Focus For Longhorns Offense Turns To Trenches
Consistency, consistency, and more of the "c-word." It's the one word that can take a program out of the promising level and into contention status.
For Texas offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Kyle Flood, he has that in the trenches entering Week 1 of the 2023 season. Sure, Flood's pleased with the current status of the starting offensive line. That doesn't mean he isn't looking for competition in practice to keep his first team on its toes and attentive.
"Playing time will be earned," Flood said Tuesday at the Longhorns' opening press conference. "Starting positions will be earned all across the board."
Most teams during the early stages are finalizing their starting lineups. Defensively, Texas must replace five starters from its top-30 defense, including linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and defensive lineman Moro Ojomo. On offense, Steve Sarkisian will need a new 1-2 combination in the backfield with the departures of Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson.
That's one concern off Flood's mind as the early stages of installation begin. The Longhorns return all five starters from last season, including Preseason All-Big 12 offensive tackle Kelvin Banks.
If everything goes according to plan, the line should go as follows; Banks at left tackle, Hayden Conner at left guard, Jake Majors at center, Cole Hutson at right guard and Christian Jones at right tackle. Still, Flood is promising anyone their position back when Rice enters the building on Sept. 2, mainly due to the success of the team's depth.
Sophomore D.J. Campbell impressed in spring drills and will look to dethrone Conner or Hutson for one of the guard spots. Sophomore tackle Cam Williams plans to give Jones a run for his money on the edge. And redshirt freshman Neto Umeozulu can play multiple positions on the interior.
Flood's thoughts aren't filled with holes in the trenches, but rather which players best give Texas its best chance to protect quarterback Quinn Ewers in hopes of winning a Big 12 title before it departs for the SEC.
“We constantly rotate those groups on both sides to where they’ll get enough banked reps through the first two and half weeks of training camp so we have a good understanding of what it needs to look like come the first ballgame," said Flood.
Four positions are up for grabs. The fifth — and arguably most important at left tackle — should be firmly secured so long as Banks can remain healthy.
As a true freshman, Banks shined as the lead blocker for Robinson and Johnson. The Humble native allowed just two sacks and 12 pressures in 436 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Banks also was named to the All-Big 12 second team and was an honorable mention for Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
Majors has been a staple in Flood's offense since he arrived in Austin in 2021. Under Tom Herman, he started two games as a true freshman due to injury. Since Flood took over the unit, he's started every game and is viewed as the "vocal glue" of the offense.
“He comes into the game plan every week with great questions,” Flood said. “He’s a phenomenal communicator. You know, the position of center is much more than a physical skill set. It’s a personality.”
Conner (13 starts) and Hutson (13 starts) come with experience but could be battling for reps, mainly due to the inconsistencies up the middle. Robinson, drafted eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons, won the Doak Walker Award after rushing for over 1,500 yards while scoring 20 touchdowns.
As a unit, Texas ranked 36th in rushing, averaging less than 200 yards per game on the ground. Neither Conner nor Hutson graded out with a run-blocking grade of over 55.0, per PFF.
When asked last season, Flood said the unit was "consistent enough," thus leaving the door open for Campbell and Neto to compete.
“You have to give them an opportunity," Flood said of the depth. "To do that creates a healthy competition in that room."
Flood is looking for more consistent play up front. The good news is he's pleased with the development of the line and the consistency shown in practice.
If the Owls were to enter Royal-Memorial Stadium today, Flood believes he has eight capable starting linemen. By the time kickoff actually arrives in 29 days, he hopes to have 10.
"It helps me as the coach to be able to say ultimately, here are who I feel are the five guys that give us the best chance to win as a collective group," said Flood. "Now, where do the pieces fit? We’ll figure that out a couple of weeks from now.”
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