One of the themes of the first week-plus of Texas training camp has been the emergence of numerous players from the 2018 Texas recruiting class throughout the two-deep on both sides of the ball.
In fact, it's hard not to notice that the primary depth on both sides of the ball features twice as many underclassmen (15) as upperclassmen (7) on the second-string of the depth chart, and that number could swing another number towards the underclassmen if you believe that Moro Ojomo has surpassed Gerald Wilbon.
It got me to thinking about the juniors and seniors on the roster that aren't first-team players and how the second half of training camp might represent one of the most important 10- or 11-day stretches of football in their entire playing careers.
Here's a look at 12 players that might be entering a do-or-die stretch of their Texas careers:
(DE) Marquez Bimage - The junior from Brenham is the top back-up behind Malcolm Roach, which means that he's potentially in line to start as a senior in 2020, but the truth is that he's the top back-up behind Roach because no one else has really been able to generate a move on the depth chart. At some point, the light switch has to flip on or the Texas coaches need to find someone with a working switch.
(DB) Chris Brown - To hear some folks inside the Texas football department, Brown might be the best non-starting defensive back in the Big 12. The only thing keeping him from being a starting safety for this team are the two NFL-level players ahead of him. If he gets any extended action in 2019 because of an injury to Caden Sterns or Brandon Jones, the Texas coaching staff appears more than comfortable with him playing heavy snaps.
(WR) John Burt - If Josh Moore and Jake Smith are battling it out as inside receivers for a chance to be in the Top 5-6 of the Texas wide receiver rotation, Burt is probably battling Malcolm Epps for the pole position in claiming the No.3 outside receiver spot. At this point, it's advantage Epps based on some of the four-wide receiver sets the team has used. The good news for Burt is that he's the chief back-up behind Brennan Eagles at ZWR, which would almost certainly allow for more reps than backing up Collin Johnson at the XWR position, assuming the coaches want to rotate a like for like.
(DE) Jamari Chisolm - It really is now or never for this former JUCO transfer that played in only four games in 2018 in an effort to salvage another season of eligibility. At this stage of camp, he's not pushing for a starting job, but he is currently the top back-up behind Taquan Graham. Still, he's got a lot of competition chomping at his heels, including freshman T'Vondre Sweat.
(CB) Donovan Duvernay - It's been tough sledding for Duvernay in his quest to crack the two-deep at cornerback. He's going to have to fend off Kenyatta Watson just to stay on the third-team. Although he's a junior and still has two seasons of eligibility remaining, it just doesn't seem to be happening at this point.
(OG) Tope Imade - The former Arlington Bowie standout is entering his fourth season in the program, but the redshirt junior hasn't been able to crave out a place on the two-deep. The arrival of Parker Braun and the emergence of Junior Angilau will likely keep him running with the third-team in the fall.
(RB) Kirk Johnson - Was taking the majority of the third-team reps at running back before an injury this week derailed his return.
(DE) Jacoby Jones - It's completely unfair to call it now or never for Jones, who is getting ready to play his first season in Austin, but he's a JUCO transfer trying to track down Chisolm, while holding off Sweat at defensive end. He really needs a good next two weeks to separate himself from the crowded back-up position.
(DB) Josh Thompson - See Chris Brown. Thompson is a guy the Texas staff wants to get on the field and they are tinkering with ways to do so in camp, but his path to a starting spot is blocked by really good younger players.
(OT) J.P. Urquidez - The fourth-year junior can't seem to graduate from the third-team on the depth chart.
(NG) Gerald Wilbon - I kind of feel bad for Wilbon, who has paid his dues and was seemingly in a good position to begin the season as a starer at nose-tackle, but Keondre Coburn took his starting job and now he has his hands full in trying to hold off Ojomo. He's going to get playing time this season, but perhaps not nearly as much as he probably believed he would this time a year ago.
(RB) Daniel Young - An injury to Kirk Johnson has moved him into the No.3 spot at running back, but it's likely going to take further injuries to lift him higher.
Finally, there are five redshirt sophomores from the Class of 2017 that probably need to be mentioned in some capacity because players entering the third year in a program should be getting ready to do some damage. If not, they'll be on the list in a year from now.
(CB) Kobe Boyce - The only thing keeping him from starting at the boundary corner position appears to be the emergence of sophomore D'Shawn Jamison. As it is, Boyce is still getting a lot of reps at cornerback and has a chance to emerge as a key member of the defense.
(DE) Rob Cummins - Injuries have derailed his development, but he's going to have his hands full this year if he wants to be among the first three-teams at strong-side defensive end.
(DB) Montrell Estelle - He's contention for playing time at the Joker position behind Demarvion Overshown, but he hasn't yet been able to carve out more than a special teams role on the team.
(TE) Reese Leitao - Although he's currently running at second-team, Leitao has some real up and coming players behind him, which means it might be now or never for him in 2019 if those members of the 2019 class start surging.
(WR) Jordan Pouncey - He's been caught in the numbers game at wide receiver and is currently trying to get around the battle in the slot between Josh Moore and Jake Smith for playing time.
