was led by Ben Davis with … 2.5 sacks, which used to be a pretty good game for Brian Orakpo or Jackson Jeffcoat in another era.

“We were very inconsistent playing team defense as a whole,” Kwiatkowski said. “We had stretches we were really good, and then for whatever reason – adversity, bad plays in a game, whatever it is – the wheels would fall off.

“Since last year to now and moving forward, it’s about how we’re going to put ourselves in position to make the plays we need to make and how we’re how we’re going to handle adversity.”

Then there’s the presence of Patterson, who built a reputation in a couple decades at TCU for crafting elite defenses. He now carries the title of assistant to the head coach and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has been careful to say Patterson serves merely as his sounding board and a set of experienced eyes.

Of course, this being Texas, it doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination to see Alabama and Heisman winner Bryce Young brutalizing the defense early followed by howls for change.

For his part, Kwiatkowski calls Patterson an asset and recalled seeking him out following the 2008 season, when TCU beat Boise State – where Kwiatkowski was an assistant – in the Poinsettia Bowl.

“Him being here, I look at it as he’s a resource to me and all our coaches,” Kwiatkowski said. “He’s been in the conference for 20-something years. He has the lay of the land in the state of Texas, so there’s a lot of information that he has brought to the table that’s been invaluable.”

Kwiatkowski probably deserves the benefit of the doubt, no matter what happens early in the season. He arrived before last season with a lofty reputation for thwarting spread offenses formed at Boise and Washington.

Then things didn’t work for whatever reason, especially during a six-game losing streak en route to a 5-7 finish. It’s also been hard to get a public handle on Kwiatkowski – who everybody in the program calls PK – because of Sarkisian’s media availability protocols. Tuesday was just Kwiatkowski’s second public meeting with the press.

Sarkisian pointed out that the defense wasn’t that bad last season, stats notwithstanding. Texas didn’t allow offensive touchdowns in the first half of losses to Iowa State or Oklahoma State before things came crashing down after being on the field too long.

“We can’t let one drive or one play dictate our behavior and our morale and things all drop,” Sarkisian said. “The last time I checked, I didn’t see a team go 12 games without allowing a touchdown.”

It won’t be easy. While nearly everybody who is anybody among power conference teams makes awards watch list, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is the only Longhorn defender to get recognized.

Sarkisian admits the secondary is an area that has to improve. Besides Overshown, linebacker is a question mark with Kwiatkowski high on Jaylan Ford and James Madison transfer Diamante Tucker-Dorsey.

There a lot of veterans up front whose performance haven’t met their potential.

For all the question marks, Kwiatkowski says he has enough of the right personnel.

“I 100% believe these guys can do what we want them to do,” Kwiatkowski said. “We’ve just got to go out and do it.”

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Aug 2nd   (4 min video)

On Texas Football: Pete Kwiatkowski Press Conference Breakdown

[6th Street 6,357]

F that guy

[LTtxfan 48,966]

Pete Kwiatkowski aware of needed progress from the Texas defense

Joe Cook       Aug 2nd

Quote

Pete Kwiatkowski’s 2021 Longhorn defense was nothing to write home about. Just ask Pete Kwiatkowski.

As a reporter began to question the Texas defensive coordinator about the near non-existent pass rush on Tuesday, one of several weaknesses on last year’s defense, Kwiatkowski interrupted the question before its completion.

“What pass rush?” Kwiatkowski said with a smirk.

It was a revealing moment of comic relief. It signaled Kwiatkowski knew that area, among several others, needed to improve. On Tuesday, he laid out methods he intends to use to help his defense play a better brand of football in 2022.

Texas recorded 19 sacks in 12 games last year, and did little to affect opposing quarterbacks on a game-to-game basis. Pass rush was one of several areas on defense highlighted by UT head coach Steve Sarkisian throughout the offseason as needing drastic improvement.

That message was not only relayed to Kwiatkowski, it was one he chose to relay himself. Of the problems areas on last year’s Longhorn defense, that may have been the most glaring issue. In addition to the low team sack total, no individual player had more than 2.0 for the whole season.

“The better you are by having good pass rushers, the less you have to blitz,” Kwiatkowski said. “When you have to blitz, there’s issues with that. We’ve just got to get better. We’ve got to get better inside. We’ve got to be better coordinated when we rush.”

In addition, he highlighted the need for his players to improve their first step, use of hands, and ability to push the pocket when rushing the passer. At the end of his answer, though, he ended up pointing fingers right back at himself.

“It always helps when you’ve got better players, but at the same time, as coaches we’ve got to come up with better answers to generate pass rush on third downs,” Kwiatkowski said.

