Daily Short #102, November 15th, 2017: Offensive Skill Player Breakdown
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QB Shane Buechele - 68 snaps
QB Sam Ehlinger - 5 snaps
* * *
RB Daniel Young - 39 snaps
RB Kyle Porter - 22 snaps
RB Toneil Carter - 12 snaps
* * *
WR Collin Johnson - 47 snaps
WR Devin Duvernay - 35 snaps
WR Lil Jordan Humphrey - 23 snaps
WR Dorian Leonard - 22 snaps
WR Lorenzo Joe - 22 snaps
WR John Burt - 16 snaps
WR Armanti Foreman - 5 snaps
WR Jerrod Heard - 3 snaps
WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 2 snaps
* * *
TE Cade Brewer - 46 snaps
5 inline, 11 split out, 30 at h-back
TE Kendall Moore - 45 snaps
41 inline, 2 split out, 2 at h-back
TE Chris Warren - 20 snaps
19 at h-back, 1 at wildcat
* * *
POSITION CHANGE FOR WARREN
One of the first things close observers of the program noticed when the team took the field versus Kansas was that Chris Warren was aligned in a new position. As I mentioned in the column last week, we'd heard that Warren was unhappy with his role and usage on the team with the freshman runner receiving such heavy recent workloads and the vibe certainly being one of moving to the youth in the RB room. This is a case where the sleuths here on the Orangebloods message boards were a few steps ahead of the Texas staff as "Warren to TE" had been a narrative widely pitched in post after post by fans regarding ways to utilize a big-bodied, athletic player like Warren who had actually flashed some very nice hands on wheel-routes and screens out of the backfield in 2017. It was a tremendous move for Warren's future and also for the Texas offense. Last week, as I wrote this same column, I privately wasn't so sure that Warren would be around to play in a Longhorns uniform next season. With a new position to learn and grow into -- one that NFL teams will certainly like Warren better at -- it doesn't seem near as likely as I write this week's iteration that Warren will jump ship. Handling situations like this is what makes college coaching much more like chess than checkers.
TIGHT-END-HEAVY GAMEPLAN
It was a good week for Warren to move to TE as Texas employed its most TE-heavy gameplan of the season versus Kansas -- and outside of the two plays where Texas had not one BUT TWO tight ends split out as wide receivers in Kendall Moore and Cade Brewer (a personnel grouping and alignment that should cease to exist in any reasonable universe) it seemed like a wise move. The double-TE (one inline and one h-back sniffer flanking him to the run-strength) helped pave the way for the Texas running backs in a very inside-zone heavy attack. Kendall Moore played his highest snap total of the season and, as predicted here, the team benefitted from his ability to generate movement of the ball and aid in getting young and/or bad offensive tackles good leverage advantages to start their assignments. Moore is a big, strong player and excellent inline blocker, so when he's on the field (effectively taking the slot WR off of it), you know that Texas has the personnel in tow to truly dedicate its offense to running the football.
FINALLY, TRUE RB VOLUME
If you're going to be limiting players like Armanti Foreman and Hemphill-Mapps to virtual season-lows in snaps in order to fit in big, bruising TEs, you sure as hell better be attempting to run the football. Thankfully for Texas fans, they finally saw true volume in a conference game, this time utilizing Daniel Young, who has become the offense's clear bellcow and feature runner moving forward. While the results of his 21 attempts didn't necessarily light the stat box on fire, the commitment to continuing to stress the defense and conflict the edge-threats of the Jayhawks with the zone-read element opened things up everywhere else. It's called an offensive gameplan and a commitment to a balanced attack. What a truly novel concept. In the second half, somehow things managed to go sideways -- even in a very positive and run-conducive game script -- with the offensive playcalling reverting to OC Tim Beck's signature turtled-up menagerie. Still, we saw in the first half what this true commitment to the run could do to open things up for the offense. With two must-win games on tap, fans should be pleased that this could be a recurring theme. It certainly should be one.
