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Time for Vance Bedford to be accountable for the Texas defense
Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford has seemingly gotten a pass from the media and fanbase alike while a laundry list of offensive coaches have been skewered and made scapegoats of.
Coach Strong was asked if this was his defense or Bedford’s, as many believe Strong, a defensive-minded coach, is still very involved in the team’s defensive processes. Strong, however, plainly answered that he does not call the plays and sits in on both the offensive and the defensive meetings. He joked that he didn’t have time to call all the plays and put together the game plans with everything else he’s asked to do as head coach at Texas.
Bedford, though — who Strong says has been the sole play caller for a Texas defense Dustin McComas is having to provide lavish arguments regarding to prove it was at least “below-average” — doesn’t take sole accountability.
When I asked him if this was his defense or Charlie Strong’s, Bedford said, “it’s the UT defense. Coach Strong, (linebackers coach Brian Jean-Marie), Clay (Jennings), (Brick) Haley all bring different things to the table.”
Bedford said it’s a different defense than the group ran at “Louisville or at Florida,” which made me think (and then ask Bedford) … why? Those defenses were good. Why change? What is different schematically?
Bedford seemed to give the impression that talent on-hand was a big part of it. “(Carlos) Dunlap isn’t here. (Brandon) Spikes - not here. Joe Haden’s not here.” Bedford said that the way to build a defense is to find what players can do and create schemes that put them in the best positions.
Some would argue, though, that Texas now has talent — albeit young — defensively to one day be looked at as some of the best Strong has worked with in his career. Some would argue you don’t need Joe Hadens and Carlos Dunlaps to be a serviceable defense, anyway. To be a great one? Maybe.
The bottom line is that Vance Bedford has to take accountability for the defense, and the defense has to improve in 2016.
Matt Mattox says Perkins to guard
It’s always been a possibility (and the extreme preference of the Deep Dig) that Perkins move back to his optimal position of guard, and it looks like Mattox is going to at least start fall camp with Perkins bumped inside.
Judging by what was said through his availability, the favorite to line up at the RT spot Saturday would be Tristan Nickelson, who Mattox seems much, much more impressed by than the general fanbase.
“He’s a beast,” Mattox said. “What he needed to develop over the summer, what I told him to work on … he’s done it — it’s that mindset with him and his mindset has to be that he’s not going to be beat.”
Mattox also mentioned Brandon Hodges as a player who has versatility to play inside or outside, so he could be in the mix as well as Mattox did admit that he believes the current Texas offensive line “is at its best when Brandon Hodges is playing at a high level.”
It feels like the move of Perkins inside to (presumably left) guard will result in a competition that will probably start with Nickelson but get strong pushes from freshmen in Patrick Hudson and Denzel Okafor. Mattox said ultimately he feels like Hudson’s best position is probably guard, but that he’ll be looked at at the right tackle spot right off. Mattox said the move is about getting Perkins in the best position and getting the best five guys out there, not about worries over having “two freshmen lined up next to each other” that seems to bother many message board posters.
The good news here?
1) Perkins will at least start camp playing the position he’s most effective at.
2) Mattox believes there is depth and talent to sift through and mix and match at RT to see who pops through camp and earns a job.
… how long it lasts? That’s anyone’s guess.
More OL nuggets from speaking w/ Mattox
- If Zach Shackelford were to go down, it would be Elijah Rodriguez or Jake McMillon at center. Mattox also said that Vahe has worked at center and could hypothetically be in the mix as well.
- I asked if the ship had sailed on Terrell Cuney and Alex Anderson and Mattox didn’t say it had, but certainly indicated they had work to do to gain ground. He said both will be mixed in with the twos, but also made sure to note he’d told them that the younger players would get those same opportunities.
- I asked if Tristan Nickelson’s feet had gotten better and his balance since last season and Mattox seems to really believe that they have. “I do believe it,” Mattox said, “his change-of-direction and his balance. He had a high-ankle sprain through spring but played through it. This summer he’s gained flexibility, he’s more balanced and flexible getting down there (to an athletic position) because he’s so tall.”
- Connor Williams is up to 300 pounds and it’s a solid 300 pounds that has been steady for the last month. “He wants to be the first 325-pound guy with a six-pack,” Mattox said. Williams won the summer “OL Challenge” which is different from the “Battle of the Belts” won by Tristan Nickelson. OL Challenge happened after Moorer’s workouts with supplemental workouts the OL would stay after and do.
