May/June/JULY Football

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Should the Texas Longhorns give up on Jerrod Heard as a quarterback?

Strong and Gilbert appear to be headed down a road where true freshman Shane Buechele will wind up emerging as the choice at quarterback. Heard lost practice reps late in spring drills after suffering a shoulder injury, but he’s expected to be healthy when the team resumes workouts and conditioning early next month. Time isn’t on his side, making the coming weeks imperative if the sophomore wants to beat out Buechele and senior Tyrone Swoopes.

Heard isn’t the favorite to emerge as the winner of the ongoing quarterback competition and it would be a bigger surprise if he made a Boykin-like leap forward in 2016. Nevertheless he remains the most dynamic athlete the Longhorns have at the position.

[Full 247 article]
 
Can Texas stop the run?

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Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford tend to hold a different philosophy from many defensive coaches concerning the run game. While they are very keen to having a physical defense with strikers and sound tacklers at every position, philosophically they are more concerned with controlling the run than completely denying it.

In his last eight years of coaching, Strong has had four different defenses at three different schools rank in the Top 10 in defensive S&P. His 2008 and 2009 defenses at Florida achieved that distinction, the 2013 Louisville Cardinals and 2014 Texas Longhorns.

Of those four defensive units, only the 2009 Florida Gators finished Top 10 in rushing S&P. The 2013 and 2014 defenses at Louisville and Texas only finished 28th and 32nd respectively.

Charlie doesn’t care, because as long as the run game is under control he can focus on stopping the passing game, ending drives, and preventing points. His best defenses were excellent in those regards, thus their high statistical rankings.

Strong is also perhaps a bit less dependent on a true nose tackle than other schemes, though he does make frequent use of a +1 defender to give his boys a schematic advantage in the box.

The 4-3 Under defense that Texas has based out of relies on strong guys who can hold the point at both the nose tackle and strongside end positions, but Charlie’s heavy use of stunting reduces some of the need for the nose to beat double teams. What’s more, the team is playing more 4-2 Over front defenses now that rely less on the nose commanding a double team every snap.

In the Over front the offense can’t really double team the DT to the strong side unless they feel comfortable blocking the DE with a TE or fullback because the strongside DT is in a 3-technique between the guard and tackle.

This is why Texas will need good DE play against the run this season when playing the 4-down fronts and why it’s not inconceivable that Charles Omenihu or Breckyn Hager could steal starting jobs from Bryce Cottrell and Naashon Hughes.

[W]ith really good play at DE, UT can potentially overcome some weaknesses at either DT position so long as they aren’t being shoved backwards into the LBs on every play like the 2nd team was in the Spring game.

Texas has two other fixes to help control opposing running games, both of which involve using a “+1 defender” in the box. The first solution is the run-blitz, which solves the problem of needing good DT play against the double team by sending five pass-rushers and getting 1-on-1 matchups rather than double teams.

Texas has two main ways of involving the DBs to bring a +1 advantage; one is to bring LBs on the blitz and drop a safety in to replace them. The other is to bring the nickel off the edge and replace him with a safety. Texas did a lot of the latter last year with either Peter Jinkens or Duke Thomas and is likely to continue to rely on those schemes with the physical P.J. Locke now in that spot.

The other strategy is to simply drop a safety down without sending any extra pass-rushers so that the LBs can play downhill knowing that the down safety will be there to clean things up behind them.

Jason Hall was supposed to be the solution that made this work in 2015 but he wasn’t really comfortable in the role and didn’t handle the space and varying assignments with the kind of instinctive and fast-flowing play that make this style dangerous for offenses.

Deshon Elliott was a mixed bag here in the spring and Kevin Vaccaro was actually the standout, although his limited size and athleticism make him an iffy fit as a full-time starter. The hope for the fall is that Hall and Elliott both make a leap.

Texas is going to look to control the run game through fronts that use DEs to help protect the DT, run-blitzes that even up the numbers at the line of scrimmage, and by bringing an extra defender into the box.

All of this is very important since Texas doesn’t have an established core of DTs that can dominate the interior like they’ve been accustomed to. Paul Boyette seems tagged to play a swing role, rotating between nose-tackle and 3-technique to spell the other DTs, and he’s simply not a guy that can beat double teams. He’s at his best slanting, stunting, or taking a gap in a 1-on-1 matchup.

