Texas' freshmen OL made the most of the summer, but snaps won't be easy to come by

When did Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian realize the Longhorns needed bigger and better players on the offensive line?

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“Truthfully, in the interview,” Sarkisian said Thursday at Big 12 Media Days. “Honestly, you can ask (Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte) or anybody, that was one of the things. I said we need bigger humans in our program, and we need more of them.”

From that point on, Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood set out to add bigger humans to the offensive line via the 2022 class. There were ups in the process, like July 2021 commitments from Connor Robertson and Cole Hutson. July had down moments too, like when Kelvin Banks and Cam Williams picked Oregon.

Coaching changes, NIL developments, and Texas’ consistent recruiting efforts helped the Longhorns eventually sign Robertson, Hutson, Banks, Williams, Malik Agbo, Neto Umeozulu, and DJ Campbell.

Six of the seven joined Hutson on campus ahead of summer workouts in June. What were some older players’ first impressions?

“Day one them dudes came in and I was like, ‘y’all are very big, very big dudes,'” Bijan Robinson said Thursday. “They came in ready to go.”

Ovie Oghoufo provided a concise perspective on the new linemen: “Huge.”

Those players are participating in Texas’ summer conditioning and skill training sessions, and Sarkisian said he believed the freshmen presence has helped create healthy competition in the offensive line group.

Sarkisian admitted it’s difficult for freshmen offensive linemen to play early in their careers no matter the circumstance. It takes physical ability most 18 or 19-year-olds don’t have. It takes an understanding of the necessary fundamentals and techniques needed to play versus experienced linemen. Knowledge of the playbook is also a requirement, as well as the ability to apply it on the field.

However, Sarkisian mentioned a few names who bucked that trend and played early on some of his Alabama offensive lines, including Alex Leatherwood and Evan Neal. Those two carried five-star rankings, just like Campbell and Banks.

With that in mind, Sarkisian was put on the spot in Arlington. Can he tell if any of the freshmen are ready for game action right away?

“Not yet,” Sarkisian said. “I have indicators that things are adding up. You see the physical makeup. I can see them in their conditioning and in their lifting and what those numbers look like. I can see some of the retention of the scheme, or the fundamentals and the techniques because we can be on the field now working on those things, but, and I jokingly say this, we’re still in underwear. We haven’t put on the pads. It hasn’t gotten difficult and hard.”

Even with that qualification, Sarkisian mentioned the 2022 O-line class has gotten off to a great start, saying he was pleased with the progress. That progress has been made even with challenges from some older players.

“I make sure they know before practice that I’m coming,” linebacker DeMarvion Overshown said.

Intimidation tactics aside, Overshown said that seeing those large humans and other members of the Texas O-line room hustle has helped him get through Torre Becton’s offseason workouts. The Arp native mentioned when he’s tired, he’ll observe people who outweigh him by 100 pounds continuing to give full effort and be inspired by it.

Robinson, whose fortunes could rest heavily on the development of these freshmen linemen, also noted the strides they’ve made.

“Now that I see these kind of guys that are going to potentially be playing in front of me, it makes me smile every day,” Robinson said.

Oghoufo’s perspective on this is also important considering he has to work opposite the O-linemen. Who has stood out to him?

“Cam Williams, Kelvin Banks, they’re really good,” Oghoufo said. “The freshmen they brought in are pretty good. DJ Campbell, those are the three that really pop up in my head right now.”

Those three may be at the forefront of his mind, but Oghoufo is excited to see how the entire group of big humans Sarkisian and Flood brought to Austin fares in their first year.

“They come in and they work,” Oghoufo said. “These freshmen come in and work. I’m excited for the season. I’m excited for them. I’m excited for their career. They just come in and work. They come in with size, too. I love it.”

A few more weeks of training remain before preseason camp begins in earnest with pads, helmets, and the like. Data from those practices will determine if any freshman lineman sees the field.

But so far during June and July? So good, according to Texas’ head coach.

“I think the summer so far has been good to us, and then we’ve got to see how far we can take them come fall camp and come when the season rolls around,” Sarkisian said.