Texas Football: Malcolm Roach Doesn't Believe He was Properly Utilized at UT

Malcolm Roach doesn't think the Longhorns properly utilized their defensive line talent during his time on the Forty Acres

Texas defensive lineman Malcolm Roach recently caught up with the Fort Worth Star Telegram in an interesting interview covering his playing days at Texas, his future in the NFL and how much he is looking forward to showing what he could do in the the NFL Combine. 

But perhaps the most interesting bit to come out of the interview was his criticism of the scheme he played in at Texas. 

“I would have loved to be in a 4-3,” Roach said. “I think it’s a smart move. You have pass rushers out there, Taquon Graham, Marquez Bimage, Joe Ossai — guys that can get after the quarterback. You have to use those guys. That was the biggest thing that we got caught up in, not using our weapons to our full advantage. Now they brought in a new staff, giving those guys the opportunity to rush the passer and show what they have.” 

Texas' defensive rankings plummetted in 2019, though injuries played a major role in the struggles. Longhorns head coach Tom Herman made the decision to make a massive overhaul in the staff, firing defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and three of the assistants and bringing in Chris Ash. 

Herman expressed the need for a better pass rush from the defensive line during his introductory press conference for Ash, which seems to align a bit with what Roach said. 

"Hopefully, we can let our d-linemen play on edges a little bit better instead of down the middle," Herman said. "(We can) get a fourth pass rusher on first and second down."