The same is true for Poona Ford, although he’s probably even more dangerous than Boyette when he’s free to be aggressive and work against a single opponent.

Chris Nelson is the one returning player who has a future anchoring the point of attack against a double team. Perhaps [the incomers] will bring some immediate help here as well, but if you’re counting on a true freshman to eat double teams in more than spot duty you’re asking for a beating.

Texas doesn’t have to stuff the run in the spread-oriented Big 12, but they’d better be able to control it.

[Full IT article]
 
Can Buechele Be A Boo-Blood?

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If true freshman Shane Buechele winds up being anything closely resembling an answer at the quarterback for the Texas Longhorns in 2016, Charlie Strong’s third season on the Forty Acres could be a prosperous one.

The ESPN.com staff of Big 12 reporters haven’t been gun-shy when it comes to heaping praise on Buechele and adjusting potential expectations for the Longhorns accordingly.

It’s not a guarantee that Buechele will be taking the snaps under center when the Longhorns open the 2016 season, but he left spring practice looking like the best available option at the position.

The 6-foot-1, 191-pounder gets knocked for his size and the uncertainty that comes with thrusting a true freshman into a pivotal role. With that said, Strong and offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert won’t have much of a choice but to declare Buechele the winner of a battle that started in January if he reports in August showing signs he’s been trending upward since they last saw him compete in full pads.

Considering how comfortable Buechele looked operating the veer-and-shoot offense in the spring game, which was an extension of what he did throughout the spring based on what sources told Horns247, both the ability to immediately succeed at the highest level in the offense and the upside of what he can become down the road reside with Buechele.

If he can be more than just the best option available option and he proves capable of being someone with the skills and the intangibles to make the offense go, he could be the missing piece for a Texas team that should have the talent to be a contender for the Big 12 title in relatively short order.

[Full 247 article]
 
The Zone Run Game - Variations

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[During the Spring Game,] I was glad [Texas] showed they have a run scheme for 3rd and 5-7 to go. However, this scheme is likely not intended for Shane Buechele (don’t want to get him killed). It may be intended for a single-wing package, one to be run by say, Jerrod Heard.

The Spring game was littered with slight variances of the same plays and with zone, the running back path and read-option concept can be varied, but more importantly, if Texas were to have a dynamic athlete taking snaps, there are also schemes that give this player a post-read two-way go.

Gilbert-Mattox may be creating a single-wing package for a second quarterback and or running back. This can help a great deal, as it may prevent over-exposure for one, Shane Buechele. Also, most remember the Baylor-North Carolina bowl game, where Baylor rang up North Carolina to the tune of 700+ yards rushing! That may be coming to Texas and it would be a good idea, as the offense’s best players are runners.

Whether it’s Jerrod Heard, Kai Locksley, and Tyrone Swoopes at quarterback or D’Onta Foreman, Chris Warren, Kirk Johnson, Kyle Porter, Roderick Bernard, and Tristian Houston at running back, it leaves Gilbert-Mattox with A LOT of options. That is not to mention the receivers who may have a role in jet motion to be given the ball to as well.

OPTIONS, are the name of the game and helping protect true freshman Shane Buechele throughout the season is very important.

[Full TFB article 1 and article 2]
 
DBUofT

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No one should dispute that the Longhorns have a pair of potentially elite cornerbacks in sophomores Davante Davis and Holton Hill, two long, instinctive defenders who earned All-Big 12 recognition as true freshman. [W]hile it took a while for the defensive staff to get them in the lineup in starting roles (Hill didn’t start until the fifth game, Davis not until the seventh), by the end of the season the upside the tandem possesses was evident.

The Longhorns also have the luxury of being deep at cornerback. Sixth-year senior Sheroid Evans might have been the biggest surprise defensively in the spring due to how he performed coming off of a knee injury last spring, junior Antwuan Davis has starting experience and sophomore Kris Boyd could be considered the most physically gifted player of the entire group.

The nickel position appears to be in good hands due to the emergence of sophomore P.J. Locke during the spring.

Safety is where the question marks reside on the back end and what makes it tough to nail down the potential of the entire unit.

