This week’s “Just a Bit Outside” column will be just a little different. Frankly, I just got back from vacation and I have been swamped catching up with work so I haven’t had a ton of time to devote to developing a column idea so this week, we’re going to do a grab bag of random thoughts.
With that pathetic disclaimer out of the way, let’s get started.
Two weeks ago, I wrote a column asking if one of the new players arriving on campus for the start of summer training would become a difference maker.
In it, I counted true freshman safety Jonah Williams as one of the players who could force his way into playing time, especially as a special teams player.
It turns out, I may not have given the Galveston BOI enough credit.
@Anwar Richardson posted an update this week saying that Williams is already turning heads.
Texas defensive back Jonah Williams began working out with the football team on June 2 (the first day of workouts) and has hit the ground running.
I was told Williams has been “fantastic” in early sessions, with one person going as far as to call him “special.” Another person noted his football IQ, describing him as “super smart” and someone who is quickly turning heads during workouts.
Williams, a multi-sport athlete, is making a smooth transition from baseball to football and is drawing early praise for how quickly he’s adjusted.
Anwar’s note really laid out the progress Williams is making on the field and in the classroom. But we already know, from his time with the baseball team this spring, that Williams knows how to fit in with the locker room as well.
This is what Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle told @ZachattheDisch about Williams’ work fitting in with the baseball team.
“Think about what that's like for him to come to come into a locker room, two locker rooms, actually football and baseball, and try to make your way,” Schlossnagle told Symm. “Two things have to happen. The older players have to be intentional to create a relationship with Jonah and help him along the way as to how we do things and how we operate on a daily basis. And Jonah has to walk the fine line between being a confident athlete. But also, no one likes the guy that comes in and just starts talking about how good he is. You know? No one cares what you say, they only care what you do. So for Jonah to do that, and for our players to be accepting of him, I mean, that's incredible. And then he's earned the respect that he's gotten, and it's not because of, you know, who he is. It's because of how he conducts himself around the facility.”
Williams is still behind some very talented players on the depth chart, but as long as he continues to show the skills he’s put on display so far and as long as he stays healthy, I think we can expect some BIG contributions from Williams on the 40 Acres … and it may come sooner than later.
TEXAS RB ROOM
Texas losing KJ Edwards to A&M is a loss … there’s just no other way to put it.
Edwards going to College Station (insert ‘but why’ gif here) leaves the elite RB’s left on the board pretty thin.
But it also feels a little short-sighted.
Sark LOVES his running backs. He takes pride in producing 1,000 yard rushers. But he also makes sure that even when he is airing the ball out, the RB’s are incorporated into the passing game beyond just as a blocking back.
That clip should definitely excite the RB’s already wearing burnt orange … especially considering they’ll have Arch Manning throwing them the ball.
ARCH MANNING:
I know this has been talked about quite a bit, but I don’t think you can underestimate the value of Arch, Colin Simmons, Aaron Butler and DeAndre Moore Jr. showing up for Ryan Wingo’s camp in St. Louis.
First off, I fully recognize that all of these guys can afford a weekend trip to St. Louis with the NIL money they’re making these days. But that’s kind of beside the point. Even if I can afford a trip to the corner of my street, I’m not going if there isn’t some benefit for me to go there. But Arch and the gang still showed up and the only reason you can safely assume is that they were there because they WANTED to be there.
Sark talks all of the time about the culture of the team (as does Schlossnagle … which is why I included his answer to Jonah Williams fitting in with the team in the section above). This tweet speaks to the culture of the team heading into this season. Based solely off this one tweet, I am here to tell you that this team will fight for each other this year. That is HUGE.
DIA BELL
We’ve heard good things about Texas’ backup quarterbacks throughout the spring and at the start of the summer. But I am just as excited about the future of Texas’ quarterback room.
Dia Bell has been showing out at the Elite 11 camp this week.
Bell has a really strong arm and he throws with accuracy. Those are two very, very good traits to have (says Captain Obvious).
The only thing about Bell that I don’t love is that he kicks his back foot out when he releases the ball (watch his feet in the video below).
Personally, I like to see quarterbacks who use that back foot to help drive the ball. It’s not the worst thing in the world … you can still lead your teams to a lot of victories even with that habit. But it’s still sloppy and something I would like to see corrected.
I can remember one other quarterback who had the bad habit of kicking his back foot out … and that was Quinn Ewers.
DIEGO PAVIA
There is a fine line between confidence and cockiness and Diego Pavia walks that line every time someone puts a microphone in his face.
On the one hand, you have to enjoy a quarterback who has that swagger to him. I mean, you HAVE to have that kind of confidence in your own abilities in order to lead a team. But on the other hand, it’s pretty damn brave of Pavia to be calling out the program’s biggest opponent … especially one that beat your team down by nearly two touchdowns last year (Tennessee 36 – Vanderbilt 23).
But one thing that Pavis is not … he is not boring. Check out what he had to say about the Big Ten.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema defended the Big Ten’s honor.
I will just remind everyone that it was Bielema himself who left his job at Wisconsin to take the job at Arkansas because he recognized that the SEC is the big leagues of college football.
KENNY DILLINGHAM
I am really becoming a fan of Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham.
I realize that anyone who is going to pay $10 a month to follow a college football team year round is already in love with college football and can’t possibly imagine a player not loving the sport. But let me tell you, it happens. There are players out there who don’t really love football but they play it because they are really good at it and they know it’s a way to make money and get a college education for free.
Personally, I don’t hate a player uses his skills to better himself even though he doesn’t love the game.
But that being said, I also am 100 percent with Dillingham that if I am recruiting players, I want to make sure they do love the sport.
Football is a year round sport and it takes a lot of effort and dedication. It is going to be a grind and the only way to truly maximize your potential, is if you love what you do. Loving what you do will make it bearable to put in the work needed to become the best.
By the way, the Texas/Arizona State game was a tough one last winter, but those Sun Devil teams are fun to watch and having Sam Leavitt back on the field means ASU will be strong contenders to make the College Football Playoffs again this year.
TEXAS STATE TO THE PAC-12
Texas State is going to be the next member of the reconstituted Pac-12 very soon.
I know many of you are going to scoff at this, but this makes sense for both sides.
First off, the Pac-12 is obviously not the same conference we grew up with. Poor Oregon State and Washington State are doing the best they can after being left on the wayside of the college football realignment highway.
The new Pac-12 is not a power five conference. It is now competing with the AAC and MWC to be the best of the also-rans. Texas State will help the conference compete at that level.
For the Bobcats, yes they will have to pay a lot more in travel expenses to send their teams west of the Rockies. But this move will also yield quite a bit more money in the form of a media rights deal.
The Pac-12 is negotiating a new media rights deal now and that should be announced soon.
DAVID GBENDA
Former Texas linebacker David Gbenda was an absolute joy to listen to during the player media availabilities last season. He is a sharp guy who just gets it. Because of that, I will be cheering for him as he tries to make his way in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans.
That’s why I was so disappointed to see he started off his summer workouts with a loss.
Come on Gbenda!
BBQ PRICES …
I have seriously considered writing an article about whether the golden era of BBQ has come to an end.
The premise I am exploring is that the price of BBQ is driving some customers away (or soon will).
That is why I especially resonated with this tweet from Evil MoPac this week.
By the way, let me know if you would like to see that BBQ column on this website for the 4th of July, or if I should just stick to sports.
SPEAKING OF THE 4TH OF JULY …
This is a damn good reminder that we kicked some British ass.
