Daily Short #89, October 26th, 2017: OL Thoughts and Grades
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LT Denzel Okafor - 71 snaps
1 sack, 1 pressure allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 75.71
349 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 19.38 snaps (up from one per 17.38 snaps)
LG Patrick Vahe - 48 snaps
No disruption allowed
2 knockdowns
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76
527 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 35.13 snaps (up from one per 31.93 snaps)
LG Jake McMillon - 23 snaps
1 pressure allowed
DEEP DIG GRADE: 74.57
426 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 32.77 snaps (down from one per 35.5 snaps)
C Zach Shackelford - 71 snaps
2 pressures, 2 run-stuffs, 1 sack, 1 QB hit and 1 TFL allowed
1 holding penalty
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 71.72
391 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 28.88 snaps (down from one per 48.88 snaps)
RG Terrell Cuney - 70 snaps
2 pressures, 1 sack, 1 run-stuff allowed
1 pin
DEEP DIG GRADE: 71.58
244 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 16.26 snaps (down from one per 17.3 snaps)
RT Derek Kerstetter - 70 snaps
2 pressures, 1 sack, 1 run-stuff allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 74.76
322 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 18.94 snaps (down from one per 19.38 snaps)
RT Tristan Nickelson - 1 snap
No disruption allowed
285 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 12.95 snaps (up from one per 12.90 snaps)
- Despite the fact that Denzel Okafor probably looked like a total disaster to your naked eye, his game versus OSU actually represented improvement versus the nightmare that was Oklahoma where he allowed 3 sacks, 1 QB hit and one pressure. Okafor can still get beat with speed to the outside and is more stiff than gliding in his kick, however, we're seeing little signs of improvement each week with him.
He's not just plain-stiff anymore. The fact that this can change incrementally from game-to-game bodes very well for what can happen over the course of an offseason in relation to the fluidity of his feet and corresponding balance. His hand placement is starting to come along and, as mentioned before, he getting more limber in his ability to effectively mirror with his hips. The passing off of stunting players between Vahe and Okafor has become more natural and is clearly something being drilled in practice.
This is not to say Okafor has become the total package overnight by any means. One thing that will continue to need monitoring is outside speed blitzes from fast players. Okafor cannot get to necessary depth to engage with any sort of leverage in time, and thankfully the offensive staff seems to have built in a check for the running back to give help in these situations when the RB or Okafor make the call.
- It was the second week in a row that Patrick Vahe was not responsible for any disruption, although this week it was on limited snaps as Vahe was limited with an apparent illness. He started the game then gave way to Jake McMillon for the remainder of the first half before re-entering to start the second half. While he isn't playing at an All-American level, he's not giving up big, disruptive plays to opposing defenders and he's at least been relatively steady since the exit of Connor Williams.
- Disaster struck for Zach Shackelford versus OSU has he regressed to the same player (or worse) than we saw during his freshman season. I feel like I jinxed the guy last week when I said it felt like the issues with one-techniques penetrating upfield through his play-side shoulder in zone seemed like a thing of the past because it was that exact issue that reared its very ugly head in the run-game while Shack also seemed to have trouble staying on blocks and keeping his feet out of cement in pass-pro. Granted, he seems to have suffered a concussion at some point in the contest (I tried to keep an eye out in the game for when this may have occurred and had no luck). To show just how bad a game it was for Shack in comparison to what has truly been a much-improved season for him, look at his grades so far this season (after having a 74.34 average through 2016): Maryland: 77.43; SJSU: 79.78; USC: 75.68; ISU: 77.27; KSU: DNP; OU: 76.38; and now a horrible 71.72. The only worse game Shackelford has had in his entire Texas career was his first in a Longhorns uniform, fresh out of Belton High School versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish when he scored a 71.71.
Regardless of the bad effort from Shack in this one, we've seen enough this season to hopefully chalk it up as an anomaly although his snaps per disruption caused numbers certainly took a mega-hit. Texas needs to get back to running power football to get the interior of this line going. It ran outside-zone (the concept it has blocked worst of all this season) 56% of the time, inside-zone 39% of the time and only ran a man-concept in the run-game once all game. Expect that to change next week against Baylor, not only to get the interior blocking more effectively, but to give the runners a chance to get downhill as opposed to flowing laterally in ways that don't suit them -- especially Chris Warren.