Sophomore DeShon Elliott had a tremendous spring and was impressive filling in for an injured Hall according to those who saw him work behind the scenes.

[K]eep an eye on true freshman Brandon Jones to get into the mix for playing time. The No. 1-ranked safety prospect in the country brings the speed, instincts, ball skills and physical brand of football the coaches have been wanting to add to the safety position since arriving in Austin.

The staff entered the offseason wanting [to] get faster at safety, something an Elliott/Jones combination could give them. As long as the Longhorns enter the 2016 season opener with four starting-caliber safeties, this secondary could be better than it’s already expected to be.

[Full 247 article]
 
Godz40acres said:
Charlie doesn’t care, because as long as the run game is under control he can focus on stopping the passing game, ending drives, and preventing points. His best defenses were excellent in those regards, thus their high statistical rankings.
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They must have had a season of unfocusness in 2015.
 
To update a previous post concerning the concern for the enrollment of DE Erick Fowler and DT Marcel Southall, Fowler is still waiting on his final grades and re-taken SAT score; Southall is graduating, but his dad said they will talk with UT next week. A bit cryptic, but I suppose he means they'll find out what exactly is needed to get Marcel enrolled.
 
TFB is reporting that a Texas source has said the only 2016 Bailor signee they are pursuing is 4/5-star OL Patrick Hudson.

If you recall, Hudson came very close to choosing the 'Horns, but decided for the Bares. It was strangely announced pre-dawn on NSD by Art Biles himself.

TFB "spoke to one of Hudson’s family member’s... who said Hudson, 'will be transferring'. So, it sounds as though a decision has been made." If a release is granted, Hudson will be looking at Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and aggy for his new home.

In an update, TFB reported that another Texas source said they would also consider DB Parrish Cobb. Many expected Cobb to come to UT along with his cousin, new 2016 incomer Eric Cuffee. Cobb is seeking his release and considering enrolling at Texas, TCU, ou, or Georgia.

OT J.P. Urqiudez, a one-time Texas lean, is said to be pursuing his release from the den. No word on whether or not UT is interested.
 
Per BON:

John Burt will be in Eugene participating in the NCAA track and field championships after qualifying in the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in Lawrence this weekend with a personal-best 110m hurdles time of 13,91 seconds.

In finishing 11th overall, Burt had another strong showing two weeks after he finished second in the Big 12 Championship.

"I was super-excited to see John Burt. He's a competitor," head men's track and field coach Mario Sategna said. "He runs through those hurdles like he's running across the middle to catch a pass. And that's really important because we pride ourselves over the years in having some really good two-sport athletes. We've had some great ones and he's continuing that tradition."
 
Some kick-offs and TV networks have been set:

UTEP Sept. 10 at 6 pm on LHN
ou Oct 8 on FS1 (time still TBA)
Iowa St Oct 15 on LHN (time still TBA)
TCU Nov. 25 at 2:30 pm on FOX or FS1
 
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247's Jeff Howe, Rod Babers, and Matt Butler had former UT-DE Tim Crowder on their radio show discussing the pass rush the Horns need and who could be our best edge monster.

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Howe: In your opinion, Tim, is that guy on the roster from what you’ve seen?

Crowder: The former players, you know, we see things. But when I saw Malik Jefferson play outside linebacker or defensive end, or whatever he did against Oklahoma in pass rush, I said, ‘that’s your natural. That’s the guy.’ If you want to make an impact, let him go do his thing. You don’t have to teach him a thing because it’s very natural. Can you imagine if you put that guy there full time and just let him go from side to side and just let him have his way?

Howe: If he needs to be in the middle this week, let him be in the middle. If he needs to be on the outside rushing the passer this week, let him go do that. If you can get [Anthony Wheeler] right and depend on him on a down-to-down basis, that frees you up to do whatever you want with [Jefferson].

Babers: Yeah. I agree. You want another stable piece. Depending on if you want to go to a 4-2-5 or 3-3-5, whatever look you want to show, you need two linebackers that are kind of multiple in their skillset. One of those guys will probably be in the box most of the time but one of those guys, like Malik, he’s going to be in space. He’s going to be working in space whether you’ve got him blitzing or, even in the spring game I kinda like how sometimes we saw him out space lined up in between the slot wide receiver. You didn’t know what was doing. Was he dropping back in zone coverage? Was he going to rush the passer? Was he going to be in man coverage?

