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We finally made it back to where we have the Longhorns practicing actual football. We had a short media availability today, but there were many things to learn. As always, this information is sure to change and shift throughout the course of the next 15 spring practices heading into the Orange/White game, but here's where we stand after the first spring practice of the 2023 campaign:
- On injured players: hopefully we'll get the statuses of these guys over the coming weeks and begin to know who will be available, who's just banged up, etc. The guys we knew wouldn't be practicing, of course didn't: WR Isaiah Neyor and Freshmen EDGE/LB Derrion Gullette. Other guys who missed practice today were RB Jonathan Brooks, DB Jaylon Guilbeau and RB Keilan Robinson. I didn't see OG Cole Hutson off to the side, but we've known for a while now he was set to miss spring ball.
- I didn't see Byron Murphy at practice and media relations didn't have an update on him. For a player of Murphy's profile to not have an update from the SID likely points to a scheduling issue with classes or maybe an illness. If he was hurt, it's the kind of thing everyone around the program should know.
- On the offensive line, the first group looked exactly as you would have expected coming in.
LT Kelvin Banks
LG Hayden Conner
C Jake Majors
RG Devon Campbell
RT Christian Jones
The second group for now looks to be
LT Payton Kirkland
LG Neto Umeozulu
C Hayden Conner/Sawyer Goram-Welch
RG Malik Agbo
RT Cam Williams
These players are starting out filling in as third-team depth, getting some rotation with the twos:
LT Andre Cojoe
LG Max Merrill
RG Connor Stroh
RT Jaydon Chatman
- I could not find Conner Robertson at practice, and he did not appear to be working on the side with the injured guys, but we don't have an update on him prior to practice ending at the very least. I would figure he'd be the third in line at center behind Hayden Conner, who looks like he'll probably be the backup center before anyone else sees the field should anything happen with Majors.
- Majors looks bigger, by the way. He's listed at 308 pounds which seems good for him, although even the biggest dudes would be dwarfed by guys like Cam Williams and some of these new players on campus. They really are behemoths. The team lists Cojoe at 6-6, 358; Kirkland at 6-6, 367 (that is one MASSIVE left tackle if that really is where they like him long-term); Connor Stroh is 6-7, 365.
- On defense, we didn't get any team drills, but it was relatively simple to answer some of the biggest questions coming into spring ball by observing other drills:
Barryn Sorrell stayed at his normal DE position while Justice Finkley, who backed Sorrell up last year, was first up opposite him at the weak-side/EDGE/Buck spot.
The starting inside LBs were Jaylan Ford and David Gbenda.
LB Anthony Hill is not going to just be handed a job, he was with the threes at the mike linebacker spot. That's one hierarchy that is sure to evolve through spring as Hill proves himself worthy.
S Kitan Crawford is working with the ones at safety in a theme that we often see to start spring ball -- guys like Finkley, Gbenda, Crawford, etc. on defense who've played snaps for the team generally start out with first crack while others are given the opportunity to take their jobs. The same can be said of some spots on offense.
Freshman DL Sydir Mitchell is running with the backups but I had underestimated how big he was going to be. He wears 99 and the only reason you wouldn't confuse him with Keondre Coburn is because he's a good bit taller. Listed at 6-6, 359.
Gavin Holmes was expected to be small and he is small (listed at 5-9, 168). He was working some away from the outside corners and doing drills with Jahdae Barron, which makes me think maybe he's going to get a look at nickel ... at least a look there if nothing else to start things out. He's not playing there exclusively as he was lining up now and then on the outside receivers during the open portion of the 1v1 period.
- Of course Quinn Ewers was first man up over Arch Manning, and it will be an ongoing topic of so much discussion about who looks best that going into that here on the first day seems like a fool's errand. Both look good. We have some more open practices this week where I'll get to focus more on that stuff once I have my bearings about me regarding the initial foundational structure of the depth chart.
- The TE hierarchy is unchanged. It is JT Sanders, Gunnar Helm and then Juan Davis running third.
