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2021 Texas Offseason: Sark Attacks Austin


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24 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

I could go for this.  With Whittington and Dixon getting lots of snaps as well.

Agreed. 

I think Sark is going to pretty quickly realize that Whit could add the most value manufacturing depth all over the field. Instead of starting Whit and having Smith be stuck as only the backup H. Have Whit be the backup H, the 4th WR in 10 personnel, and the 2nd RB in 21 personnel. I'd personally have Whit be the backup RB in some normal situations as well.

Just use him like Kamara. Sark is going to be really multiple and Whit is a perfect weapon for that. Would make the offense dynamic. Could still get starter-level minutes. 

Edited by Askew
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On 3/11/2021 at 8:45 AM, Machinator said:
Spoiler

HOW SARK HANDLED THE EYES OF TEXAS

A couple sources close to Longhorns’ players told me Steve Sarkisian won over the players this week, following the release of a report conducted by a committee of faculty, students and alumni on UT’s school song The Eyes of Texas.

According to those sources, Sarkisian told his players to take time over spring break to read the 58-page report and that whatever they decided about the Eyes “we’ll handle it together, as a team.”

Sarkisian told the players he wants to be clear about the history of the Eyes, too, because he’s married to an African-American woman, sources said.

“Man, what Sark said was just so appreciated by the players,” a source close to the situation told Horns247. “He’s got the locker room on his side.”

 

This is the best thing I've read all week.

Seriously: Read the report. Look who wrote it, read what it says. There's some really damn good stuff in there. If you were a hater like I was, you'll be a convert. If you liked the song, you'll sing it all the more proudly after.

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On 3/13/2021 at 9:03 AM, closetojumping said:

So you guys have all actually taken the bait again and let this thread devolve into another discussion about the old S&C guy versus the new S&C guy? At first, I thought I was reading a bit. Nope, just normally okay posters being absolute dipshits. 

 

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11 minutes ago, UncleSonny said:

Hopefully it doesn't really matter where Schooler does his position drills during the week. He can be contributor on special teams but if we're forced into giving him real PT at safety we're probably pretty screwed regardless. 

He was actually a pretty good safety as a freshman at Oregon, and it seems like a much better position for him. I thought he might switch when he transferred here last year. It’s probably a good move by the coaching staff because we’re a little thin at safety, but you're right that it’s probably not a good sign if he’s seeing the field at either spot. 

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4 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

He was actually a pretty good safety as a freshman at Oregon, and it seems like a much better position for him. I thought he might switch when he transferred here last year. It’s probably a good move by the coaching staff because we’re a little thin at safety, but you're right that it’s probably not a good sign if he’s seeing the field at either spot. 

Yeah, it's mainly just that he's gotten so big. I commented on one of those offseason workout pictures that he looks more like a linebacker at this point, I'm a little surprised that's not where he's getting a look. I guess if he's really only around 200 lbs that's kind of a non-starter but if Owens doesn't have the agility/hips to play safety it's hard for me to imagine that Schooler does at this point. It's a smart (and low-risk) roster move though.   

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1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

He was actually a pretty good safety as a freshman at Oregon, and it seems like a much better position for him. I thought he might switch when he transferred here last year. It’s probably a good move by the coaching staff because we’re a little thin at safety, but you're right that it’s probably not a good sign if he’s seeing the field at either spot. 

Given this, I don't understand how Estell stays at WR. 4 years at S, where we have immediate need for depth, and then he switches to WR, where we have too many players. Can't imagine Estell is beating out any of: Dixon, Washington, Woodard. So he's automatically 8th at best on the WR depth chart. 

Move both Schooler and Estell back to S and we have pretty ideal numbers at both positions. Estell goes back to his normal position. Schooler gets more work at tackling for his main position--gunner on S/T. 

Seems like a no-brainer. 

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19 hours ago, UncleSonny said:

Yeah, it's mainly just that he's gotten so big. I commented on one of those offseason workout pictures that he looks more like a linebacker at this point, I'm a little surprised that's not where he's getting a look. I guess if he's really only around 200 lbs that's kind of a non-starter but if Owens doesn't have the agility/hips to play safety it's hard for me to imagine that Schooler does at this point. It's a smart (and low-risk) roster move though.   

