What we learned about the Texas offense this Spring
It was great seeing everyone who attended the various hangouts over the last few days. We’ll have another happy hour in June around one of the Texas camps.
Spring football concluded with what I felt was a pretty solid exhibition, at least as far as exhibitions go. We’ve seen some brutally disjointed Spring games in the recent past but this wasn’t that.
Steve Sarkisian has done well at overseeing the program and setting it on a clear upward trend. If many of us are right, wins should lag these incremental improvements the program has made.
This is not a perfect roster but it’s pretty good especially compared to 2021. It was fun seeing the new additions showing off their playmaking ability. These new players will add both depth and more explosive plays the offense lacked last season.
Let’s take a closer look at what we learned.
Quarterback
Sources felt like the team could win games this season with Maalik Murphy but he still looked better than I anticipated yesterday. It’s obviously Quinn Ewers’ job but I think it’s fair to have some confidence in UT’s depth. Murphy clearly very coachable because he has improved a lot in a relatively short time.
Quinn Ewers is improved pretty much across the board but he does need to become more consistent and continue developing throughout the offseason if he’s going to make a major jump in play. He still breaks down mechanically at times. There is still plenty of offseason remaining and we can expect him and the coaches to take advantage. I wouldn’t be surprise if we again hear of him improving in August.
The Ewers improvement is real but he’s nowhere close to being a finished product. That’s pretty exciting.
Overall it was a promising Spring at a position that needed it.
Running Back
We knew Texas had a number of talented options coming into the Spring but I’m not sure we understood how much parity there is. All the players have different strengths and styles but on balance they’re pretty evenly talented for where each one is in his career. That’s a good problem to have but I’m not sure how Sark is going to keep the guys in the room happy if Jonathon Brooks becomes the lead back and Sark rides him like he typically prefers. Somebody else will carve out carries similar to Roschon Johnson but that still won’t satisfy three of them.
The even nature of the competition is somewhat similar to cornerback but that’s easier to navigate due to rotations.
I’ll give some credit to Jaydon Blue. Talent has never been the question. He’s matured quite a bit and that’s put him in much better position to showcase that talent.
Wide Receiver
The position took a couple hits to its depth with the departures of Jaden Alexis and Brenen Thompson but what Texas has remaining is high end talent that is guaranteed to contribute. Who is the “worst” wide receiver on campus right now? That’s rhetorical and underlines how healthy the room still is.
Xavier Worthy and Ewers did a much better job this Spring of connecting on deep balls. It’s not exactly Montana to Rice yet but just a little improvement will go a long way on the scoreboard.
Jordan Whittington at slot is a much better fit for him. I think he’s going to be a YAC monster in part due to his own strength and speed but also because he’ll have more room to operate with all the other weapons on the field.
The arrival of AD Mitchell and Sark going to 11 personnel guaranteed the wide receivers would each play in their ideal role. Getting players in their proper fits is half the battle.
We knew Johntay Cook was fast but damn that was fun watching him turn on the afterburners in the Spring game. He’s the real deal. One Big 12 head coach was privately singing his praises in the last couple of days. He thinks Texas has an elite stud on its hands and that’s hard to dispute after his first Spring.
DeAndre Moore had a few drops but overall he had a very good Spring as well. He and Cook are also in their ideal fits and will play a ton. He will end up being a great late-cycle take.
If I have a concern for the position it would be too many drops at times. It seems to come and go so I don’t think it’s a talent issue.
Offensive Line
My biggest position concern has been the interior offensive line and I don’t think that’s going to change, though Cole Hutson‘s return will at least elevate the floor to last season’s offensive line. That’s a quality starting point for the group if it turns out that way. Of course we can expect Hutson to continue to improve. Players typically make a drastic jump in Year 2 but his Year 2 has so far been hampered by injury. He’ll work hard and make up for lost time.
Hayden Conner is very likely going to be the other starting guard. He doesn’t have the ceiling of some other players but coaches love a good, predictable floor. Conner’s experience his best asset right now.
Cameron Williams had a pretty solid Spring crosstraining all over the line. That said, Texas was fortunate Christian Jones decided to return. I’m not sure Williams was as far along as some sources hoped. He is trending in the right direction, however.
Kelvin Banks has been the most obvious three-year player to me since Malcom Brown’s freshman year.
What we learned is what we already suspected. The tackles are very good but the interior O-line still has a ways to go. We’ll be watching Hutson versus DJ Campbell closely this August.
We do have one player on portal watch from this group. Sources think the player will stay but we’re hearing this from a couple of information streams and are continuing to monitor.
Tight End
Ja’Tavion Sanders and Gunnar Helm are known quantities with Sanders being probably the second best tight end in the country behind Brock Bowers. Texas will still be thin at the position even after the arrivals of Spencer Shannon and Will Randle.
Sanders can still become more technical as a blocker but he certainly doesn’t lack fight.
The move to more 11 personnel hasn’t seemed to change much for Sanders as a receiver, though the game plan went away from him at times yesterday. You can pencil him in for another 55 catch season.
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