In fact, it's hard not to notice that the primary depth on both sides of the ball features twice as many underclassmen (15) as upperclassmen (7) on the second-string of the depth chart, and that number could swing another number towards the underclassmen if you believe that Moro Ojomo has surpassed Gerald Wilbon.
It got me to thinking about the juniors and seniors on the roster that aren't first-team players and how the second half of training camp might represent one of the most important 10- or 11-day stretches of football in their entire playing careers.
Here's a look at 12 players that might be entering a do-or-die stretch of their Texas careers:
(DE) Marquez Bimage - The junior from Brenham is the top back-up behind Malcolm Roach, which means that he's potentially in line to start as a senior in 2020, but the truth is that he's the top back-up behind Roach because no one else has really been able to generate a move on the depth chart. At some point, the light switch has to flip on or the Texas coaches need to find someone with a working switch.
(DB) Chris Brown - To hear some folks inside the Texas football department, Brown might be the best non-starting defensive back in the Big 12. The only thing keeping him from being a starting safety for this team are the two NFL-level players ahead of him. If he gets any extended action in 2019 because of an injury to Caden Sterns or Brandon Jones, the Texas coaching staff appears more than comfortable with him playing heavy snaps.
(WR) John Burt - If Josh Moore and Jake Smith are battling it out as inside receivers for a chance to be in the Top 5-6 of the Texas wide receiver rotation, Burt is probably battling Malcolm Epps for the pole position in claiming the No.3 outside receiver spot. At this point, it's advantage Epps based on some of the four-wide receiver sets the team has used. The good news for Burt is that he's the chief back-up behind Brennan Eagles at ZWR, which would almost certainly allow for more reps than backing up Collin Johnson at the XWR position, assuming the coaches want to rotate a like for like.
(DE) Jamari Chisolm - It really is now or never for this former JUCO transfer that played in only four games in 2018 in an effort to salvage another season of eligibility. At this stage of camp, he's not pushing for a starting job, but he is currently the top back-up behind Taquan Graham. Still, he's got a lot of competition chomping at his heels, including freshman T'Vondre Sweat.
(CB) Donovan Duvernay - It's been tough sledding for Duvernay in his quest to crack the two-deep at cornerback. He's going to have to fend off Kenyatta Watson just to stay on the third-team. Although he's a junior and still has two seasons of eligibility remaining, it just doesn't seem to be happening at this point.
(OG) Tope Imade - The former Arlington Bowie standout is entering his fourth season in the program, but the redshirt junior hasn't been able to crave out a place on the two-deep. The arrival of Parker Braun and the emergence of Junior Angilau will likely keep him running with the third-team in the fall.
(RB) Kirk Johnson - Was taking the majority of the third-team reps at running back before an injury this week derailed his return.
(DE) Jacoby Jones - It's completely unfair to call it now or never for Jones, who is getting ready to play his first season in Austin, but he's a JUCO transfer trying to track down Chisolm, while holding off Sweat at defensive end. He really needs a good next two weeks to separate himself from the crowded back-up position.
(DB) Josh Thompson - See Chris Brown. Thompson is a guy the Texas staff wants to get on the field and they are tinkering with ways to do so in camp, but his path to a starting spot is blocked by really good younger players.
(OT) J.P. Urquidez - The fourth-year junior can't seem to graduate from the third-team on the depth chart.
(NG) Gerald Wilbon - I kind of feel bad for Wilbon, who has paid his dues and was seemingly in a good position to begin the season as a starer at nose-tackle, but Keondre Coburn took his starting job and now he has his hands full in trying to hold off Ojomo. He's going to get playing time this season, but perhaps not nearly as much as he probably believed he would this time a year ago.
(RB) Daniel Young - An injury to Kirk Johnson has moved him into the No.3 spot at running back, but it's likely going to take further injuries to lift him higher.
Finally, there are five redshirt sophomores from the Class of 2017 that probably need to be mentioned in some capacity because players entering the third year in a program should be getting ready to do some damage. If not, they'll be on the list in a year from now.
(CB) Kobe Boyce - The only thing keeping him from starting at the boundary corner position appears to be the emergence of sophomore D'Shawn Jamison. As it is, Boyce is still getting a lot of reps at cornerback and has a chance to emerge as a key member of the defense.
(DE) Rob Cummins - Injuries have derailed his development, but he's going to have his hands full this year if he wants to be among the first three-teams at strong-side defensive end.
(DB) Montrell Estelle - He's contention for playing time at the Joker position behind Demarvion Overshown, but he hasn't yet been able to carve out more than a special teams role on the team.
(TE) Reese Leitao - Although he's currently running at second-team, Leitao has some real up and coming players behind him, which means it might be now or never for him in 2019 if those members of the 2019 class start surging.
(WR) Jordan Pouncey - He's been caught in the numbers game at wide receiver and is currently trying to get around the battle in the slot between Josh Moore and Jake Smith for playing time.
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