Daily Short #34, July 31st, 2017: Monday Football Practice Notes
And like that … WE’RE BACK.
Here are some notes from the first fall camp practice under Tom Herman at Texas:
- No pads, they won’t have full padded practice until Friday.
- The starting offensive line remained the same as it was in the spring: (L to R) Connor Williams, Patrick Vahe, Jake McMillon, Elijah Rodriguez, Tristan Nickelson. They did toy with a grouping on the right side that featured Terrell Cuney (C), Jake McMillon (RG) and Elijah Rodriguez (RT) which would indicate that Rodriguez may be in play for the RT position along with Denzel Okafor who worked with the twos.
- I’ll have a full scholarship depth chart out for the Short tomorrow, but as for the twos with the OL, there were no real surprises: (L to R) Jean Delance, Zach Shackelford, Terrell Cuney, Patrick Hudson and Denzel Okafor. They did toy with a grouping that included Shack at the center and Alex Anderson at the RG. As we’ve said all summer, Shackelford is going to have to work to get a starting job back somewhere along the line’s interior.
- Kendall Moore and Reese Leitao already look like the top tight end options on the team if we’re talking from a looks-alone standpoint. However, it was Andrew Beck and Garrett Gray getting the work with the ones and twos during the position of practice open to the media. Gray won’t stay ahead of those guys long.
- Kyle Porter was the running back who took the first snap with the first group in walk-through drills. Just something to file away. The guy looks like a cartoon muscle-man.
- Toneil Carter is always just so impressive with his suddenness and burst. For all the talk about Chris Warren being this team’s lead back, I’m beginning to foresee much more of a committee than most people anticipate.
- Speaking of the RBs, freshman Daniel Young looks like a terrific addition to the group — much twitchier and quicker in his movements and ability to accelerate and cut than was evident on his high school tape which I was not thrilled with.
- RB Kirk Johnson was dressed out and looking reasonably healthy for the portion of practice open to the media, however, we won’t know anything about his true level of health until the pads come on as he’s participated in both spring and fall camp of the last year without pads.
- Freshman S Montrell Estell was working with the third group at safety but looked extremely athletic himself. Both he and fellow freshman CB Josh Thompson are players who were working with the third group who should make moves to push into the second group.
- Thompson is clearly a player the staff sees as a potential playmaker as he was one of five players lined up on punt return drills: Jerrod Heard, Armanti Foreman, Holton Hill, Reggie Hemphill-Mapps and Thompson. While I don’t think Thompson will push for much playing time on defense this season, it doesn’t appear right off that he’ll be a redshirt candidate.
- On a small sample size, OLB Naashon Hughes is the team’s most vocal leader. He remains as the starter at the B-Backer position ahead of Jeffrey McCulloch who has put on significant weight and is looking more and more like an edge-rusher than an inside linebacker. He’ll never move back inside.
- Behind McCulloch at the third B-Backer, was ,as projected, freshman Marquez Bimage. Bimage is larger than I expected and is listed at what seems to be a reasonably accurate 240 pounds.
- I’m burying the lede with my biggest takeaway from practice: freshman DE Taquon Graham is a total beast who will factor heavily into the Texas defense as a freshman. For now, he’s backing up Chris Nelson at the big, anchoring DE spot opposite Charles Omenihu with Gerald Wilbon at the nose. This would indicate that Graham has already passed up D’Andre Christmas (who was working at fourth-team nose behind newly-transitioned Tope Imade) and Chris Daniels (who was actually backing up Graham on the third team). Graham looks magnificent in drills coming out of the chute with his ability to stay low, use his hands to fight while maintaining balance and excellent bend through engagement. It’s just coming out of the chute and engaging practice dummies, but he made guys like Andrew Fitzgerald look incredibly stiff and lumbering in comparison. Graham is going to be one of the stories of camp if the periods open to the media in practice one are any indication of what’s to come when the pads go on.
- Speaking of Chris Daniels, I should note that the guy looks a lot slimmer and sleeker than he did last year where slovenly was a word that came to mind when describing his appearance. It’s crazy because he’s still probably the biggest player on the team.
- Gary Johnson was working with the second team at the will linebacker position backing up Malik Jefferson. The grouping of Breckyn Hager at mike and Gary Johnson at will is one that shows how slight of frame Johnson is. He’s listed at 220 which could be right, but he is not the 6-1 he’s listed at as Hager is a good bit taller. Johnson is quick as a hiccup and it says quite a bit about how the staff views him that he appears to come in ahead of Edwin Freeman and Demarco Boyd as the guy who’ll be Malik’s backup, but, for now, that’s what he appears to be: Malik’s backup.