Could he be getting a look at that hybrid position they talk about with PK's defense? 

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18 hours ago, Askew said:

Given this, I don't understand how Estell stays at WR. 4 years at S, where we have immediate need for depth, and then he switches to WR, where we have too many players. Can't imagine Estell is beating out any of: Dixon, Washington, Woodard. So he's automatically 8th at best on the WR depth chart. 

Move both Schooler and Estell back to S and we have pretty ideal numbers at both positions. Estell goes back to his normal position. Schooler gets more work at tackling for his main position--gunner on S/T. 

Seems like a no-brainer. 

How fast is Estell? Could that move be something to create more overall speed at that position? 

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(Eric Nahlin) Five players who need to seize the moment (with alternatives)

Spoiler

With spring ball set to start in less than a week, let’s take a look at players who need to step up and own their position.

The Texas roster is certainly better than most coaches inherit after the previous coach was fired for underperforming, but it’s not the quality Steve Sarkisian is accustomed to working with.

There isn’t a ton of elite talent on the Texas roster, at least at present. The 2020 class boosts roster upside (Bijan Robinson, Alfred Collins, Troy Omeire, Hudson Card), but overall it’s just a deep, solid roster with versatile parts.

We’ll go into those versatile parts in another post, but for now we’ll focus on the players the staff needs to step up to limit overall questions heading into August camp. In other words, these players need to seize opportunity and have strong springs. If they don’t, someone else will.

WR Jake Smith: Smith’s first two years have been marred by inconsistency, but with the coaching change comes a mental reset and the chance to become the go-to receiver in the RPO passing game working off of Bijan Robinson and whoever wins the quarterback job. If Smith can get off to a confidence building start this spring, he may eventually win the job and never look back. If he gives others a chance, though, this could be a battle that wages into the season.

If not Smith, then Jordan Whittington or Josh Moore: Whittington may prove to be the biggest winner of the Torre Becton hire. He’s looking leaner, and Becton’s goal to improve smaller supporting infrastructure of the larger muscle groups should improve Whittington’s chances of staying healthy. If he can remain healthy, he could become the most dangerous weapon on RPO’s as he’s probably the most dangerous receiver on the roster after the catch, at least on any pass that isn’t over the top. Josh Moore could be a dark horse but he’s probably the best option to play outside. It’s probably not likely that any one receiver proves dangerous enough to deserve the star treatment and be moved around all over to hunt matchups. I could be wrong. I could also be wrong by not including Jaden Alexis.

LB Jaylan Ford: Ford’s the most instinctive linebacker on the roster and with Juwan Mitchell in academic Shawshank, he’s going to have every chance to win a starting job as the linebacker who does the dirty work. That fits his play style terrifically, but he’s also a better athlete than given credit for. Last summer he recorded the fastest 10-yard split of any linebacker, including DeMarvion Overshown. The more Ford plays, the more comfortable he gets as evidenced by last season. There’s a good chance he’s the starter alongside D-Mo.

If not Ford, then David Gbenda: While diagnosing the offense doesn’t come as quickly to Gbenda as it does Ford, he does hold the advantage of being better in space. If he can learn the defense quickly, this will be a spirited competition. Most likely, in my view, Gbenda becomes the chief back-up for both Ford and Overshown.

OT Christian Jones: Harken back to 2018 and you may recall the 2021 season was the year to realistically expect Jones to become a quality player. A developmental prospect in every regard, Jones was always going to need a redshirt plus two years to develop. He should be hitting his physical stride right as he starts receiving elite coaching. Jones will be given every chance to win the left tackle job, but even if Andrej Karic earns blindside duties, Jones should be able to assert himself at right tackle. If you get your high ceiling players coached up, the upside of the offensive line improves across the board. For that reason, Texas fans should want Tyler Johnson to win a guard spot.

If not Jones, then Isaiah Hookfin: Kyle Flood can live with Derek Kerstetter as the starting right tackle, but to truly take the next step in play, one of the better athletes needs to win it. Hookfin was stuck at guard before being injured last year, but he has tackle traits.