- WR order and alignments:
Z WR
1) Xavier Worthy
2) Johntay Cook
3) Jaden Alexis
Slot WR
1) Jordan Whittington
2) Deandre Moore
(it does look like Savion Red has moved to more of an RB/offensive weapon role. He did not work out with the WRs during routes versus air or 1v1s, but did line up outside at what appeared a slot WR with the twos in some early walk-through work right before the availability started)
XWR
1) Casey Cain
2) AD Mitchell
- The additions of Johntay Cook and AD Mitchell already make the WR group look more athletic, potent and well-rounded than the group looked at any point last year, and this is without Isaiah Neyor even back in the fold yet. AD Mitchell is particularly impressive with big, soft hands and long arms. I fully expect him to be starting over Cain by the time the spring is done. That one feels like one of the more obvious proclamations to make, even based on viewing such a small sample of practice thus far.
- Finally, we got to see a few pass-catcher/DB 1v1s:
JT Sanders beats Jerrin Thompson
Xavier Worthy gets open underneath Ryan Watts but drops the ball
AD Mitchell SMOKES Gavin Holmes
Michael Taafe breaks up a pass to Gunnar Helm
Deandre Moore gets open deep up the seam on Kitan Crawford but the ball is overthrown
Malik Muhammad beats Johntay Cook
Juan Davis burns Larry Turner Gooden
Ryan Watts drapes coverage all over Jordan Alexis but somehow Alexis catches the bobbling ball as he falls to the ground. (Watts looks amazing, physically by the way. He's the clear alpha of the CB group and the stud of the pack by the eyeballs. The coaches were pissed he didn't go up to get the ball and cap off such a great rep with a pick because he was absolutely in position).
Xavier Worthy beats Jahdae Barron
Gavin Holmes beats AD Mitchell
Jordan Whittington beats Kitan Crawford
Find Your Perfect Franchise at MyPerfectFranchise.Net
Orangebloods Owned! Contact Andy Luedecke (aka @MyPerfectFranchise.Net) anytime at:
aluedecke@myperfectfranchise.net
(404) 973-9901
www.myperfectfranchise.net
We finally made it back to where we have the Longhorns practicing actual football. We had a short media availability today, but there were many things to learn. As always, this information is sure to change and shift throughout the course of the next 15 spring practices heading into the Orange/White game, but here's where we stand after the first spring practice of the 2023 campaign:
- On injured players: hopefully we'll get the statuses of these guys over the coming weeks and begin to know who will be available, who's just banged up, etc. The guys we knew wouldn't be practicing, of course didn't: WR Isaiah Neyor and Freshmen EDGE/LB Derrion Gullette. Other guys who missed practice today were RB Jonathan Brooks, DB Jaylon Guilbeau and RB Keilan Robinson. I didn't see OG Cole Hutson off to the side, but we've known for a while now he was set to miss spring ball.
- I didn't see Byron Murphy at practice and media relations didn't have an update on him. For a player of Murphy's profile to not have an update from the SID likely points to a scheduling issue with classes or maybe an illness. If he was hurt, it's the kind of thing everyone around the program should know.
- On the offensive line, the first group looked exactly as you would have expected coming in.
LT Kelvin Banks
LG Hayden Conner
C Jake Majors
RG Devon Campbell
RT Christian Jones
The second group for now looks to be
LT Payton Kirkland
LG Neto Umeozulu
C Hayden Conner/Sawyer Goram-Welch
RG Malik Agbo
RT Cam Williams
These players are starting out filling in as third-team depth, getting some rotation with the twos:
LT Andre Cojoe
LG Max Merrill
RG Connor Stroh
RT Jaydon Chatman
- I could not find Conner Robertson at practice, and he did not appear to be working on the side with the injured guys, but we don't have an update on him prior to practice ending at the very least. I would figure he'd be the third in line at center behind Hayden Conner, who looks like he'll probably be the backup center before anyone else sees the field should anything happen with Majors.