Pass rush wasn’t the only issue in 2021. Opponents sliced through burnt orange defenders with a steady dose of outside runs, particularly wide zone.

Kwiatkowski said he wasn’t surprised by the prevalence of the latest offensive trend in college football considering plenty of up-tempo teams across the country use the scheme. What he said about defending the scheme last year, however, came as a bit of a shock.

The term “freelance” in the football world rarely has positive connotations. Kwiatkowski used it on Tuesday to describe the actions versus wide zone of some of last year’s players in his defense. He didn’t name names or say if they were still a part of the team, but he cited the F-word as one of many causes of struggles versus outside runs.

“It’s really guys trusting other guys to do what they’re supposed to do to fulfill their job, and those guys doing it and not freelancing,” Kwiatkowski said. “A lot of times I think last year, we would get into those stretches where the wheels were coming off, guys started pressing and feeling like they had to do more than they were supposed to. They started guessing or trying to ad lib, and it wasn’t good.”

Failure to rush the passer and to stop a popular style of rushing attack makes it sound like the Longhorn defense was an unmitigated disaster every snap of every game in 2021. That’s obviously not the case, as Texas did play quality defense for some stretches last year.

Problem is, those stretches rarely lasted across four quarters in one day, and the lapses typically were enough to spoil an entire day’s efforts. Ahead of his second season calling the defense in Austin, does Kwiatkowski believe his side of the ball will be able to not just make plays, but get opponents to the ground and put a better product on the field? On Tuesday, he responded in the affirmative without hesitation.

“I have belief in the guys,” Kwiatkowski said. “I’ve watched what they’ve done over the last year. I know what they can do well, and when they didn’t do something well it had nothing to do with want-to. I 100 percent believe these guys can do what we want them to do.”

He has belief, but the last sentence of his answer illustrated many Texas fans’ commonly-held thought about his defense entering the 2022 season.

“We’ve just go to go out and prove it,” Kwiatkowski said.

“It always helps when you’ve got better players, but at the same time, as coaches we’ve got to come up with better answers to generate pass rush on third downs,” Kwiatkowski said.

 

No fuckin' shit PK !!!

 

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by LTtxfan
messed up

[Jkwellborn 6,653]

Pete Kwiatkowski aware of needed progress from the Texas defense
Joe Cook       Aug 2nd

Pete Kwiatkowski’s 2021 Longhorn defense was nothing to write home about. Just ask Pete Kwiatkowski.
As a reporter began to question the Texas defensive coordinator about the near non-existent pass rush on Tuesday, one of several weaknesses on last year’s defense, Kwiatkowski interrupted the question before its completion.
“What pass rush?” Kwiatkowski said with a smirk.
It was a revealing moment of comic relief. It signaled Kwiatkowski knew that area, among several others, needed to improve. On Tuesday, he laid out methods he intends to use to help his defense play a better brand of football in 2022.
Texas recorded 19 sacks in 12 games last year, and did little to affect opposing quarterbacks on a game-to-game basis. Pass rush was one of several areas on defense highlighted by UT head coach Steve Sarkisian throughout the offseason as needing drastic improvement.
That message was not only relayed to Kwiatkowski, it was one he chose to relay himself. Of the problems areas on last year’s Longhorn defense, that may have been the most glaring issue. In addition to the low team sack total, no individual player had more than 2.0 for the whole season.
“The better you are by having good pass rushers, the less you have to blitz,” Kwiatkowski said. “When you have to blitz, there’s issues with that. We’ve just got to get better. We’ve got to get better inside. We’ve got to be better coordinated when we rush.”
In addition, he highlighted the need for his players to improve their first step, use of hands, and ability to push the pocket when rushing the passer. At the end of his answer, though, he ended up pointing fingers right back at himself.
“It always helps when you’ve got better players, but at the same time, as coaches we’ve got to come up with better answers to generate pass rush on third downs,” Kwiatkowski said.
Pass rush wasn’t the only issue in 2021. Opponents sliced through burnt orange defenders with a steady dose of outside runs, particularly wide zone.
Kwiatkowski said he wasn’t surprised by the prevalence of the latest offensive trend in college football considering plenty of up-tempo teams across the country use the scheme. What he said about defending the scheme last year, however, came as a bit of a shock.
The term “freelance” in the football world rarely has positive connotations. Kwiatkowski used it on Tuesday to describe the actions versus wide zone of some of last year’s players in his defense. He didn’t name names or say if they were still a part of the team, but he cited the F-word as one of many causes of struggles versus outside runs.
“It’s really guys trusting other guys to do what they’re supposed to do to fulfill their job, and those guys doing it and not freelancing,” Kwiatkowski said. “A lot of times I think last year, we would get into those stretches where the wheels were coming off, guys started pressing and feeling like they had to do more than they were supposed to. They started guessing or trying to ad lib, and it wasn’t good.”
Failure to rush the passer and to stop a popular style of rushing attack makes it sound like the Longhorn defense was an unmitigated disaster every snap of every game in 2021. That’s obviously not the case, as Texas did play quality defense for some stretches last year.
Problem is, those stretches rarely lasted across four quarters in one day, and the lapses typically were enough to spoil an entire day’s efforts. Ahead of his second season calling the defense in Austin, does Kwiatkowski believe his side of the ball will be able to not just make plays, but get opponents to the ground and put a better product on the field? On Tuesday, he responded in the affirmative without hesitation.
“I have belief in the guys,” Kwiatkowski said. “I’ve watched what they’ve done over the last year. I know what they can do well, and when they didn’t do something well it had nothing to do with want-to. I 100 percent believe these guys can do what we want them to do.”
He has belief, but the last sentence of his answer illustrated many Texas fans’ commonly-held thought about his defense entering the 2022 season.
“We’ve just go to go out and prove it,” Kwiatkowski said.