Jack Jacoby Jones: Jones’ 2020 season was derailed early due to a family tragedy. Credit goes to him for returning to the team focused and showing improvement throughout the season. Helping his efforts, he was no longer asked to play 4i. Now he’ll bounce between SDE and a stand-up OLB role. With little competition in sight after Marqez Bimage elected to transfer, the staff needs Jones to step up. Pete Kwiatkowski has done wonders for pass rushers. He might be the good fortune Jones deserves after a long, arduous road.

If not Jones, then Ray Thornton or Vernon Broughton: Thornton could be the primary backup to Jones while also being the X-backer (WDE). He’s not as big as Jones, but he played wherever he was needed at LSU, ranging from linebacker to 3-tech, so he’d be able to get things done. He doesn’t lack strength at the point of attack. He and Broughton couldn’t be more different but each being able to work there tells you the varied role the Jack will play while also underlining their own versatility. They need to convince Ja’Tavion Sanders to play Jack upon arrival, but that doesn’t help this spring. Moro Ojomo could figure here if needed.

CB Darion Dunn: We know Josh Thompson can play corner capably, so even if Dunn underperforms, the corner position should be fine. But if Dunn proves to be one of the top two options along with D’Shawn Jamison — and he’s already showing tantalizing movement skills — that would allow Thompson to play nickel. I’m just not sure Chris Adimora will be the nickel they’re looking for as I expect them to emphasize coverage ability.

If not Dunn, then it’s probably Thompson or maybe Kitan Crawford: Corner shouldn’t be a concern this season, but how it shakes out could have downstream effects.

This is a very interesting roster and this opinion piece could have been written many different ways.

 

Edited by Machinator
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19 hours ago, texifornia said:

Looks like we got some ex-Bama analyst type: https://twitter.com/jddean_10

Purely spitballing because Google was unhelpful, but maybe a WRs GA?

Yeah would be great to get a complete analyst/GA breakdown later this spring that includes their roles on the staff...

 

Edited by LTtxfan
Damn Autocorrect
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(Eric Nahlin) Spring Roster Audit: Offense

Spoiler

Brenden Schooler is moving to safety where he fared well as a freshman in Eugene. The best utility of spring ball, besides the install of offense and defense, will be the staff getting a good idea of what the players can and can’t do. Maybe we’ll see more position switches. In the meantime, let’s look at what these guys can do.

Quarterbacks are quarterbacks, though Casey Thompson is a well-spoken athlete who reminds of Vince Young and Hudson Card is a gritty gamer gym rat Steve Largent. Charles Wright too. Wait, that might actually fit.

Running Back

Bijan Robinson: From a CFB perspective, the most talented Longhorn since...Colt? There’s not much he can’t do. His greatest strength to me is his ability to ignore the type of contact that significantly slows or stops other ball carriers. We’ll see more of his ability as a receiver this year.

Roschon Johnson: Love his versatility. He’s probably more comfortable hitting an immediate downhill lane than showing patience, but he’s still learning the position. Good hands, good blocker.

Daniel Young and Gabe Watson: Young could conceivably carve out a role in short yardage, though Bijan and Roschon run with urgency and power so maybe not. These guys will be depth.

Wide Receiver

Jake Smith: As a recruit he was versatile and explosive but as @rodofdisaster noted over beers yesterday, he’s become a bit stiff at Texas. I still think he has both vertical slot and slot machine attributes. Along with Bijan and a quarterback to be named later, he should become one of the three points in the triangle RPO offense. He’s fast enough to play Z also.

Jordan Whittington: He’s a slot machine with enough wiggle and burst to take short passes a long way. He’s a better route-runner than we’ve seen thus far but his strength is getting the ball in space and making something happen. More slot-specific than Smith. Obligatory: needs to stay healthy.

Josh Moore: I think he’s more dangerous after the catch than we’ve seen. Sometimes that’s a function of scheming. He has shown the ability to climb the ladder and make contested catches. The threat of Bijan will make it easier to get behind defenses. I like him at Z but he could be a slot, or a guy the coaches elect to move around. He’s a slippery dude but needs to get stronger.