- Despite Shack's bad performance, Terrell Cuney is not a threat in the long-term to take his job. While it seems likely that Cuney may start this week given Shack's stay in the concussion protocol during the week of practice, Cuney has done little more as a starter to show he's much more than decent depth at this time. Looking ahead to the 2018 season, there is absolutely no room for a player like Cuney who has now regressed every week in the snaps-per-disruption-allowed metric and seen his level of play fall consistently over the course of games.
He gets too gassed, he doesn't keep his feet well and he can't engage defenders in free space. To his credit, he's much better at center than he is at guard, but Shackelford -- despite the occasional bad snap that folks get rightly pissed off about -- is still clearly the better option when looking at the overall body of work on the season and when projecting moving forward.
My biggest question was, if McMillon was healthy enough to fill in in a pinch for Vahe during his time on the bench with the illness versus OSU, why was McMillon not back in at his usual right guard role? Assuming Shackelford is healthy after the Baylor game, I would be shocked to see the center/LG duo be anything other than Shack and McMillon at TCU. McMillon has been a disappointment since moving to the RG in 2017 following a magnificent 2016 alongside Connor Williams, but he's still the better option than Cuney by any reasonable measure.
- The best part about Kerstetter was seeing him go a game without a holding penalty, the main thing that has cursed him here through his first four games as Texas' RT. Despite this bit of good news, it was still his worst game grade-wise. Kerstetter will have up and down games as he continues to build his strength and grow into his body. (It was mentioned during the TV broadcast that the young man has only had to shave twice thus far in his life which puts things in perspective). To think that his score of 74.76 (which still falls in the realm of acceptable) comes in his worst performance of the year is almost a blessing considering just how bad right tackle has been at Texas for five years.
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
LT Denzel Okafor - 71 snaps
1 sack, 1 pressure allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 75.71
349 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 19.38 snaps (up from one per 17.38 snaps)
LG Patrick Vahe - 48 snaps
No disruption allowed
2 knockdowns
DEEP DIG GRADE: 76
527 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 35.13 snaps (up from one per 31.93 snaps)
LG Jake McMillon - 23 snaps
1 pressure allowed
DEEP DIG GRADE: 74.57
426 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 32.77 snaps (down from one per 35.5 snaps)
C Zach Shackelford - 71 snaps
2 pressures, 2 run-stuffs, 1 sack, 1 QB hit and 1 TFL allowed
1 holding penalty
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 71.72
391 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 28.88 snaps (down from one per 48.88 snaps)
RG Terrell Cuney - 70 snaps
2 pressures, 1 sack, 1 run-stuff allowed
1 pin
DEEP DIG GRADE: 71.58
244 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 16.26 snaps (down from one per 17.3 snaps)
RT Derek Kerstetter - 70 snaps
2 pressures, 1 sack, 1 run-stuff allowed
1 knockdown
DEEP DIG GRADE: 74.76
322 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 18.94 snaps (down from one per 19.38 snaps)
RT Tristan Nickelson - 1 snap
No disruption allowed
285 snaps on the season; disruption allowed and/or penalty caused once per every 12.95 snaps (up from one per 12.90 snaps)
- Despite the fact that Denzel Okafor probably looked like a total disaster to your naked eye, his game versus OSU actually represented improvement versus the nightmare that was Oklahoma where he allowed 3 sacks, 1 QB hit and one pressure. Okafor can still get beat with speed to the outside and is more stiff than gliding in his kick, however, we're seeing little signs of improvement each week with him.
He's not just plain-stiff anymore. The fact that this can change incrementally from game-to-game bodes very well for what can happen over the course of an offseason in relation to the fluidity of his feet and corresponding balance. His hand placement is starting to come along and, as mentioned before, he getting more limber in his ability to effectively mirror with his hips. The passing off of stunting players between Vahe and Okafor has become more natural and is clearly something being drilled in practice.
