The Longhorns continued their spring session with a practice in shells this afternoon, and the media was able to get another up-close look at the product. My focus this afternoon was on the defense, and here are some specific notes for that side of the ball:
--- It’s pretty clear that freshmen are going to have to play on the defensive side of the ball. Duke Thomas’s foot was in an air-cast (looked like it was just a minor ankle thing of some sort; I believe Charlie Strong has since said it was a sprain), and that meant walk-ons littered throughout the secondary. After the loss of Dalton Santos, Texas’ will need young linebackers to play snaps as well.
--- The guys that worked the most with the ones were as follows:
Shiro Davis, Paul Boyette Jr., Poona Ford, Naashon Hughes
Peter Jinkens, Tim Cole
Bryson Echols, John Bonney (nickel), Dylan Haines, Jason Hall, Antwuan Davis
Twos:
Bryce Cottrell, Jake McMillon, Hassan Ridgeway, Quincy Vasser
Edwin Freeman, Malik Jefferson, Trey Gonzales (walk-on)
Dillon Boldt (walk-on), Adrian Colbert, Kevin Vaccaro, Jordan Strickland (walk-on)
Of note: Ridgeway looked like he was taking it easy by design.
--- At times, I felt like Hughes was the best player on the field. During the last team scrimmage periods of the day, he was an animal off the edge with two sacks from the play’s weak side. Then during that same stretch of practice when tight end Blake Whiteley decided he was going to lower his shoulder against Haines, Hughes came across and cleaned it up by planting the big tight end on his back, which earned a “hell yeah!†from defensive backs coach Chris Vaughn.
Poona Ford had a hurry, and Shiro Davis flashed a couple of times.
As for Haines, he made a couple of plays but was also slow to fit at times against bubble-screens.
--- Hall is the kind of dude that is just always going to try to find a way to hit people, which is a good thing. But it also earned him a chewing out from multiple coaches today, including Charlie Strong. Jacorey Warrick made a nice grab down the seam, and as he was falling down Hall hit him in the back. The sophomore DB also didn’t hold up when he should have earlier.
That being said, Hall stands out because he’s constantly moving around and making things happen.
--- I thought Davis had a really strong practice both in the team and 7-on-7 periods. He forced a couple of incompletions down the field, and never seemed out of position. Speaking of never out of position, John Bonney had one of those days when he always seemed to be in the right position in the right time. He also showed strong coverage off-the-ball from the slot spot. Bryson Echols had an interception when Marcus Johnson tipped a high pass just enough to direct it right at Echols, who was behind him.
--- Malik Jefferson still looks like a freshman learning his new spots on the field. When Jefferson wasn’t thinking and was just able to react, he made plays. But there were also times when linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary let him hear it because he wasn’t getting in the right spot. Jefferson did seem further along in that regard than he was the first open practice, though. In general, I felt like the linebackers were solid but far from spectacular.
--- Overall, it’s pretty tough to get a great feel of this group when it isn’t in full pads and its second team is filled with walk-ons.
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--- It’s pretty clear that freshmen are going to have to play on the defensive side of the ball. Duke Thomas’s foot was in an air-cast (looked like it was just a minor ankle thing of some sort; I believe Charlie Strong has since said it was a sprain), and that meant walk-ons littered throughout the secondary. After the loss of Dalton Santos, Texas’ will need young linebackers to play snaps as well.
--- The guys that worked the most with the ones were as follows:
Shiro Davis, Paul Boyette Jr., Poona Ford, Naashon Hughes
Peter Jinkens, Tim Cole
Bryson Echols, John Bonney (nickel), Dylan Haines, Jason Hall, Antwuan Davis
Twos:
Bryce Cottrell, Jake McMillon, Hassan Ridgeway, Quincy Vasser
Edwin Freeman, Malik Jefferson, Trey Gonzales (walk-on)
Dillon Boldt (walk-on), Adrian Colbert, Kevin Vaccaro, Jordan Strickland (walk-on)
Of note: Ridgeway looked like he was taking it easy by design.
--- At times, I felt like Hughes was the best player on the field. During the last team scrimmage periods of the day, he was an animal off the edge with two sacks from the play’s weak side. Then during that same stretch of practice when tight end Blake Whiteley decided he was going to lower his shoulder against Haines, Hughes came across and cleaned it up by planting the big tight end on his back, which earned a “hell yeah!†from defensive backs coach Chris Vaughn.
Poona Ford had a hurry, and Shiro Davis flashed a couple of times.
As for Haines, he made a couple of plays but was also slow to fit at times against bubble-screens.
--- Hall is the kind of dude that is just always going to try to find a way to hit people, which is a good thing. But it also earned him a chewing out from multiple coaches today, including Charlie Strong. Jacorey Warrick made a nice grab down the seam, and as he was falling down Hall hit him in the back. The sophomore DB also didn’t hold up when he should have earlier.
That being said, Hall stands out because he’s constantly moving around and making things happen.
--- I thought Davis had a really strong practice both in the team and 7-on-7 periods. He forced a couple of incompletions down the field, and never seemed out of position. Speaking of never out of position, John Bonney had one of those days when he always seemed to be in the right position in the right time. He also showed strong coverage off-the-ball from the slot spot. Bryson Echols had an interception when Marcus Johnson tipped a high pass just enough to direct it right at Echols, who was behind him.
--- Malik Jefferson still looks like a freshman learning his new spots on the field. When Jefferson wasn’t thinking and was just able to react, he made plays. But there were also times when linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary let him hear it because he wasn’t getting in the right spot. Jefferson did seem further along in that regard than he was the first open practice, though. In general, I felt like the linebackers were solid but far from spectacular.
--- Overall, it’s pretty tough to get a great feel of this group when it isn’t in full pads and its second team is filled with walk-ons.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