Troy Omeire: He’s a boundary X receiver but he could be used creatively to help convert 3rd and medium. He’s a big, strong receiver but also has surprising speed. He doesn’t just win with size and an absurd catch radius, though he does that too. Alpha mindset.

Kelvontay Dixon: Like Moore, he can play inside and out, but the best use of his speed is on the outside. HOWEVA, he creates separation with his route running and could easily profile to the slot. Billy Pittman was the high school evaluation but Dixon has the potential to be more well-rounded. Needs to get stronger.

Marcus Washington: I keep predicting a breakout for a player I liked quite a bit in high school (funny how bias works) but I’m not seeing the consistency out of him I’d like. He‘s an X but will need to keep refining his route running to beat man coverage. He can’t reliably win with size or speed.

Al’Vonte Woodard: He can play any of the three receiver positions but has bodies in front of him at each spot. He has a good, strong frame and reliable hands, but the speed he was known for early in his recruitment isn’t a differentiator. He’s on Gaskamp watch nevertheless.

Kai Money: Money played admirably given his 12th Man talent level. I’m not sure we see much of him in the Sark era but he can provide depth at slot.

Jaden Alexis: Speed and strength gives him real upside. Can be a vertical slot or slot machine. He could probably even play running back like his father, Rich. If the veterans in front of him don’t perform, he’ll be ready to give it a go.

Kennedy Lewis: Athletic with solid hands. Lewis has ideal size and speed for Z. His problems have been more in the classroom. This is a big spring for him. A new staff means a new lease on life. He needs to take advantage.

Dajon Harrison: He got hurt, then opted out of the season so he’s a bit of a mystery. He was dynamic as a recruit with the ability to play corner in addition to receiver. A position switch wouldn’t be too surprising based on his ability.

Tight End

Jared Wiley: He’s a dual-threat as a blocker and receiver, but how good or great he is at each remains to be seen. He’s a willing blocker and quality receiving threat but there’s still a lot of growth left in him in each regard. Part of the eval was him being on a longer developmental curve. He’s right on schedule. He’ll see the most snaps of all the tight ends thanks to his versatility. NFL player.

Cade Brewer: Really more of a traditional H-back than tight end, especially after the injury he suffered as a freshman limited his athleticism as a receiver. Should be a value add in 12 personnel but he’s not the best option for 11 personnel.

Brayden Liebrock: “We like him,” said a source last year. That didn’t answer my question of why he wasn’t playing more. Tom Herman taking projects at tight end when his scheme was co-dependent on them was....dumb. But Liebrock is a real talent and Sark stands to benefit from Herman’s miscalculation. Liebrock could become a real weapon in 12 personnel or 11 when flexed out. He’s not a great in-line blocker and probably never will be, but if he becomes serviceable it makes him really tough to not play him. Sark likes his specific fits at tight end and it’s not hard to see Liebrock carving out a niche as a flexed TE like Jahleel Billngsley at Bama. Billingsley was a chain mover in the passing game.

Malcolm Epps: Epps is another receiving TE who could make 12 personnel rather dangerous, or 11 if he’s not asked to win blocks. We’ve heard whispers he may elect to transfer after he graduates in May but it’s encouraging he’s still with the team. A creative OC finds ways for Epps to hurt you while not asking too much of him as a blocker.

Gunnar Helm: Helm should be the heir apparent to Wiley as a do-it-all TE, especially if Ja’Tavion Sanders plays defense, but it remains to be seen how good he is as a receiver and blocker. He can be adequate at each, but can be good at one or both roles? As we’ve reported, he’s impressed in the weight room and on the field in agility drills. Good early signs.

Juan Davis: It’s hard to have a clear read on Davis, but my strong suspicion is he can be ultra-Brewer as a dangerous H-back. You want him as a secondary blocker on bigs or a primary blocker on back-seven defenders in space or on arc blocks. He’s a guy they’ll motion around. He has tremendous hands so don’t sleep on him as a receiver. Since the second he committed I’ve wondered about him as an OLB. If he ever moved to defense he’d be an X-backer.

