Texas Football Mid-Camp Report: DT/DE/LB

by Scipio Tex on Aug 23, 2010 1:41 PM CDT in Texas Longhorns and Other Football

Orakpwned.

Let's talk defense, where we're all secretly Georgia Bulldog and LSU Tiger fans.

Kheeston Randall is the man. The coaches expect an All Big 12 year. The second or third most important player on our football team. Let's all say it together: PLEASESTAYHEALTHYKHEESTON.

Calvin Howell is solid, but he has stamina problems. Not an effort or conditioning issue, just how he's wired. He has been limited in some practices and the coaches want to see him grab the position, wrestle it to the ground, and hogtie it.

Tyrell Higgins is serviceable. You're now starting to get into the calculus of whether Acho gives you more, even with a size deficit.

Greg Daniels is at DT to stay and he's going to be good. He's just underweight. We think we stole one here. Give him time.

All of the other freshmen DTs lack consistency and can't hold up for a long grind. Dorsey is the most ready to play currently and would be our #3 DT. Bible could play himself into some semblance of shape and benefit from cooler weather in October/November. Just in time for Florida Atlantic! It's unclear to me how a player who reports in June 35 pounds overweight at a position of clear need has made minimal progress from a S&C perspective by mid-August. You could accomplish a hell of a lot in 8 weeks with strict individual attention.

Taylor Bible has that first step, it's just buried in blubber and bad cardio. Lose weight and he's Russell Maryland. Continue on the same path and he's Sonny Davis.

Expect Sam Acho to log 30-40% of his snaps inside.

The best position on the team.

Okafor, Acho, and Jones are all high quality starters. Wilson and Jeffcoat have exceeded high expectations. Right now Muschamp is diagramming a defense on a napkin to get five DEs on the field at the same time. Then you have Dravannti Johnson, who has shown a knack for pass rushing in situational packages and would, in any other year, be a camp darling. Our third team DEs start at 9-10 other Big 12 schools.

We will have a team that you don't want to fall behind on. Good secondary + endless waves of fresh pass rushers = tough times for predictable passing situations.

Amusingly, our 2011 DE rotation will be even stronger than this one.

Acho and Robinson are 240 pound missiles. We haven't seen guys like this at Texas in a while. Obviously, Derrick Johnson + carbon based life forms is a good unit, but this is our best LB group in the Brown era.

I'll call for Keenan Robinson to lead the team in tackles, E Acho to lead the team in TFL.

If Robinson has a weakness, it's a tendency to overrun plays. He's learning not to run even to the RB. Emmanuel Acho's strength increase is making him better at the point of attack and not just a run blitz mongoose.

The move of Roberson to FB is reflective of our confidence in the freshmen, specifically Jordan Hicks. Like Jeffcoat and Wilson, Hicks is a freshman that is as good as advertised.

Tevin Jackson isn't catching on to the mental aspects of the game yet, but Aaron Benson has. Benson also came in at a solid 235. Not the 210 pound high senior they were expecting. We like him and expect him to play.

Dravannti Johnson is cross training at SLB. We're not asking him to play off of the ball much - mostly pass rushing and heads up on the TE on rushing downs.

Jared Norton and Dustin Earnest are splitting time inside when we play 3 LBs, with Earnest currently having the nod for his mobility. Tariq Allen is running 3rd team. Norton is a big-time thumper between the tackles, expect heavy use when teams try to smash mouth us.

Patrick Nkwopara held off a wolf spider using a knitting needle as a makeshift spear and paper clips fired from a rubber band. Then he bathed in a teacup.

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Comments

Secretly? Ha.

Geaux Bulldogs!

(Good write up.)

by PB on Aug 23, 2010 1:44 PM CDT reply actions

I can count the number of questionable Muschamp decisions on about two fingers (give or take a finger). Offering Nkwopara is one of them. He makes Rashad Babino look like Levon Kirkland.

by nordberg on Aug 23, 2010 1:56 PM CDT reply actions

Oh, and moar Scipio! Moar!

MOAR!!!

Fucking invent some new positions if you have to.

by nordberg on Aug 23, 2010 1:57 PM CDT reply actions

Nice job, outdone yourself with the nwokolarity. In the same vein of sci-fi geekery, I’ll see your Derrick Johnson and take Reed Boyd and several Silicon-based sentient beings and be a literal and figurative brick wall during short-yardage and running downs.

by Fantome on Aug 23, 2010 3:20 PM CDT reply actions

Our defense is going to be the best in the country. Best coach, best talent, loads of experience in places where it counts.

They were top 3 last year, and this squad is just as good.