- Part of Williams’ weight gain Mattox credited to this summer’s OL “Food Challenge.” The players got apps on their phones to track what they were eating and calorie intake, etc. Mattox said some had goals of dropping weight while some like Williams had goals of gaining it.
- Speaking of fancy equipment, he says Sterlin Gilbert is the more advanced BBQ’er of the pair, but Mattox has an automatic fanning system set up in his Big Green Egg that is connected to his computer and turns on to regulate smoking temperatures through the night.
- Patrick Hudson, in his first time doing the 225-pound bench test, put up over 20 reps. Mattox said Perkins is still the strongest OL on the team, though, and stronger than Hudson.
DBs coach Clay Jennings says “no incumbents” among safety group
“We talked about it yesterday, there aren’t any incumbents. Dylan Haines and Jason Hall, those two young men they spend so much time teaching our kids. But we can’t go out and have a young man go out and play 80 plays a game and not be successful. Some of those young guys are going to have to step up because the more fresh we are, the more productive we’re going to be, too.”
This is certainly different than the previous two years at Texas where the staff utilized defensive backs as virtual 100% snap-participants, even against uptempo teams who ran a lot of plays.
I asked Jennings if this meant that Kris Boyd could get on the field in a cornerback rotation with Holton Hill and Davante Davis and Jennings said yes. He also said Boyd is the most competitive player in his room.
More DB nuggets from Jennings
- Jennings praised senior CB Sheroid Evans immensely for his work ethic and said he was a model for the younger players.
- Knowledge of the scheme is the most important thing for the young DBs to learn. Much more important than talent.
- On Davante Davis: “Quiet young man … just as far as him taking care of his business and going about his business. Once you get an opportunity to know him, he opens up to you and he’s a great young man, he has a very little creative and dry sense of humor. Sometimes he’ll say he’s got a face only a mother could love but he’s got a humor only a mother could love, too.”
- Jennings believes Boyd is probably the fastest DB he has but also mentioned Sheroid Evans and Antwuan Davis.
Time for Vance Bedford to be accountable for the Texas defense
Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford has seemingly gotten a pass from the media and fanbase alike while a laundry list of offensive coaches have been skewered and made scapegoats of.
Coach Strong was asked if this was his defense or Bedford’s, as many believe Strong, a defensive-minded coach, is still very involved in the team’s defensive processes. Strong, however, plainly answered that he does not call the plays and sits in on both the offensive and the defensive meetings. He joked that he didn’t have time to call all the plays and put together the game plans with everything else he’s asked to do as head coach at Texas.
Bedford, though — who Strong says has been the sole play caller for a Texas defense Dustin McComas is having to provide lavish arguments regarding to prove it was at least “below-average” — doesn’t take sole accountability.
When I asked him if this was his defense or Charlie Strong’s, Bedford said, “it’s the UT defense. Coach Strong, (linebackers coach Brian Jean-Marie), Clay (Jennings), (Brick) Haley all bring different things to the table.”
Bedford said it’s a different defense than the group ran at “Louisville or at Florida,” which made me think (and then ask Bedford) … why? Those defenses were good. Why change? What is different schematically?
Bedford seemed to give the impression that talent on-hand was a big part of it. “(Carlos) Dunlap isn’t here. (Brandon) Spikes - not here. Joe Haden’s not here.” Bedford said that the way to build a defense is to find what players can do and create schemes that put them in the best positions.
Some would argue, though, that Texas now has talent — albeit young — defensively to one day be looked at as some of the best Strong has worked with in his career. Some would argue you don’t need Joe Hadens and Carlos Dunlaps to be a serviceable defense, anyway. To be a great one? Maybe.
The bottom line is that Vance Bedford has to take accountability for the defense, and the defense has to improve in 2016.
Matt Mattox says Perkins to guard
It’s always been a possibility (and the extreme preference of the Deep Dig) that Perkins move back to his optimal position of guard, and it looks like Mattox is going to at least start fall camp with Perkins bumped inside.
Judging by what was said through his availability, the favorite to line up at the RT spot Saturday would be Tristan Nickelson, who Mattox seems much, much more impressed by than the general fanbase.