Offensive Line

Derek Kerstetter: I don’t see him winning a tackle spot in 2021 and I’m not sure he has the size, strength, and upside as some of the contenders at guard. But I’m hyped he elected to return because he helps set a higher floor on the o-line. If he’s not starting next year, it tells you a lot about the o-line. If he has an NFL position, it’s as a center, and yes I’m aware of his struggles last year. The younger tackles are going to have to compete to unseat Kerstetter.

Denzel Okafor: My sentiments on Okafor echo Kerstetter. He may start at guard but he’s going to have to hold off younger talent with more upside. If he gets beat out it’ll say good things about the overall quality of the guards. I’ve always felt he could be a really good guard. Maybe Flood unlocks something. Could be an emergency tackle.

Junior Angilau: The light might have started to come on later in the 2020 season for Angilau. Flood will have to work on his pass-pro but the new OL coach will find a game-run blocker with the sort of attitude he’s accustomed to working with in Tuscaloosa. Angilau is a very likely starter at guard but he’ll have to compete and earn it.

Christian Jones: From a traits standpoint, he’s an NFL starter kit but his tape still has a long way to go. His awareness in picking up stunts or blitzes has been lacking. He still thinks too much which limits both his athleticism and physicality. The staff will try him out at left tackle, which makes sense when you see him in person. He has to become much more reliable on the field before you trust the quarterback’s blindside to him. Too bad the roster doesn’t have Joseph Ossai on it to test Jones’ progress.

Andrej Karic: The staff is going to do all it can to develop Jones but part of me thinks Karic will end up winning the LT job thanks to consistency. He’s like a stud version of Kerstetter. He has length limitations but his feet and fight help him get by. He does have good quickness. With more S&C he could be a stud guard, especially in a scheme that gets him on the move. If he did end up at guard, that will speak volumes about the tackles.

Isaiah Hookfin: We know he can be a good guard, but there’s a chance he can also become a good tackle. Tackle upside will be explored this spring. The current staff is wondering why he wasn’t played at tackle. In addition, tackle was the high school eval.

Jake Majors: Excellent high school tackle tape and a Stanford brain to boot, but length limitations forced him to center. He’ll struggle 1-on-1 with bigs like Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat, but that’s not only a Jake Majors issue. Big spring for him as he has a new offense to learn — we tend to put that learning curve more on quarterbacks — but he has the aptitude to pick things up quickly.

Tyler Johnson: Late in the 2020 campaign we began to see signs of Johnson’s tantalizing ability. He’s a tackle athlete but in a guard body. Seeing him with the quickness to make tough reach blocks was encouraging. For the OL to reach its ceiling, Johnson needs to emerge as a starter and future draft pick. Could be an emergency tackle.

Tope Imade: He could start at guard and not look out of place. He’s a bit heavy footed but can be an effective drive blocker. There is a lot of competition at guard and it will be difficult to win playing time but it goes to show you how improved things are since the 2017 season.

Rafiti Ghirmai: He’s bounced around the line in his time in Austin. Guard seems to be the natural fit and there is still some upside to him at that position. He wouldn’t be out of place if thrown into a game. We’ve heard him called physical in the past.

Jaylen Garth: Injuries have robbed Garth of developmental time but the staff still has him penciled in at left tackle. We’ll be interested to hear how he looks this spring. He was limited most of last season.

Logan Parr: Length limitations make him guard specific, though he could potentially learn center as well. The roster does need a long-term backup plan at center.

Hayden Conner: The early enrollee is slated for guard. There’s a quality combination of size and athleticism for Flood to work with.

*Quick note: We’ve heard the new staff is intrigued by Max Merrill’s high school tape. Would he be a guy at Bama? No. Is he a piece they can work with at Texas? Yes.

 

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On 3/16/2021 at 8:58 AM, texifornia said:

 

 

30 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

If he had larger hands, that ball would've flown 80 yards. 

Why do people lie/exaggerate on social media so much? The ball traveled 65ish yards, it's not like we can't easily see that he let it go from the 46 yard line. And there is zero chance the ball had 6+ yards of distance left on that angle of descent.

/rant

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