Take it for what it's worth, but IT (think it was Nahlin) said that Baxter and Wisner are already splitting first team reps.
Screw it, here's the whole thing.
Wide Receiver
Ryan Niblett was mentioned very early in a recent conversation after a good week that included a big play touchdown from the slot receiver position. Niblett’s role is to be a matchup hunter who motions in and out of the backfield. This play saw him motion out and catch a corner route for six. So far, this role appears to be more than lip service as we’ve heard Niblett’s name pretty frequently this offseason.
Speaking of making plays from the slot, IT continues to hear promising news on true freshman Daylan McCutcheon. Of the four talented true freshman he’s the most likely to make an impact this season, at least according to offseason intel. McCutcheon is very consistent for such a young player.
Sources expect Ryan Wingo to be Arch Manning’s top target with DeAndre Moore the top complement.
Edge
When Trey Moore returned to Texas we shared that part of the allure was him playing opposite Colin Simmons at times, rather than the due being in a straight timeshare. That remains the case.
Given Moore’s moonlighting at linebacker it’s interesting to note that Brad Spence is now moonlighting at Edge. With his background as a high school defensive end, Spence is a natural pass rusher. We don’t yet know if this is typical cross training or if there’s more to it.
Most likely to backup Simmons (other than Moore) is probably Colton Vasek who is “athletic, healthy, explosive” and poised to play a lot. Information on the former Westlake standout is as glowing as ever. Just. Stay. Healthy.
Zina Umeozulu seems to have a handle on backing up Ethan Burke and Lance Jackson should also figure in there this season. Intel points to Justus Terry as a D-end when the defense is in Base. That’s a great way to bring him along and extract value as a freshman.
Young Cornerbacks
IT was asked about the young CB’s this week so we put the query to sources. We’ve talked a lot about Graceson Littleton since right about the time he stepped on campus. Despite having the higher recruiting profile, we haven’t heard as much about Kade Phillips. That’s just a reflection of Phillips having Kobe Black and Jaylon Guilbeau ahead of him. “All he has to do is add weight and keep working. He’s an NFL cornerback.” Speed, length, and technique make for quite the package.
Caleb Chester is doing well, too. He’s viewed as a great program fit. Hard worker.
Fade to Black. When IT asked about coverage preferences for this season, we heard they’ll likely run more Cover 3 than last year. Part of the reason, “they have good cornerbacks in Malik Muhammad and Kobe Black and this will help bolster run defense.” That’s how it was put, with the source mentioning Black before Guilbeau. That’s going to be a good competition in August. It sounds like it’s already a good competition.
D-Tackle is Wide Open
Speaking of competition, I have no clue how to handicap who will start at defensive tackle. A week ago I guessed Cole Brevard and Maraad Watson. Now, I’m not so certain but it’s a good problem to have. From the sound of it, Kenny Baker appears to have a lot of pretty evenly talented players to work with. This week Hero Kanu was the first person mentioned at the position.
We’ve heard good things about all the defensive tackles so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Who will be paired with who? How deep is the rotation? We’ll be seeking answers to those questions in August.
Hearing Kanu’s name, in part due to him trying to establish leadership in the room, is promising. You know he’s extra motivated for Week 1.
Running Back
“Baxter got straight to it. Once he was cleared he was going 100%.” After a spring spent covering the return of Christian Clark, now Baxter is apparently experiencing the same success. Now, he’s not 100% but he is trending in that direction. He is essentially already in a timeshare with Tre Wisner with the first-team offense. They’re followed by a large group that rotates evenly.
It’s important to keep in mind that Steve Sarkisian always promotes Baxter to the front of the line. You’ll recall he got the start over Jonathon Brooks in what was a major surprise two seasons ago. Like Ron Burgundy, Sark clearly has a soft spot for Baxter.
Guessing carry distribution for this season is about as hard as figuring out the DT rotation. For such a talented roster there’s still a lot of intrigue.