Three things to know from Sark: Early standouts, handling Jalen Catalon, freshmen earning mention

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke to the media on Monday after the completion of the fifth practice of the preseason for the Longhorns, one he called the most difficult of the first week of training camp

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“Today was probably the most taxing practice that we had, and especially to where we’re starting to incorporate more facets of the game,” Sarkisian said, referencing situationals like third down and red zone.

Here are three things to know from the availability.

First player mentioned? Alfred Collins

Sarkisian got in front of the “who is standing out” question by starting with a list of players who have impressed early.

“Some guys that I really think are standing out and playing well: I think Alfred Collins has had a really good camp so far,” Sarkisian said. “I think Vernon Broughton showed up. I think AD Mitchell has really showed up. Definitely see the improvement in Johntay Cook, just to name a few guys.”

The mention of two defensive tackles thought to be a little further down the depth chart is welcome news. Collins has long been considered one of the top talents in the program, but hasn’t played with enough consistency. Similar can be said about Broughton. Their mention along with Mitchell, who has been a preseason standout, is notable at a position where consistency is needed especially after last year’s performance at DT.

Regarding Cook, the only freshman mentioned in that opening statement, Sarkisian had this to say.

“What I love about Johntay right now is how coachable he is,” Sarkisian said. “I think he’s really trying to do what we’re asking of him to do. Then, when he doesn’t do it the right way, he acknowledges that and tries to do it again better next time.”

There’s more to come on Inside Texas about the former five-star.

The process for Jalen Catalon

The addition of Jalen Catalon was one of the most important of the offseason for Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. A talented college football veteran, Catalon has delivered so far on the practice field for the Longhorns.

“I think he’s had a real impact on our team, definitely defensively and in the secondary,” Sarkisian said. “He is very intentional with his work. He’s got a high level of intensity and mental focus. He communicates on a really high level, and then when he knows, he goes. That’s a great trait not just for him, but for other guys to see a style of play in the secondary.”

Catalon’s last two seasons have been derailed by shoulder injuries, and the former Mansfield (Texas) Legacy standout was very limited during spring practice in order to make sure he was ready for this training camp.

Sarkisian said they continue to manage Catalon’s workload to make sure he is ready for not only the next practice, but for the season. Sarkisian said Catalon wears a green jersey on occasion to limit his contact, and makes sure Catalon doesn’t have back-to-back contact days.

That’s not something keeping Sarkisian up at night.

“I am not concerned about Jalen Catalon come week one hitting somebody,” Sarkisian said. “That is in his DNA. We just got to manage it as we get ourselves to the season. I don’t want to take his stinger from him. We’ll manage it on our own, but when we give him the green light to go play we want him to play the way he’s accustomed to playing.”

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Early returns on top freshmen

While Texas isn’t looking for freshman saviors at any position this year, there were a few first-year players who Sarkisian decided to compliment during his Monday availability. That included Cook, CJ Baxter, and Anthony Hill.

“When they come from high school, the game changes, right? Everything changes. The nuances. The details. The schemes change. There’s a transition period for them that takes a minute.”

About those players, he’d add, “effort is never an issue. They play hard.”

Sarkisian then fielded a question about Derek Williams, a summer enrollee who has taken to his responsibilities at safety well.

“Derek has really come in with a mindset to try to be the best player that he can be,” Sarkisian said. “I think football makes sense to him. I think his natural football IQ is very high, and he’s a very versatile player. He’s got great length. He’s got great speed. He’s not afraid at all of contact.”

One more quote

“Today was probably, off the naked eye, probably our best day running the football where there were some really clean holes and the runners were hitting it on time,” Sarkisian said. “When the holes were clean but maybe not big, they were able to get through because they were anticipating where those holes were.”