“It always helps when you’ve got better players, but at the same time, as coaches we’ve got to come up with better answers to generate pass rush on third downs,” Kwiatkowski said.
 
No fuckin' shit PK !!!
 
 

He gone

[Royale with cheese 1,458]

2 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

No fuckin' shit PK !!!
 
 

He gone

We ought to call him PH--Place Holder.

GP, come on down!!

[LTtxfan 48,966]

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

From FCB         (Thx for this @Hookem2147 )

DEFENSE

Sarkisian is spending more time with the defense this camp, even structuring the weight lifting schedules of the offense and defense, so that he can be in both units’ meetings.

"I definitely want more of a presence, and I spoke to the defense last night about it," Sarkisian said. "I want them to feel my presence and the style of play that I would like for us to play defensively, and I think they need to hear that from me — along with PK (Pete Kwiatkowski), (Jeff) Choate and T Joe (Terry Joseph) and Bo (Davis) and Blake (Gideon). I need to be involved with those guys and be able to coach them when we're on the field as well."

DEFENSIVE LINE

Based on multiple conversations with team sources, sophomore Byron Murphy is now considered by the coaches as the top interior defensive lineman on the team.

Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said Tuesday he felt the “interior line” would be the strength of the defense and mentioned Murphy’s name first.

“Murphy is a young guy who has really come on,” Kwiatkowski said. “He’s very, very talented and explosive.”

Honestly, I’ll believe anything else said about the defensive line when I see it. But I’m told Kwiatkowski is also a big fan of Moro Ojomo’s versatility.

I was told Wednesday when Bo Davis was approached by Brian Kelly at LSU this off-season, Davis not only got a raise from $900,000 to $1 million annually, but was assured by Sarkisian that he’d be allowed to coach UT’s linemen “in the style he wants to coach.”

“I think you’re already seeing Davis hold these guys more accountable,” one team source said. “There’s no doubt this group underperformed last year. And I think Davis was embarrassed.”

What’s interesting is Kwiatkowski was a defensive line coach for much of his career before becoming the defensive coordinator for Chris Petersen at Boise State and Washington.

Sarkisian even mentioned this when I asked him if he helped set up the off-season meeting between Kwiatkowski and Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (who had Sarkisian as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and 2018).

“DQ (Quinn) and I obviously go way back, even prior to when we were in Atlanta,” Sarkisian said. “He was in Seattle when I was at the University of Washington, developed a great relationship - and then, obviously working for Dan for two years in Atlanta.

“I think Dan’s an excellent teacher. I think he does an awesome job of conveying his message. But I also think there’s a unique connection between he and PK (Kwiatkowski) in that they’re both defensive front guys.

“Dan is a D-line specialist. PK is a D-line and edge specialist. And so the idea of installing the ideal game planning, the ideal calling of the defense in-game - from a front perspective - I think we all can continue to grow. It’s no different than me going to meet with (Los Angeles Rams’ coach) Sean McVay. I never feel like I’m not trying to grow and get better and improve. And, PK is no different. He’s 55, and he’s meeting with one of the best in the NFL right now and finding new ways and new techniques to motivate, to scheme, to instill fundamentals and techniques in our defense and the style of play we all want him to have.”

