Tuesday marked the first day of Texas Longhorn spring practice. UT allowed us to watch the first 15 to 20 minutes of practice and I have several observations worth sharing after day one.
--- Texas defensive tackles Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton look like different players. What stood out to me about each guy was how in shape they looked, plus their athleticism. Each player has a long wingspan. It is easy to see why NFL teams are interested in Collins. He has the athletic components necessary to have an impact this season.
--- Jaray Bledsoe … my goodness. It was hard to determine the difference between Bledsoe and Collins. I understand why there were so many good things said about Bledsoe during winter conditioning. He has a long wingspan, too.
--- Quite honestly, a guy like Aaron Bryant (6-foot-2 and 307 pounds) looks small compared to the other freakish athletes in the room.
--- Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers looks good at 205 pounds. He looks strong at that weight. I think Ewers could add five more pounds before the season and still be effective.
--- The guys taking reps at punt return were Isaiah Bond, Johntay Cook II, Matthew Golden, Parker Livingstone, Aaron Butler, and Ryan Wingo.
--- However, the guys who stood out as returners were Golden, Bond, and Cook. Golden received the most praise from the staff for securing the ball and releasing. Cook was elusive. Bond had soft hands and looked natural. Butler lost one punt in the sun and Livingstone looks like a work in progress.
--- Texas quarterback Arch Manning’s passes were precise throughout the portion of practice we were allowed to watch. He completed a beautiful deep ball to Johntay Cook and had a great over-the-shoulder completion to Matthew Golden.
--- Texas freshman quarterback Trey Owens received backup reps. At 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, he is physically strong. It will be fun to see him develop throughout the years.
--- DB Jelani McDonald has filled out. McDonald has a strong upper and lower body. He is very fluid on the field. You can tell he put a lot of work in the off-season.
--- S Michael Taaffe led the defensive backs during warmups. He was the vocal leader who ensured everyone was in the right place.
--- Last year, Payton Kirkland did not look in shape. However, I can tell he has worked hard on eliminating body fat and looks like one of Kyle Flood’s athletic/massive humans. Props to him.
Alex Dunlap will provide a detailed practice report on Tuesday.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian addresses the media at 11 a.m.
--- Texas defensive tackles Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton look like different players. What stood out to me about each guy was how in shape they looked, plus their athleticism. Each player has a long wingspan. It is easy to see why NFL teams are interested in Collins. He has the athletic components necessary to have an impact this season.
--- Jaray Bledsoe … my goodness. It was hard to determine the difference between Bledsoe and Collins. I understand why there were so many good things said about Bledsoe during winter conditioning. He has a long wingspan, too.
--- Quite honestly, a guy like Aaron Bryant (6-foot-2 and 307 pounds) looks small compared to the other freakish athletes in the room.
--- Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers looks good at 205 pounds. He looks strong at that weight. I think Ewers could add five more pounds before the season and still be effective.
--- The guys taking reps at punt return were Isaiah Bond, Johntay Cook II, Matthew Golden, Parker Livingstone, Aaron Butler, and Ryan Wingo.
--- However, the guys who stood out as returners were Golden, Bond, and Cook. Golden received the most praise from the staff for securing the ball and releasing. Cook was elusive. Bond had soft hands and looked natural. Butler lost one punt in the sun and Livingstone looks like a work in progress.
--- Texas quarterback Arch Manning’s passes were precise throughout the portion of practice we were allowed to watch. He completed a beautiful deep ball to Johntay Cook and had a great over-the-shoulder completion to Matthew Golden.
--- Texas freshman quarterback Trey Owens received backup reps. At 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, he is physically strong. It will be fun to see him develop throughout the years.
--- DB Jelani McDonald has filled out. McDonald has a strong upper and lower body. He is very fluid on the field. You can tell he put a lot of work in the off-season.
--- S Michael Taaffe led the defensive backs during warmups. He was the vocal leader who ensured everyone was in the right place.
--- Last year, Payton Kirkland did not look in shape. However, I can tell he has worked hard on eliminating body fat and looks like one of Kyle Flood’s athletic/massive humans. Props to him.
Alex Dunlap will provide a detailed practice report on Tuesday.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian addresses the media at 11 a.m.
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