“He’s a beast,” Mattox said. “What he needed to develop over the summer, what I told him to work on … he’s done it — it’s that mindset with him and his mindset has to be that he’s not going to be beat.”
Mattox also mentioned Brandon Hodges as a player who has versatility to play inside or outside, so he could be in the mix as well as Mattox did admit that he believes the current Texas offensive line “is at its best when Brandon Hodges is playing at a high level.”
It feels like the move of Perkins inside to (presumably left) guard will result in a competition that will probably start with Nickelson but get strong pushes from freshmen in Patrick Hudson and Denzel Okafor. Mattox said ultimately he feels like Hudson’s best position is probably guard, but that he’ll be looked at at the right tackle spot right off. Mattox said the move is about getting Perkins in the best position and getting the best five guys out there, not about worries over having “two freshmen lined up next to each other” that seems to bother many message board posters.
The good news here?
1) Perkins will at least start camp playing the position he’s most effective at.
2) Mattox believes there is depth and talent to sift through and mix and match at RT to see who pops through camp and earns a job.
… how long it lasts? That’s anyone’s guess.
More OL nuggets from speaking w/ Mattox
- If Zach Shackelford were to go down, it would be Elijah Rodriguez or Jake McMillon at center. Mattox also said that Vahe has worked at center and could hypothetically be in the mix as well.
- I asked if the ship had sailed on Terrell Cuney and Alex Anderson and Mattox didn’t say it had, but certainly indicated they had work to do to gain ground. He said both will be mixed in with the twos, but also made sure to note he’d told them that the younger players would get those same opportunities.
- I asked if Tristan Nickelson’s feet had gotten better and his balance since last season and Mattox seems to really believe that they have. “I do believe it,” Mattox said, “his change-of-direction and his balance. He had a high-ankle sprain through spring but played through it. This summer he’s gained flexibility, he’s more balanced and flexible getting down there (to an athletic position) because he’s so tall.”
- Connor Williams is up to 300 pounds and it’s a solid 300 pounds that has been steady for the last month. “He wants to be the first 325-pound guy with a six-pack,” Mattox said. Williams won the summer “OL Challenge” which is different from the “Battle of the Belts” won by Tristan Nickelson. OL Challenge happened after Moorer’s workouts with supplemental workouts the OL would stay after and do.
- Part of Williams’ weight gain Mattox credited to this summer’s OL “Food Challenge.” The players got apps on their phones to track what they were eating and calorie intake, etc. Mattox said some had goals of dropping weight while some like Williams had goals of gaining it.
- Speaking of fancy equipment, he says Sterlin Gilbert is the more advanced BBQ’er of the pair, but Mattox has an automatic fanning system set up in his Big Green Egg that is connected to his computer and turns on to regulate smoking temperatures through the night.
- Patrick Hudson, in his first time doing the 225-pound bench test, put up over 20 reps. Mattox said Perkins is still the strongest OL on the team, though, and stronger than Hudson.
DBs coach Clay Jennings says “no incumbents” among safety group
“We talked about it yesterday, there aren’t any incumbents. Dylan Haines and Jason Hall, those two young men they spend so much time teaching our kids. But we can’t go out and have a young man go out and play 80 plays a game and not be successful. Some of those young guys are going to have to step up because the more fresh we are, the more productive we’re going to be, too.”
This is certainly different than the previous two years at Texas where the staff utilized defensive backs as virtual 100% snap-participants, even against uptempo teams who ran a lot of plays.
I asked Jennings if this meant that Kris Boyd could get on the field in a cornerback rotation with Holton Hill and Davante Davis and Jennings said yes. He also said Boyd is the most competitive player in his room.
More DB nuggets from Jennings
- Jennings praised senior CB Sheroid Evans immensely for his work ethic and said he was a model for the younger players.
- Knowledge of the scheme is the most important thing for the young DBs to learn. Much more important than talent.
- On Davante Davis: “Quiet young man … just as far as him taking care of his business and going about his business. Once you get an opportunity to know him, he opens up to you and he’s a great young man, he has a very little creative and dry sense of humor. Sometimes he’ll say he’s got a face only a mother could love but he’s got a humor only a mother could love, too.”
- Jennings believes Boyd is probably the fastest DB he has but also mentioned Sheroid Evans and Antwuan Davis.
