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Longhorn fans: Reality check?

Texas Jefe

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While I and many others got excited during the spring scrimmage/game, for some good reasons, there are still many hard realities we will have to face for one more year.
 

Texas Jefe

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The reality check is really only for myself (of the fans here on this board) as most of y'all are pretty well grounded. But there are many others like me out there who've seen some good things coming for this team.

Because of my DNA, and the way I look at things, I'll always be enthusiastic and a 'glass half full' guy over on the main board. I'm always ready to point out the good to other fans from around the country...Texas fans dont need to be reminded of the fact that when things are good on the Forty Acres, they are as good as any anywhere.
 

Texas Jefe

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However, there are several huge areas that are still in need of talent, and most importantly, experience/maturity, in the good young players we have and that are coming in June.

The biggest issue, for the past six or so years, was getting a competent quarterback. We've had a run of good athletes who are playing quarterback, rather than a real 24hour a day, seven days a week quarterback.

But the really good news from this spring is, we've found a guy who just MIGHT be an answer for us. However, he falls into that category listed above: needs experience and physical maturity. At his age, he will mature quite a bit in the next few months. He already has shown me that he has the skills and the ability to run this team. I watched those players around him on offense, and few on defense such as team leader Malik, really take to him. Numerous times, he was directing RBs and receivers to get into the correct positions, and they listened to him.

And in all the interviews I watched of players after the game, reflected that he has already made a good impression on the team.

So our biggest need at least is looking like we are heading in a positive direction. It's a good beginning.
 

Texas Jefe

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But we now get to the harsh realities: The DL position is apocalyptic appearing in it's lack of depth. They could not even field a number two defense without using walkons...

The offensive line, while they may have found their five, is also paper thin. In addition, they are very young.

Both OL/DL linemen need years to develop, as you cannot play those positions at a conference leading level as a freshman. Yes, you can do well, get named Freshman All American, but that level is not even honorable mention all-conference level play. They have to keep working, hard, to reach that level of play.

Both lines will be reinforced very well with incoming talent in June. Yet we are back to that reality of inexperience and physical immaturity again.
 

BTHOtu

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I think the OC you guys got from Tulsa will get your offense clicking and putting up monster points but he's pretty young. Hopefully it doesn't mirror what we got with Spav.
 

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Pass rushing, or lack thereof: incoming sophomore Omenihu is showing promise as a pass rusher. He had a pretty good day, with good pressure and a couple of sacks. Yet, we really dont have much after that. Bryce Cottrell has looked pretty last year at times, but was out injured for the spring scrimmage.

Hager is being tested as a pass rusher. He has a quick first step and should do well. But the most we can probably hope for this year is some decent situational pass rushing from him. Next year he could be special.

Since Anthony Wheeler had such a good spring, I'm hoping he can take the load off at middle backer for Malik, and allow Malik to be used to pressure quarterbacks more. He has a real skill here, and hopefully he will be able to utilize it more this year.

Have some very talented FR coming this summer who may be able to help out this year, but they are freshmen...
 

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I think the OC you guys got from Tulsa will get your offense clicking and putting up monster points but he's pretty young. Hopefully it doesn't mirror what we got with Spav.

Well, he sure made this spring game look vastly different than CS's first two games. Ran many more plays, with Buchelle getting them off at an average of 12 seconds.

I feel pretty confident he'll make a difference with his offensive scheme this season.
 

TexasExes98

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Pass rushing, or lack thereof: incoming sophomore Omenihu is showing promise as a pass rusher. He had a pretty good day, with good pressure and a couple of sacks. Yet, we really dont have much after that. Bryce Cottrell has looked pretty last year at times, but was out injured for the spring scrimmage.

Hager is being tested as a pass rusher. He has a quick first step and should do well. But the most we can probably hope for this year is some decent situational pass rushing from him. Next year he could be special.