- Majors looks bigger, by the way. He's listed at 308 pounds which seems good for him, although even the biggest dudes would be dwarfed by guys like Cam Williams and some of these new players on campus. They really are behemoths. The team lists Cojoe at 6-6, 358; Kirkland at 6-6, 367 (that is one MASSIVE left tackle if that really is where they like him long-term); Connor Stroh is 6-7, 365.
- On defense, we didn't get any team drills, but it was relatively simple to answer some of the biggest questions coming into spring ball by observing other drills:
Barryn Sorrell stayed at his normal DE position while Justice Finkley, who backed Sorrell up last year, was first up opposite him at the weak-side/EDGE/Buck spot.
The starting inside LBs were Jaylan Ford and David Gbenda.
LB Anthony Hill is not going to just be handed a job, he was with the threes at the mike linebacker spot. That's one hierarchy that is sure to evolve through spring as Hill proves himself worthy.
S Kitan Crawford is working with the ones at safety in a theme that we often see to start spring ball -- guys like Finkley, Gbenda, Crawford, etc. on defense who've played snaps for the team generally start out with first crack while others are given the opportunity to take their jobs. The same can be said of some spots on offense.
Freshman DL Sydir Mitchell is running with the backups but I had underestimated how big he was going to be. He wears 99 and the only reason you wouldn't confuse him with Keondre Coburn is because he's a good bit taller. Listed at 6-6, 359.
Gavin Holmes was expected to be small and he is small (listed at 5-9, 168). He was working some away from the outside corners and doing drills with Jahdae Barron, which makes me think maybe he's going to get a look at nickel ... at least a look there if nothing else to start things out. He's not playing there exclusively as he was lining up now and then on the outside receivers during the open portion of the 1v1 period.
- Of course Quinn Ewers was first man up over Arch Manning, and it will be an ongoing topic of so much discussion about who looks best that going into that here on the first day seems like a fool's errand. Both look good. We have some more open practices this week where I'll get to focus more on that stuff once I have my bearings about me regarding the initial foundational structure of the depth chart.
- The TE hierarchy is unchanged. It is JT Sanders, Gunnar Helm and then Juan Davis running third.
- WR order and alignments:
Z WR
1) Xavier Worthy
2) Johntay Cook
3) Jaden Alexis
Slot WR
1) Jordan Whittington
2) Deandre Moore
(it does look like Savion Red has moved to more of an RB/offensive weapon role. He did not work out with the WRs during routes versus air or 1v1s, but did line up outside at what appeared a slot WR with the twos in some early walk-through work right before the availability started)
XWR
1) Casey Cain
2) AD Mitchell
- The additions of Johntay Cook and AD Mitchell already make the WR group look more athletic, potent and well-rounded than the group looked at any point last year, and this is without Isaiah Neyor even back in the fold yet. AD Mitchell is particularly impressive with big, soft hands and long arms. I fully expect him to be starting over Cain by the time the spring is done. That one feels like one of the more obvious proclamations to make, even based on viewing such a small sample of practice thus far.
- Finally, we got to see a few pass-catcher/DB 1v1s:
JT Sanders beats Jerrin Thompson
Xavier Worthy gets open underneath Ryan Watts but drops the ball
AD Mitchell SMOKES Gavin Holmes
Michael Taafe breaks up a pass to Gunnar Helm
Deandre Moore gets open deep up the seam on Kitan Crawford but the ball is overthrown
Malik Muhammad beats Johntay Cook
Juan Davis burns Larry Turner Gooden
Ryan Watts drapes coverage all over Jordan Alexis but somehow Alexis catches the bobbling ball as he falls to the ground. (Watts looks amazing, physically by the way. He's the clear alpha of the CB group and the stud of the pack by the eyeballs. The coaches were pissed he didn't go up to get the ball and cap off such a great rep with a pick because he was absolutely in position).
Xavier Worthy beats Jahdae Barron
Gavin Holmes beats AD Mitchell
Jordan Whittington beats Kitan Crawford
