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*****
The first day of 2024 Texas Football spring practice is in the books, and while the media's viewing window was limited, there is still plenty to report. As always, I would expect many things to change through spring, but we have to start somewhere:
- The question about where Bama transfer Isaiah Bond would line up among the receivers seems to have a clear answer based on one practice. Despite lining up in the slot for 60% of his snaps at Alabama last season, he's playing outside at the X. The first group up in practice during the media window was Bond, Deandre Moore in the slot and Johntay Cook at the Z.
- While Bond looks good, the eyeball test tells you that Cook is the alpha among Texas WRs. He's put on good mass and plays like ... well, the Johntay Cook Texas fans were promised. Fast and quick with sticky hands.
- The "depth" at WR is still being figured out, and who knows how the starting group will end up. During the time we were out there, I watched both Matthew Golden and Ryan Wingo practice both out of the X and out of the Z. They are both cross-training as Chris Jackson figures out how he wants this group to ultimately shape up. Behind those guys Parker Livingstone handles exclusively the X, while Aaron Butler plays flanker.
- Livingstone is a good player. He's fast and not like "sneaky fast," just fast.
- As for the OL, from all I saw with the first group it was as expected (L to R): Kelvin Banks, Hayden Conner, Jake Majors, DJ Campbell, Cam Williams.
- Second group: LT Trevor Goosby (and my oh my, has there been a body transformation there -- all of the sudden he looks like a giant with the same quick feet), LG Neto Umeozulu, C Conner Robertson, RG Cole Hutson and RT Andre Cojoe. ( I should note that Hutson was also working out with the centers pre-practice during QB drills, so he's cross-training at least to some degree).
- Third OL was LT Jaydon Chatman, LG Malik Agbo (who is wearing 67 and may be done playing almost exclusively jumbo TE and wearing a TE jersey?), C Daniel Cruz (who is another guy that looks ready to play by the eyeball test), RG Connor Stroh and RT Brandon Baker.
- It was good to see Bama transfer TE Amari Niblack out there participating after missing winter conditioning. He looks perfectly fine to me, although, unlike Bond, he was not inserted immediately in with the ones. He's working behind most everyone right now, and I only assume it's because he hasn't been part of the offseason program until very recently. I would expect that to change because Niblack is long, tall and angular and sure presents like a guy who could be quite a weapon offensively.
- With that said, I kind of like the looks of the TE group post-JT Sanders. Helm is the lead dog, and Juan Davis is still kicking around looking better in practice than he ever has in an actual game ... but guys like Jordan Washington and even Will Randle had a few flashes to like during our media window.
- One of the bigger surprises for me was how ready the freshmen RBs, Christian Clark and Jerick Gibson, look. Gibson has power-piston thighs like Saquon Barkley while Christian Clark is quite a specimen himself, and boy can he catch. He already looks like one of the team's best receiving backs. Really soft hands and excellent framing, he extends to the football and tracks it like a natural receiver.
- One of the big questions I wanted answered was how the defense would align, especially the edge guys, in order to see more of Collin Simmons and Trey Moore. We didn't really get that answer today, but maybe got a few clues. Obviously, this will be one of the more dynamic situations to monitor through camp. As for the starting defense, though, at least in pursuit drills (we didn't see any team stuff today), it was
DE Barryn Sorrell, DT Alfred Collins, NT Vernon Broughton, EDGE Ethan Burke. The linebackers were Anthony Hill and David Gbenda. Jahdae Barron at nickel, Manny Muhammad and Terrence Brooks at the corners, and Derek Williams and Michael Taafe at the safeties.
- Behind those guys, the depth chart is tough to navigate as things were getting mixed and matched from drill to drill, but we do know how a few things looked as far as position group participation and groups within those groups. As for the edge guys, when they split up on their own, there were two groups. One included Justice Finkley, Ethan Burke, Billy Walton Jr. and Collin Simmons. The other group was Barryn Sorrell, Zina Umeozulu, Trey Moore, J'Mond Tapp and Tausili Akana. This was also happening during some special teams work, so it's not inclusive of all players like Colton Vasek, etc. I don't really know what to make of that, and I'm not sure it's worth trying to parse out based on these early groupings. We've seen these sorts of things change -- and drastically -- within just a few practices in springs past. This is clearly a set of alignments and a rotation we'll have to monitor as I'd expect some changes for sure.
- Guys working with the corners were Manny Muhammad, Terrence Brooks, Gavin Holmes, Kobe Black, Austin Jordan, Jahdae Barron, Warren Roberson, Jaylen Guilbeau and Wardell Mack. Working out with the safeties were Michael Taaffe, Derek Williams, Andrew Mukuba, Jelani McDonald, Xavier Filsaime, Jordon Johnson-Rubell and Zikky Umeozulu. It should be noted that the nickel corner pool will be pulled from this group as well, so it doesn't mean that these positions will be where these players ultimately line up, especially among Barron, Jordan, Guilbeau, etc.
- As far as how some of these guys looked: Trey Moore is a little smaller than I expected and more compact with shorter arms than they appeared on his UTSA film. It's not to say he didn't look good, but Collin Simmons is taller, more slender and longer even though they are both listed at 6-3.
- I mentioned those young RBs but dang. Just gotta mention 'em again if we're talking about eyeball stuff.
- Kobe Black is really well put-together and already looks like a really imposing college corner with the way he moves and his size.
- Arizona transfer Tia Savea is a guy who looks a little smaller than the others when they all stand together, but he's dense and looks to have a solid anchor on him through his lower body.
- Deandre Moore looks like a guy who's going to be a bigger factor than some may have expected. He's got great hands. Sturdy and quick as a hiccup.
- Johntay Cook looks like a racehorse or a sports car. Something fast, powerful and expensive if you get the drift. Total alpha. His confidence is very easy to perceive when watching him on the field among teammates.
- Savion Red is a bit of a fireplug all of the sudden, it will be interesting to see how he's utilized this year. I have a feeling that competition from the freshmen RBs is on the horizon for every back on the roster.
- Bama transfer LB Kendrick Blackshire may be the most rocked-up dude on the field, hands down. We didn't get to see him play or do much outside of drills, but if he can play at that size, being that muscle-bound, without sacrificing movement ability and playing ultra-stiff, he'd be a problem to face for a downhill run team.
- We were shooed out of practice right as WR/CB one-on-ones started, but not before I got a peek of a pretty ball from Quinn Ewers to Isaiah Bond, who beat Manny Muhammad on an outside whip route.