JERROD HEARD TO THE X
It looks like Dorian Leonard is done for the season and, as he's a senior who wasn't looking imminently poised for a professional future, possibly a career. He had some nice moments as a Longhorn and I know the fanbase certainly appreciates his efforts and contributions. With Leonard out of the picture, it raises the question -- who is going to take over at the X WR position? Technically, Leonard has sort of been the starter. We all know the clear answer is Collin Johnson (who should - in most reasonable universes - have been starting all along). But even as Johnson moves into the role of starter and snap-share leader, there aren't haven't been any other X WRs even on the depth chart ... Well, that is until the most recent depth chart provided by UT shows that Jerrod Heard is the new No.2 X WR -- which doesn't exactly seem optimal given Heard's size and frame. I would bet that Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who started out under Herman working at the X behind Johnson in spring football, finds his way back over to the outside in some sort of rotational platoon with Heard as they soak up the playing-time scraps behind Johnson, who should see around a 25% boost in his own share of the participation pie. It took an injury to Leonard to force the offensive staff into getting its most dynamic and highest-upside weapon at the X WR position on the field more, but here we are. Expect more action for Collin Johnson moving forward.
* * *
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN USAGE FROM LAST WEEK (offense)
Trending up
Sam Ehlinger - 0 snaps versus TCU, 5 versus Kansas
Toneil Carter - 0 snaps versus TCU, 12 versus Kansas
Kendall Moore - 1 snap versus TCU, 45 versus Kansas
Trending down
Armanti Foreman - 26 snaps versus TCU, 5 versus Kansas
Dorian Leonard - 34 snaps versus TCU, 22 versus Kansas
John Burt - 26 snaps versus TCU, 16 versus Kansas
Lil'Jordan Humphrey - 44 snaps versus TCU, 23 versus Kansas
Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 18 snaps versus TCU, 2 versus Kansas
presented by the Dental Offices of Wendy Swantkowski, DDS
The Absolute BEST in family and cosmetic dentistry for the Houston-Memorial Area
Now Accepting New Patients --- 281-293-9140
QB Shane Buechele - 68 snaps
QB Sam Ehlinger - 5 snaps
* * *
RB Daniel Young - 39 snaps
RB Kyle Porter - 22 snaps
RB Toneil Carter - 12 snaps
* * *
WR Collin Johnson - 47 snaps
WR Devin Duvernay - 35 snaps
WR Lil Jordan Humphrey - 23 snaps
WR Dorian Leonard - 22 snaps
WR Lorenzo Joe - 22 snaps
WR John Burt - 16 snaps
WR Armanti Foreman - 5 snaps
WR Jerrod Heard - 3 snaps
WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 2 snaps
* * *
TE Cade Brewer - 46 snaps
5 inline, 11 split out, 30 at h-back
TE Kendall Moore - 45 snaps
41 inline, 2 split out, 2 at h-back
TE Chris Warren - 20 snaps
19 at h-back, 1 at wildcat
* * *
POSITION CHANGE FOR WARREN
One of the first things close observers of the program noticed when the team took the field versus Kansas was that Chris Warren was aligned in a new position. As I mentioned in the column last week, we'd heard that Warren was unhappy with his role and usage on the team with the freshman runner receiving such heavy recent workloads and the vibe certainly being one of moving to the youth in the RB room. This is a case where the sleuths here on the Orangebloods message boards were a few steps ahead of the Texas staff as "Warren to TE" had been a narrative widely pitched in post after post by fans regarding ways to utilize a big-bodied, athletic player like Warren who had actually flashed some very nice hands on wheel-routes and screens out of the backfield in 2017. It was a tremendous move for Warren's future and also for the Texas offense. Last week, as I wrote this same column, I privately wasn't so sure that Warren would be around to play in a Longhorns uniform next season. With a new position to learn and grow into -- one that NFL teams will certainly like Warren better at -- it doesn't seem near as likely as I write this week's iteration that Warren will jump ship. Handling situations like this is what makes college coaching much more like chess than checkers.