LINEBACKERS

We’ve spent a lot of time the last few weeks talking about the emergence of weakside linebackers David Gbenda and James Madison transfer Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, allowing DeMarvion Overshown to move to strongside linebacker in UT’s base defense and rush the passer/shoot gaps.

When the defense is in nickel, Overshown is still the team’s weakside linebacker.

Everyone on the team, it seems, is anticipating a big year from junior middle linebacker Jaylan Ford.

“Jaylan Ford has had a really good offseason mentally and physically,” Kwiatkowski said.

I had one team source say Ford is now among the handful of players the team can least afford to play without - “along with whoever wins the QB job, Byron Murphy, Anthony Cook and anyone who can upgrade Texas at offensive tackle.”

Sarkisian said with the move of Jett Bush and Devin Richardson to middle linebacker, backing up Ford, as well as the emergence of Tucker-Dorsey, "I feel a lot better (about linebacker) than I did three months ago."

SECONDARY

The secondary is without a doubt the biggest concern on the defense and is a very close second to the offensive line as the biggest concern on the team heading into the 2022 season.

While coaches feel good about Anthony Cook’s move from nickel to boundary safety as well as Jerrin Thompson’s improvement at field safety, the coaches really won’t know how these two can handle adjustments and adversity in-game until they experience it.

Kitan Crawford isn’t processing information quickly enough at field safety and needs to come on.

The depth behind those three at safety is even less experienced. Coaches are excited about the upside of freshman Bryan Allen Jr., but he’s not ready yet. As I reported in the Morning Brew this week, coaches looked but didn’t have success in finding an experienced safety in the portal.

At cornerback, the first-team field corner on Day 1 of fall camp was fifth-year senior D’Shawn Jamison, and the first-team boundary corner was Ryan Watts.

Freshman Jaylon Guilbeau, who might’ve had the best summer of any corner on the team, was absent from practice Wednesday “with a personal issue, but will be in practice tomorrow,” Sarkisian said.

Jamier Johnson was backing up Jamison in Guilbeau’s absence. Coaches like Johnson and hope he and Guilbeau can keep coming on.

Terrance Brooks is backing up Watts at boundary corner.

Jahdae Barron continues to work as the first-team nickel while being backed up by Austin Westlake walk-on Michael Taaffe, a two-time state championship game defensive MVP.

“Taaffe is going to play this season,” one team source said. “Great instincts. Plays fast, because he knows where he’s going. Always around the ball.”

While Sarkisian has said he wants to play tighter coverage with more man-to-man on the outside, it remains to be seen if UT’s corners can be effective in man coverage. Kwiatkowski didn’t think they could hold up last season (and that was WITH NFL combine invitee Josh Thompson at boundary corner), so Kwiatkowski relied almost exclusively on zone coverage.

We’ll just have to watch and see. But Guilbeau appears to be the corner coming on the strongest as camp begins.

 

[LTtxfan 48,966]

 

[Dbeasy 14,966]

On 8/2/2022 at 6:25 PM, Burt Macklin said:

This isn’t really correct. While gap integrity always matters, it gets much more simplified, and therefore much easier to execute, when you run a 4 man front and have most of your DL 1-gap, like Ash did the year prior. PK switching the DL to mostly 2-gapping and then having LBs make reads off of that was absolutely a contributing factor to our poor Run D. It’s much simpler to execute what Ash did in year one. 
 

I doubt PK will quit 2-gapping so hopefully our guys have improved at executing it in year 2. 

Best post about our defense I’ve seen on this site in two years. 

[TreatyOak 16,150]

On 8/4/2022 at 10:39 AM, LTtxfan said:

From FCB         (Thx for this @Hookem2147 )

DEFENSE

Sarkisian is spending more time with the defense this camp, even structuring the weight lifting schedules of the offense and defense, so that he can be in both units’ meetings.

"I definitely want more of a presence, and I spoke to the defense last night about it," Sarkisian said. "I want them to feel my presence and the style of play that I would like for us to play defensively, and I think they need to hear that from me — along with PK (Pete Kwiatkowski), (Jeff) Choate and T Joe (Terry Joseph) and Bo (Davis) and Blake (Gideon). I need to be involved with those guys and be able to coach them when we're on the field as well."

DEFENSIVE LINE

Based on multiple conversations with team sources, sophomore Byron Murphy is now considered by the coaches as the top interior defensive lineman on the team.

Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said Tuesday he felt the “interior line” would be the strength of the defense and mentioned Murphy’s name first.

“Murphy is a young guy who has really come on,” Kwiatkowski said. “He’s very, very talented and explosive.”

Honestly, I’ll believe anything else said about the defensive line when I see it. But I’m told Kwiatkowski is also a big fan of Moro Ojomo’s versatility.