Howe: Tim, in your opinion, is what we think of as the tried and true middle linebacker, in the Big 12, is that position dead?

Crowder: As far as like a Ray Lewis type of guy? Yes, it’s dead. It is because you want an athlete there. (Former Texas linebacker) Roddrick Muckelroy, he broke it down to me so cleverly and easily because he was a middle linebacker. He asked me, ‘what is a middle linebacker now?’ He said you’ve got to be good enough to take on blocks, and you’ve got to be just as good enough to be a defensive back. So, what does that take? An athlete.

Babers: That middle linebacker is going to be in space whereas, in old school football, they would be in a phone booth.

Crowder: Just C (gap) to C (gap). A lot of the middle linebackers, they don’t play them as close (to the line of scrimmage) anymore because you have to be able to go side to side. You’ve got to be able to run because there’s so much space. We don’t want you to get clogged up with the d-line, we need you to go side to side.

It’s all about being schemeless in today’s game. You have to adjust to what the offense gives you. With the spread, you’ve got four receivers lined up outside the numbers. That’s way out there. So you’ve got to be schemeless to be able to compete with that. Then, if you’ve got a good offensive line and a good running game, I mean, it’s going to be trouble. Safeties, they’ve got to be more like linebackers as well. At the end of the day, with positions, you’ve got to be positionless.

Babers: I agree with you. That’s why safeties are starting to look more like linebackers and linebackers are starting to look more like safeties. Defensive ends are looking more linebackers.

Crowder: This is a crazy analogy, but let me explain it. It’s kinda like backyard ball. Like, ‘Hey! What matchup do we have today?’ when you’re playing against your buddies. ‘Well, we know what he did to us yesterday, so I want you to go cover him today.’ It changes each week. You don’t say anything about the guy’s size. You say, ‘Ok, this is your skillset. You can destroy this guy. Let me worry about the other guy. I can’t (handle) the big guy, let me get the little, quicker guy. I’ll let you get over there and you’ve got him the whole day.’

[Full 247 article]
 
In case you missed it, yesterday the father of 2016 Baylor OT signee, JP Urquidez released the following statement:



In speaking to a source close to Urquidez, we are told that if granted a release Urquidez’s interest lie between Texas and Oklahoma. We have confirmed that Oklahoma is interested. We know that Texas is very interested in Patrick Hudson. We have not however, confirmed just yet what degree of interest Texas has in Urquidez. The source seemed to indicate that the Urquidez family is under the impression that Texas is an option so they may have been given that impression via a third party.
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I know there has been some talk about Center Jake Raulerson returning to Texas in 2016 even after he decided to transfer. But as of today I wouldn’t expect that to happen.
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Elite WR prospect Devin Duvernay is now available as his Baylor NLI wasn’t valid. ESPN reported that Texas and TCU are the top options for Duvernay right now.

One thing that will likely be key in this one is Devin’s twin brother, Donovan who is trying to get out of his Baylor NLI. Both Duvernay’s plan to play together in college, but Texas wasn’t willing to take Donovan. There was even talk last summer than Devin was going to commit to Texas if they offered Donovan but that never happened. TCU offered both of them and could very well be the destination for them of Texas isn’t willing to take both.

If Texas does plan to take both, there is a very solid chance that Devin and Donovan Duvernay end up as Longhorns. And Devin is exactly what this Texas offense needs right now, elite speed at the WR position.

[Full TFB article]

I think TFB is over estimating Devin's value/Texas' need. That's not to diminish Devin's skills in any way – he's a bona fide talent and would be an excellent addition to our WR corps. But with only two scholarships left (so far), it would not behoove us to spend them on the Duvernay bros.
 
War Daddy Wanted (Or Not)​

Throughout the spring the Texas coaches made it clear that depth and front-line talent along the defensive line is a major concern heading into the 2016 season.

It’s hard to predict a defense that gave up a school record 452.6 yards per game getting significantly better when the unit’s best interior lineman, Hassan Ridgeway, left school a year early for the NFL Draft.