Since Anthony Wheeler had such a good spring, I'm hoping he can take the load off at middle backer for Malik, and allow Malik to be used to pressure quarterbacks more. He has a real skill here, and hopefully he will be able to utilize it more this year.

Have some very talented FR coming this summer who may be able to help out this year, but they are freshmen...

Jefe, every single defensive coach should have been fired last year, including Bedford. But that's JMO....
 

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I heard Dan Neil (former All America and NFL player with the Broncos) on the radio this morning.

He sounded like me. Completely convinced Texas has talent, and is going to be a good football team starting this year.

Putting the depth issues on the DL aside, and that the OL needs the incoming freshmen as well to provide depth this season, he sees an excellent array of talent on this team, of the likes that has not been at Texas in a number of years.

When asked, if Texas to be successful this year, it needs a group of the incoming freshmen to perform this year, is not that a lot to ask? Neil said that CS proved last year that his evaluation and then coaching of freshmen to be successful immediately is a proven; he did it last year and there is no reason not to expect it of the incoming bunch.

Said he recruits players who can be coached and that have the physical abilities to make immediate impact, pointing out the three FR All Americans, and that at least one other of the group could have been one as well.
 

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Plus, Neil said he's not an expert at evaluating quarterbacks, but when he saw Buchelle throw from the far hash to the other sideline, accurately and on a rope, he was impressed.

Gilbert's offense requires those throws, because the target is in a 'dead' zone of the defense and is thus not as heavily defended. If the QB can hit those spots, he has a chance to be successful.

In addition, as an OL, he would dream of blocking for a couple of bruisers like Foreman and Warren, saying that they are not just big and powerful, they are very fast. Rare commodities.
 

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Said what he really knows a lot about is OL play, and he's very excited about the current young line. Thinks they have all the tools needed to be great players, and that there are a number of that young group that will make it to the NFL.
 

TexasExes98

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I heard Dan Neil (former All America and NFL player with the Broncos) on the radio this morning.

He sounded like me. Completely convinced Texas has talent, and is going to be a good football team starting this year.

Putting the depth issues on the DL aside, and that the OL needs the incoming freshmen as well to provide depth this season, he sees an excellent array of talent on this team, of the likes that has not been at Texas in a number of years.

When asked, if Texas to be successful this year, it needs a group of the incoming freshmen to perform this year, is not that a lot to ask? Neil said that CS proved last year that his evaluation and then coaching of freshmen to be successful immediately is a proven; he did it last year and there is no reason not to expect it of the incoming bunch.

Said he recruits players who can be coached and that have the physical abilities to make immediate impact, pointing out the three FR All Americans, and that at least one other of the group could have been one as well.

Jefe, I've been saying all along that talent hasn't been the problem since C.S. arrived. Although it hasn't been elite talent by any means, the talent has been there to at least have winning seasons the last 2 years. The problem has always been coaching. I believe that has been corrected on the offensive side of the ball. The defensive side of coaching is what I'm still worried about. I just wish Strong would have demoted or fired Bedford and take over the defense the way Patterson does it at TCU.....
 

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Jefe, I've been saying all along that talent hasn't been the problem since C.S. arrived. Although it hasn't been elite talent by any means, the talent has been there to at least have winning seasons the last 2 years. The problem has always been coaching. I believe that has been corrected on the offensive side of the ball. The defensive side of coaching is what I'm still worried about. I just wish Strong would have demoted or fired Bedford and take over the defense the way Patterson does it at TCU.....

yes the defense was historically bad last year. Gonna have to see some improvement this year, and some of those incoming DTs are going to have to man up and keep those blockers off the backers.

Plus, the sooner Haines graduates and moves on, that will signal an improvement on the backside. I mean sure he knows where to get people lined up, but Malik will be taking over that role so he's going to be redundant there...

I give the dude his due for stepping up, working hard and doing his best to get the job done, and he's a legacy player, etc. But he just does not have the physical tools to effectively play the game at this level.
 
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