TIGHT-END-HEAVY GAMEPLAN
It was a good week for Warren to move to TE as Texas employed its most TE-heavy gameplan of the season versus Kansas -- and outside of the two plays where Texas had not one BUT TWO tight ends split out as wide receivers in Kendall Moore and Cade Brewer (a personnel grouping and alignment that should cease to exist in any reasonable universe) it seemed like a wise move. The double-TE (one inline and one h-back sniffer flanking him to the run-strength) helped pave the way for the Texas running backs in a very inside-zone heavy attack. Kendall Moore played his highest snap total of the season and, as predicted here, the team benefitted from his ability to generate movement of the ball and aid in getting young and/or bad offensive tackles good leverage advantages to start their assignments. Moore is a big, strong player and excellent inline blocker, so when he's on the field (effectively taking the slot WR off of it), you know that Texas has the personnel in tow to truly dedicate its offense to running the football.
FINALLY, TRUE RB VOLUME
If you're going to be limiting players like Armanti Foreman and Hemphill-Mapps to virtual season-lows in snaps in order to fit in big, bruising TEs, you sure as hell better be attempting to run the football. Thankfully for Texas fans, they finally saw true volume in a conference game, this time utilizing Daniel Young, who has become the offense's clear bellcow and feature runner moving forward. While the results of his 21 attempts didn't necessarily light the stat box on fire, the commitment to continuing to stress the defense and conflict the edge-threats of the Jayhawks with the zone-read element opened things up everywhere else. It's called an offensive gameplan and a commitment to a balanced attack. What a truly novel concept. In the second half, somehow things managed to go sideways -- even in a very positive and run-conducive game script -- with the offensive playcalling reverting to OC Tim Beck's signature turtled-up menagerie. Still, we saw in the first half what this true commitment to the run could do to open things up for the offense. With two must-win games on tap, fans should be pleased that this could be a recurring theme. It certainly should be one.
JERROD HEARD TO THE X
It looks like Dorian Leonard is done for the season and, as he's a senior who wasn't looking imminently poised for a professional future, possibly a career. He had some nice moments as a Longhorn and I know the fanbase certainly appreciates his efforts and contributions. With Leonard out of the picture, it raises the question -- who is going to take over at the X WR position? Technically, Leonard has sort of been the starter. We all know the clear answer is Collin Johnson (who should - in most reasonable universes - have been starting all along). But even as Johnson moves into the role of starter and snap-share leader, there aren't haven't been any other X WRs even on the depth chart ... Well, that is until the most recent depth chart provided by UT shows that Jerrod Heard is the new No.2 X WR -- which doesn't exactly seem optimal given Heard's size and frame. I would bet that Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who started out under Herman working at the X behind Johnson in spring football, finds his way back over to the outside in some sort of rotational platoon with Heard as they soak up the playing-time scraps behind Johnson, who should see around a 25% boost in his own share of the participation pie. It took an injury to Leonard to force the offensive staff into getting its most dynamic and highest-upside weapon at the X WR position on the field more, but here we are. Expect more action for Collin Johnson moving forward.
* * *
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN USAGE FROM LAST WEEK (offense)
Trending up
Sam Ehlinger - 0 snaps versus TCU, 5 versus Kansas
Toneil Carter - 0 snaps versus TCU, 12 versus Kansas
Kendall Moore - 1 snap versus TCU, 45 versus Kansas
Trending down
Armanti Foreman - 26 snaps versus TCU, 5 versus Kansas
Dorian Leonard - 34 snaps versus TCU, 22 versus Kansas
John Burt - 26 snaps versus TCU, 16 versus Kansas
Lil'Jordan Humphrey - 44 snaps versus TCU, 23 versus Kansas
Reggie Hemphill-Mapps - 18 snaps versus TCU, 2 versus Kansas