They’re going to give GG and crew some much needed breathing room.

by Capt. Obvious on Aug 23, 2010 3:31 PM CDT reply actions

Glad you finally got around to writing some real football. It’s just all kinds of wrong when a third set of DE’s or second set of LB’s just might bugger you up more than the starters. Remember those sledgehammer defenses we had a couple or three decades ago—-well, we won’t have to deal with the term soft much longer in these parts.

Thankee Scipio.

by TexasFootball on Aug 23, 2010 3:35 PM CDT reply actions

Agree that Acho Uno Ocho leads in at least two categories, including HOS (Heads On Spikes). I can’t wait to see Muschamp turn the dogs loose!

by TXStampede on Aug 23, 2010 3:36 PM CDT reply actions

Good stuff, as usual. Much appreciated.

The John Mackovic defensive era seems so long ago.

by Levander Williams on Aug 23, 2010 3:44 PM CDT reply actions

Having Will Muschamp as our defensive coordinator is like finding Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson in your bed. Only better.

Having Patrick Nkwopara as a third team linebacker is like having Willow defending your Alba/Johansson baby. Only better. Because Val Kilmer is starring as Will Muschamp.

by jc25 on Aug 23, 2010 3:44 PM CDT reply actions

Dorsey.

by beowulf on Aug 23, 2010 3:52 PM CDT reply actions

“Patrick Nkwopara held off a wolf spider using a knitting needle as a makeshift spear and paper clips fired from a rubber band. Then he bathed in a teacup.”

Nice effort, I prefer danger from above references for Nkwopara, though. Really have enjoyed this series of posts. Two good starters and 3 talented, but inexperienced, snap givers is nice, as long as nobody gets hurt. Would it be possible to rent Randall a Rascal for use around campus or is that an NCAA violation? You know twisted ankles and all. . .

by Holy Cow on Aug 23, 2010 4:17 PM CDT reply actions

Great as always, Scip. Looks like our ceiling as a team is another MNC title shot.

With this defense, it looks like our floor is to be a Virginia Tech caliber team.

I just don’t see how its possible with this D to not win 10 games this year.

We may drop off offensively SOME, but can you imagine how good Nebraska (last year) or VTech (just about any year) would be with a top 25 offense? That’ll be us this year.

by Orangechipper on Aug 23, 2010 4:41 PM CDT reply actions

The prospect of a Giant-esque all DE front four on 3rd and 9 is making me horny. The sacks. The quarterbacks crumpled in pain. The fumbles. Oh…..it’s so good…….

by Bateshorn on Aug 23, 2010 5:40 PM CDT reply actions

Great post. Very much enjoying the series.

How is it that the 2011 DE group will be better? Are sophomore Jeffcoat and Wilson > senior Acho and Eddie?

by Max Fischer on Aug 23, 2010 5:52 PM CDT reply actions

Max -

In my estimation, JR Alex Okafor & JR Dravannti Johnson + SOPHs Wilson & Jeffcoat = Off the charts.

by Scipio Tex on Aug 23, 2010 5:59 PM CDT reply actions

Maybe add Rasco to that group.

by nordberg on Aug 23, 2010 8:34 PM CDT reply actions

Madden might not be the best S&C coach in the country, but the failure of Bible to come into the Fall camp any where near the shape needed to compete solely falls on Bible. I look at the condition that most of the returning players came to camp and I can’t believe this all got accomplished by getting together at the local Gold’s Gym.

I was told Bible is a very talented kid who got to a point in high school where he really wasn’t challenged and once he had committed to Texas went into coast mode. This is where the true value of kids like Higgins and Kreigel becomes apparent. These are guys who bust their asses and have enough talent to push ahead of a more talent player who either isn’t in the shape they need to compete or hasn’t developed the work habits Tolly and Will demand from their players.

One thing I love about this defense is that there is at least one guy at each area that has either busted his ass to make himself a damn good football player (i.e. Earnest ), injuries (Jones and Norton), or other issues (Higgins and Scott). Scott might be my favorite player on the defense. Guy basically shits in his bed academically and cost himself last year, man’s up, not only makes the grades, but is so sold on the program he is out pushing it at Skyline when it still wasn’t exactly an open door to UT and has now become a leader on the field.

All of these are guys who bust their asses every day for the betterment of the defense and the program, set the bar damn high for the young guys, and in my mind are the type of kids you build great programs on.

Fuck, I just channeled Bill Little.

by Davey O'Brien on Aug 24, 2010 8:29 AM CDT reply actions

I’ve been chased by some big ass wolf spiders before. Relatively harmless for humans larger than Nkwopara which makes his feat that much more impressive.

by maninblack on Aug 24, 2010 10:25 AM CDT reply actions

I’ve heard that one of Les’ former players, as in on the team last year, thinks the Tigers are not going to be worth a damn this year. I’m hoping this is just hurt feelings and that Les, and Mark Richt, have great years.

by Lesismoar on Aug 24, 2010 1:57 PM CDT reply actions