Four bold predictions ahead of Texas Longhorns spring football practices
The Texas Longhorns begin spring football practice on Monday, March 6 in preparation for Steve Sarkisian‘s third season leading the UT program. During the course of 14 practices and the Orange-White Game, there’s room for development for plenty of players, from those who have been mainstays in the starting lineup to those participating in their first spring at Texas.
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After an 8-5 season that included close losses, blowout wins, and ended with a bowl defeat to one of the West Coast’s top teams, Texas has its eyes on winning the Big 12 during the program’s last season as a member of the conference.
These spring practices will determine a lot about the future of the program.
I’ll try to determine what I think that future will entail with several bold predictions
J’Mond Tapp becomes the player to beat at Buck
With Ovie Oghoufo trading burnt orange for LSU’s purple and gold, the Longhorns are now without a player who was a constant presence in the starting lineup at Buck, or the weakside EDGE position in defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski‘s defense.
Texas threw plenty of numbers at the position in the 2022 and 2023 high school classes, but I envision J’Mond Tapp making a move to the top of the depth chart this spring.
A 6-foot-3, 241-pounder from Donaldsonville (La.) Ascension Catholic, Tapp redshirted last year but played in two games and recorded a tackle and a hurry. He arrived at Texas with a great athletic profile and requisite size for the Buck position, but lacked some of the refinement needed to play the role at a high level.
The competition for Buck should be wide open. Tapp will have to top teammates such as Justice Finkley, Derrick Brown, Ethan Burke and Colton Vasek this spring to take hold of the top spot. It may be a tall order, but Tapp has the necessary tools to make it happen.
2023 Jalen Catalon looks like 2020 Jalen Catalon
During the 2020 season, Jalen Catalon was a first-team All-SEC selection by the AP and a second-team All-SEC choice by the league’s coaches. He was named a freshman All-American by several different publications, and was primed for a big 2021 for Arkansas.
The Longhorns felt the effects of Catalon during the second game of the 2021 season, a loss in Fayetteville, Ark. to the Razorbacks, but few other teams did. Catalon was hampered by injury in 2021 and 2022 and eventually entered the transfer portal.
Texas worked quickly to add the former Mansfield (Texas) Legacy standout. The program missed on Catalon during the 2019 cycle but wouldn’t let that happen again in 2023.
Catalon will likely play boundary safety, a position akin to the middle safety spot he played in Barry Odom’s three-down lineman, three-safety defense.
He’ll have to prove he can hold up physically at the spot. All involved believe he’ll be able to do so, and Catalon will remind Texas fans of why he was so highly-coveted a few years ago.
Jaray Bledsoe becomes 1b to Barryn Sorrell‘s 1a
Last season, Barryn Sorrell played in all 13 games and started 10 as the Longhorns’ Jack, or strongside EDGE. He led the team in sacks with 5.5 and recorded 9.0 tackles for loss as part of a 44-tackle campaign.
Sorrell will build off that 2022 season by solidifying himself as the starter at Jack, but he’ll face strong competition at that spot from Jaray Bledsoe.
Bledsoe, who played only in the season-opener versus ULM, benefitted greatly from enrolling early ahead of the 2022 spring. He was able to build upon the athleticism he showcased at Marlin (Texas), and earned a reputation as one of the best athletes on the team. Like Tapp, his game required some refinement but the physical ability he possessed helped him make up for some of those deficiencies.
After another spring, he’ll give Kwiatkowski a platoon at Jack that resembles the one seen at defensive tackle last year. That kept players fresh at that position, and as the K-State game shows, that can add wins to the schedule.
Arch Manning finishes the spring as the third-string QB
Sarkisian has brought in plenty of talent at the quarterback position during his time in Austin. From landing Quinn Ewers out of the transfer portal, to signing Maalik Murphy from the West Coast, to defeating the top programs in the country for Arch Manning, QB is a position Sarkisian has improved from a talent perspective.
While Manning arrives with unquestionable pedigree, the competition he’ll face in the room may keep him from moving up too far on the depth chart.
Murphy worked tirelessly over the course of the offseason to overcome injury and reshape his throwing motion. He drew praise from Sarkisian and others in the lead up to the bowl game for everything he had done so far as a Longhorn. While portal decisions from other quarterbacks were part of the equation, Murphy ended the season as Ewers’ backup.
That’s where he’ll be at the end of spring ball, too.
Manning still has some adjusting to do to the speed of the college game. All reports say he’s acclimated well so far to life as a FBS quarterback, but things are different when the pads come on. Murphy has more experience at Texas in that regard, and likely wants to maintain his hold on the spot that’s one snap away from seeing the field.
Could this change in the summer and in preseason camp? Of course. Plus, don’t ignore the fact this says Manning will move past the other QBs on the roster this spring.
But 15 practices won’t be enough to overtake Murphy for the No. 2 spot, for a variety of reasons.