And like that … WE’RE BACK.
Here are some notes from the first fall camp practice under Tom Herman at Texas:
- No pads, they won’t have full padded practice until Friday.
- The starting offensive line remained the same as it was in the spring: (L to R) Connor Williams, Patrick Vahe, Jake McMillon, Elijah Rodriguez, Tristan Nickelson. They did toy with a grouping on the right side that featured Terrell Cuney (C), Jake McMillon (RG) and Elijah Rodriguez (RT) which would indicate that Rodriguez may be in play for the RT position along with Denzel Okafor who worked with the twos.
- I’ll have a full scholarship depth chart out for the Short tomorrow, but as for the twos with the OL, there were no real surprises: (L to R) Jean Delance, Zach Shackelford, Terrell Cuney, Patrick Hudson and Denzel Okafor. They did toy with a grouping that included Shack at the center and Alex Anderson at the RG. As we’ve said all summer, Shackelford is going to have to work to get a starting job back somewhere along the line’s interior.
- Kendall Moore and Reese Leitao already look like the top tight end options on the team if we’re talking from a looks-alone standpoint. However, it was Andrew Beck and Garrett Gray getting the work with the ones and twos during the position of practice open to the media. Gray won’t stay ahead of those guys long.
- Kyle Porter was the running back who took the first snap with the first group in walk-through drills. Just something to file away. The guy looks like a cartoon muscle-man.
- Toneil Carter is always just so impressive with his suddenness and burst. For all the talk about Chris Warren being this team’s lead back, I’m beginning to foresee much more of a committee than most people anticipate.
- Speaking of the RBs, freshman Daniel Young looks like a terrific addition to the group — much twitchier and quicker in his movements and ability to accelerate and cut than was evident on his high school tape which I was not thrilled with.
- RB Kirk Johnson was dressed out and looking reasonably healthy for the portion of practice open to the media, however, we won’t know anything about his true level of health until the pads come on as he’s participated in both spring and fall camp of the last year without pads.
- Freshman S Montrell Estell was working with the third group at safety but looked extremely athletic himself. Both he and fellow freshman CB Josh Thompson are players who were working with the third group who should make moves to push into the second group.
- Thompson is clearly a player the staff sees as a potential playmaker as he was one of five players lined up on punt return drills: Jerrod Heard, Armanti Foreman, Holton Hill, Reggie Hemphill-Mapps and Thompson. While I don’t think Thompson will push for much playing time on defense this season, it doesn’t appear right off that he’ll be a redshirt candidate.
- On a small sample size, OLB Naashon Hughes is the team’s most vocal leader. He remains as the starter at the B-Backer position ahead of Jeffrey McCulloch who has put on significant weight and is looking more and more like an edge-rusher than an inside linebacker. He’ll never move back inside.
- Behind McCulloch at the third B-Backer, was ,as projected, freshman Marquez Bimage. Bimage is larger than I expected and is listed at what seems to be a reasonably accurate 240 pounds.
- I’m burying the lede with my biggest takeaway from practice: freshman DE Taquon Graham is a total beast who will factor heavily into the Texas defense as a freshman. For now, he’s backing up Chris Nelson at the big, anchoring DE spot opposite Charles Omenihu with Gerald Wilbon at the nose. This would indicate that Graham has already passed up D’Andre Christmas (who was working at fourth-team nose behind newly-transitioned Tope Imade) and Chris Daniels (who was actually backing up Graham on the third team). Graham looks magnificent in drills coming out of the chute with his ability to stay low, use his hands to fight while maintaining balance and excellent bend through engagement. It’s just coming out of the chute and engaging practice dummies, but he made guys like Andrew Fitzgerald look incredibly stiff and lumbering in comparison. Graham is going to be one of the stories of camp if the periods open to the media in practice one are any indication of what’s to come when the pads go on.
- Speaking of Chris Daniels, I should note that the guy looks a lot slimmer and sleeker than he did last year where slovenly was a word that came to mind when describing his appearance. It’s crazy because he’s still probably the biggest player on the team.
- Gary Johnson was working with the second team at the will linebacker position backing up Malik Jefferson. The grouping of Breckyn Hager at mike and Gary Johnson at will is one that shows how slight of frame Johnson is. He’s listed at 220 which could be right, but he is not the 6-1 he’s listed at as Hager is a good bit taller. Johnson is quick as a hiccup and it says quite a bit about how the staff views him that he appears to come in ahead of Edwin Freeman and Demarco Boyd as the guy who’ll be Malik’s backup, but, for now, that’s what he appears to be: Malik’s backup.