This is not to say Okafor has become the total package overnight by any means. One thing that will continue to need monitoring is outside speed blitzes from fast players. Okafor cannot get to necessary depth to engage with any sort of leverage in time, and thankfully the offensive staff seems to have built in a check for the running back to give help in these situations when the RB or Okafor make the call.
- It was the second week in a row that Patrick Vahe was not responsible for any disruption, although this week it was on limited snaps as Vahe was limited with an apparent illness. He started the game then gave way to Jake McMillon for the remainder of the first half before re-entering to start the second half. While he isn't playing at an All-American level, he's not giving up big, disruptive plays to opposing defenders and he's at least been relatively steady since the exit of Connor Williams.
- Disaster struck for Zach Shackelford versus OSU has he regressed to the same player (or worse) than we saw during his freshman season. I feel like I jinxed the guy last week when I said it felt like the issues with one-techniques penetrating upfield through his play-side shoulder in zone seemed like a thing of the past because it was that exact issue that reared its very ugly head in the run-game while Shack also seemed to have trouble staying on blocks and keeping his feet out of cement in pass-pro. Granted, he seems to have suffered a concussion at some point in the contest (I tried to keep an eye out in the game for when this may have occurred and had no luck). To show just how bad a game it was for Shack in comparison to what has truly been a much-improved season for him, look at his grades so far this season (after having a 74.34 average through 2016): Maryland: 77.43; SJSU: 79.78; USC: 75.68; ISU: 77.27; KSU: DNP; OU: 76.38; and now a horrible 71.72. The only worse game Shackelford has had in his entire Texas career was his first in a Longhorns uniform, fresh out of Belton High School versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish when he scored a 71.71.
Regardless of the bad effort from Shack in this one, we've seen enough this season to hopefully chalk it up as an anomaly although his snaps per disruption caused numbers certainly took a mega-hit. Texas needs to get back to running power football to get the interior of this line going. It ran outside-zone (the concept it has blocked worst of all this season) 56% of the time, inside-zone 39% of the time and only ran a man-concept in the run-game once all game. Expect that to change next week against Baylor, not only to get the interior blocking more effectively, but to give the runners a chance to get downhill as opposed to flowing laterally in ways that don't suit them -- especially Chris Warren.
- Despite Shack's bad performance, Terrell Cuney is not a threat in the long-term to take his job. While it seems likely that Cuney may start this week given Shack's stay in the concussion protocol during the week of practice, Cuney has done little more as a starter to show he's much more than decent depth at this time. Looking ahead to the 2018 season, there is absolutely no room for a player like Cuney who has now regressed every week in the snaps-per-disruption-allowed metric and seen his level of play fall consistently over the course of games.
He gets too gassed, he doesn't keep his feet well and he can't engage defenders in free space. To his credit, he's much better at center than he is at guard, but Shackelford -- despite the occasional bad snap that folks get rightly pissed off about -- is still clearly the better option when looking at the overall body of work on the season and when projecting moving forward.
My biggest question was, if McMillon was healthy enough to fill in in a pinch for Vahe during his time on the bench with the illness versus OSU, why was McMillon not back in at his usual right guard role? Assuming Shackelford is healthy after the Baylor game, I would be shocked to see the center/LG duo be anything other than Shack and McMillon at TCU. McMillon has been a disappointment since moving to the RG in 2017 following a magnificent 2016 alongside Connor Williams, but he's still the better option than Cuney by any reasonable measure.
- The best part about Kerstetter was seeing him go a game without a holding penalty, the main thing that has cursed him here through his first four games as Texas' RT. Despite this bit of good news, it was still his worst game grade-wise. Kerstetter will have up and down games as he continues to build his strength and grow into his body. (It was mentioned during the TV broadcast that the young man has only had to shave twice thus far in his life which puts things in perspective). To think that his score of 74.76 (which still falls in the realm of acceptable) comes in his worst performance of the year is almost a blessing considering just how bad right tackle has been at Texas for five years.
