Jim Schlossnagle Shares Update on Jonah Williams Plan with Texas Football

Texas Longhorns football is back in action on the Forty Acres as spring practice commenced on Tuesday, but one newcomer wasn't found participating with the team.

Freshman dual-sport athlete Jonah Williams has taken on both football and baseball responsibilities this spring, a situation that has been accommodated by both head coaches Steve Sarkisian and Jim Schlossnagle.

Williams made his first appearance at home plate for the Longhorns during Tuesday night's matchup against Sam Houston. When asked if he made it to football practice earlier that day, Schlossnagle said that Williams has been spending more time at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

"He has been awesome, he's been a baseball player," Schlossnagle said during the team's postgame press conference on Tuesday. "[Williams] goes to some meetings, but he didn't go to practice. He's really coming on. His batting practice has been awesome, he threw on the mound for the first time today."

Schlossnagle has previously reiterated how much support he's received from Sarkisian in regards to sharing Williams, and that the real obstacle comes with trying to get repetitions in throughout the opposite off-seasons.

"He's got a really good swing, he just needs at-bats," Schlossnagle said. "That's the challenge for a two-sport athlete. Hitting is one of those things that you have to stay on it year-round, and that'll be his challenge moving forward. But if anybody can do it, it's great athletes like him."

This weekend, baseball will travel to Columbia to face off against Missouri in hopes of claiming its third SEC series win. Schlossnagle said that its still unknown whether or not Williams will make the trip, which feeds into the bigger question of whether or not he'll see true game time in the near future.

"[Sarkisian] has said from day one that when he's with baseball, he's with baseball. I've got to decide if he's going to travel this weekend or not. I'll talk to Coach [Sarkisian] and see where his thoughts are," Schlossnagle said. "If they would want him in football, I don't want him sitting on our bench not able to play, but he may have a real role for us. I love a left-handed bat who can run and really play the outfield. We'll see."

Williams is currently listed as an outfielder and left-handed pitcher for Schlossnagle and looks to switch over to safety for Sarkisian and the football program come August.

The No. 7 Longhorns begin their series against the Tigers on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.