With that said, perhaps the outlook isn’t all that bad. The national perception is that the Longhorns should have a defensive line that ranks among top half of the groups in the Big 12, even if it’s mostly due to what it has the potential to be down the road.

ESPN.com’s post-spring position rankings had the Texas defensive line as the fourth-best unit in the conference. What’s intriguing about the Texas line is the Longhorns might have more upside than any trench unit in the league and, as a result, have a chance to rise by the time the dust settles on the coming season.

Though the piece cited junior Poona Ford, senior Paul Boyette and junior Naashon Hughes as the group’s best assets, all three of those players will be a part of what the coaches hope is a deep rotation that offsets the lack of a true war daddy up front.

There are so many moving parts due to the youth and inexperience the Longhorns will be dealing with early in the season that it's tough to project the immediate future for this group. However, if the wrinkles get ironed out in a timely manner, the defensive line could be a unit that looks much better on paper in late November as opposed to early September.

[Full 247 article]
 
The biggest improvement right now appears to be on Offense, particularly in Boo plays as well as expected. The big question marks are special teams and the defense where improvement is a must this year.
 
BevoJoe said:
The biggest improvement right now appears to be on Offense, particularly in Boo plays as well as expected. The big question marks are special teams and the defense where improvement is a must this year.
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Yeah, I'm quite concerned about a kicker. Could be a big difference maker this year. Of course, we always have Boo in a pinch....

 
Texas FB’s New Facilities

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Nationally, athletic programs have continued to pour millions into their facilities leaving Texas slightly outdated. Example: Clemson is spending $55 million on a complex with sand volleyball courts, laser tag, a movie theater, bowling lanes, a barbershop, and nine holes of miniature golf — all exclusively for it’s football players. Oh, I forgot to mention there will be football stuff there like a locker room and such, too.

MONCRIEF

Texas’ field house (Moncreif-Neuhaus Center) is going to get a serious face lift. The locker room is going to be renovated again, though it already looks different from when I played. There are currently industrial refrigerators filled with food, Gatorade, and protein shakes. I would have continually raided those as a player and I can’t imagine what the athletic department has in store next. How about, a German-engineered ventilation system for each locker? It would rid the locker room of its locker room smell. That would especially be nice for 2-a-days.

There will be new offices for the coaches and support staff, and a player development suite (although, I have no idea what that is). The sports medicine and hydrotherapy facilities will be renovated; they could add waterfalls to the cold tub like Alabama — why not?

Texas will also be adding a media relations room; I suggested dedicated offices for Eric and Justin, as well. The Longhorns will also be building a video editing suite for all future social media sweetness. Other than storage and an expanded equipment room, that wraps it up for the field house. Now on to the practice field.

DENIUS FIELDS

The Bubble is gone; it’s being replaced with a “permanent indoor football practice facility.” Even though Charlie Strong isn’t a huge fan of practicing inside I think it’s time to build another one. Also, there’s a possibility the new indoor facility could be relocated “closer to Moncrief-Neuhaus Center” — where exactly “closer” would be the Master Plan doesn’t specify, though.

The Athletic Department also would like to build two full outdoor practice fields. If you’ve ever been to Denuis you know the Longhorns practice on one full field, and two halves of another. I suppose the coaching staff has in mind two full fields (three total including the indoor) would only be better.

DKR

Last, but certainly not least, is Darrel K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. UT has in mind to enclose (or “expand”) the south end zone.

As I understand it, the expanded south end zone is more about luxury suites than larger capacity. We already know the Longhorns have struggled to sell out home games in recent years. That being said, Texas still finished 10th best in the country for average game attendance in 2015 (90,035). Expanding the south end zone simply for the sake of stadium capacity could mean more empty seats in the future. That’s why I’m a much bigger fan doing so for “premium seating with suites and club spaces.”

LHN will have dedicated game-day space to work with, and DKR’s sound system will get an overhaul. All in all I think the updates will only solidify Texas’ “blue blood” status in the world of college football. The Longhorns profit annually and give back $10-25 million to the university every year. They’ve got the money, so they can spend it. The “Master Plan” should give the Longhorns good footing for the next decade or so in the minds of young recruits.

[Full IT article]
 
Owing to the inordinate amount of new and exciting Longhorns football news still to assimilate, I am in need of a recess.

In the meantime....



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