I was told Wednesday when Bo Davis was approached by Brian Kelly at LSU this off-season, Davis not only got a raise from $900,000 to $1 million annually, but was assured by Sarkisian that he’d be allowed to coach UT’s linemen “in the style he wants to coach.”

“I think you’re already seeing Davis hold these guys more accountable,” one team source said. “There’s no doubt this group underperformed last year. And I think Davis was embarrassed.”

What’s interesting is Kwiatkowski was a defensive line coach for much of his career before becoming the defensive coordinator for Chris Petersen at Boise State and Washington.

Sarkisian even mentioned this when I asked him if he helped set up the off-season meeting between Kwiatkowski and Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (who had Sarkisian as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and 2018).

“DQ (Quinn) and I obviously go way back, even prior to when we were in Atlanta,” Sarkisian said. “He was in Seattle when I was at the University of Washington, developed a great relationship - and then, obviously working for Dan for two years in Atlanta.

“I think Dan’s an excellent teacher. I think he does an awesome job of conveying his message. But I also think there’s a unique connection between he and PK (Kwiatkowski) in that they’re both defensive front guys.

“Dan is a D-line specialist. PK is a D-line and edge specialist. And so the idea of installing the ideal game planning, the ideal calling of the defense in-game - from a front perspective - I think we all can continue to grow. It’s no different than me going to meet with (Los Angeles Rams’ coach) Sean McVay. I never feel like I’m not trying to grow and get better and improve. And, PK is no different. He’s 55, and he’s meeting with one of the best in the NFL right now and finding new ways and new techniques to motivate, to scheme, to instill fundamentals and techniques in our defense and the style of play we all want him to have.”

LINEBACKERS

We’ve spent a lot of time the last few weeks talking about the emergence of weakside linebackers David Gbenda and James Madison transfer Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, allowing DeMarvion Overshown to move to strongside linebacker in UT’s base defense and rush the passer/shoot gaps.

When the defense is in nickel, Overshown is still the team’s weakside linebacker.

Everyone on the team, it seems, is anticipating a big year from junior middle linebacker Jaylan Ford.

“Jaylan Ford has had a really good offseason mentally and physically,” Kwiatkowski said.

I had one team source say Ford is now among the handful of players the team can least afford to play without - “along with whoever wins the QB job, Byron Murphy, Anthony Cook and anyone who can upgrade Texas at offensive tackle.”

Sarkisian said with the move of Jett Bush and Devin Richardson to middle linebacker, backing up Ford, as well as the emergence of Tucker-Dorsey, "I feel a lot better (about linebacker) than I did three months ago."

SECONDARY

The secondary is without a doubt the biggest concern on the defense and is a very close second to the offensive line as the biggest concern on the team heading into the 2022 season.

While coaches feel good about Anthony Cook’s move from nickel to boundary safety as well as Jerrin Thompson’s improvement at field safety, the coaches really won’t know how these two can handle adjustments and adversity in-game until they experience it.

Kitan Crawford isn’t processing information quickly enough at field safety and needs to come on.

The depth behind those three at safety is even less experienced. Coaches are excited about the upside of freshman Bryan Allen Jr., but he’s not ready yet. As I reported in the Morning Brew this week, coaches looked but didn’t have success in finding an experienced safety in the portal.

At cornerback, the first-team field corner on Day 1 of fall camp was fifth-year senior D’Shawn Jamison, and the first-team boundary corner was Ryan Watts.

Freshman Jaylon Guilbeau, who might’ve had the best summer of any corner on the team, was absent from practice Wednesday “with a personal issue, but will be in practice tomorrow,” Sarkisian said.

Jamier Johnson was backing up Jamison in Guilbeau’s absence. Coaches like Johnson and hope he and Guilbeau can keep coming on.

Terrance Brooks is backing up Watts at boundary corner.

Jahdae Barron continues to work as the first-team nickel while being backed up by Austin Westlake walk-on Michael Taaffe, a two-time state championship game defensive MVP.

“Taaffe is going to play this season,” one team source said. “Great instincts. Plays fast, because he knows where he’s going. Always around the ball.”

While Sarkisian has said he wants to play tighter coverage with more man-to-man on the outside, it remains to be seen if UT’s corners can be effective in man coverage. Kwiatkowski didn’t think they could hold up last season (and that was WITH NFL combine invitee Josh Thompson at boundary corner), so Kwiatkowski relied almost exclusively on zone coverage.

We’ll just have to watch and see. But Guilbeau appears to be the corner coming on the strongest as camp begins.