Syllabus Week: What Payton Kirkland, Liona Lefau, and Arch Manning need to work on
Depending on who you ask, “syllabus week” isn’t limited to a seven-day period. Some recognize syllabus week as lasting one day, others recognize it for an entire month.
[Get Inside Texas Plus until the start of the 2023 season for $29.99!]
Whatever your preferred way to celebrate the beginning of the semester is, any newly-minted Texas Longhorns football player has a learning curve they have to navigate as they settle in on campus, begin workouts with Torre Becton, and learn other aspects of the program in preparation for spring football practices.
Rather than just telling each new Longhorn making their first few steps on the Forty Acres to “learn the playbook and get to know your teammates,” Inside Texas will look for specific areas for each mid-year enrollee to focus on during their first few weeks and months on campus.
Payton Kirkland
Kirkland played a variety of roles for Dr. Phillips, including guard, tackle, and center. He utilized his mammoth size to make sure opponents rarely could make plays once he got his hands on them, locking up defenders once they were in his grasp in a manner similar to Andre Cojoe.
Like Cojoe, developing proper hand technique to use against quality defensive linemen who have a repertoire of moves will be an important skill for Kirkland to develop as he begins his time on the Forty Acres. His feet, which he often used at tackle at the high school level, could lend toward playing tackle in the future.
Since guard is the place he’ll most likely stick, however, he’ll need to develop proper technique with his upper body in order to fight off interior defensive linemen. He has the needed size and base to do it, all he needs is to pair the fine motor skills along with his current attributes to best prepare for game situations.
Liona Lefau
Lefau arrives in Austin from Hawaii with a high level of baseline athleticism, with his film playing (and succeeding) at wide receiver serving as evidence. His defensive highlights showcase an ability to do many of the things a linebacker in the Big 12 will be asked to do, including dropping into coverage and effectively blitzing from depth to get to the quarterback.
Many high school prospects rely on athleticism for their pass rush, and Lefau is no different. Where Lefau will need to make serious headway is in his ability to play the run, especially against college blockers in both the Big 12 and the SEC.
There is some evidence of it in his film, but there isn’t enough to think it’s a place he’s extremely proficient. His coverage ability answers a question many linebackers at his age are unable to answer, but his work against quality rushers and run blocking will determine what type of player he is at the Power 5 level.
Arch Manning
No matter your opinion on the polarizing prospect, whether the thought is that he’s the No. 3 overall prospect or a three-star prospect (ha!), Manning arrives at Texas with a quarterbacking pedigree never before seen at the college level. Thanks to his family, coaches, and his own drive, Manning understands what it takes to be successful on the field and what the preparation off the field that goes into game-time glory.
He does walk into a quarterback room with Quinn Ewers, who is likely to be QB1 come September. Manning and his family understood Ewers would be on campus when he committed, although some national media members felt the need to inform his father Cooper and company of that fact.
Even with Ewers’ likely incumbent status, Manning can factor into the quarterback conversation by pushing Maalik Murphy for the backup role. What must he do to make that happen?
First, there’s the obvious adjustment to competition. Isidore Newman’s weekly opponents weren’t as bad as critics liked to say, nor were they world-beaters. They were likely somewhere around the 3A to 4A level in Texas.
Passing against Power 5 players, even if it’s a scout team, will take some getting used to.
The other thing Manning can perfect is working in the pocket. At Newman, he often was flushed out and had to throw on the move due to an offensive line that often struggled with protection. He was remarkably proficient in that area, but Steve Sarkisian’s offense places major emphasis on being able to throw from the pocket.
The learning curve won’t be too steep, but working the pocket and making plays within it versus quality competitions are the areas Manning should work on early in his Texas career to make sure he’s able to excel when his number is called.
