This Young Texas Longhorns’ OL is Making Serious Waves in Spring Practice

Much of the conversation surrounding the Texas Longhorns last season centered on shaky offensive line play, to say the least.

Once a pillar of the program, the unit struggled at times to meet expectations. Quarterback Arch Manning faced constant pressure, and many pointed to the offensive line as a factor in Texas falling short of a playoff berth.

But as spring training gets underway, the focus has shifted to a revamped group and whether noticeable improvement is on the way. Early returns have been promising, particularly among some of the younger linemen.

Texas encouraged by Jordan Coleman’s development this spring

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Redshirt freshman Jordan Coleman has already garnered high praise from Trevor Goosby and head coach Steve Sarkisian alike. Sarkisian said Coleman’s physical tools have flashed early, even as the young lineman continues to work toward greater consistency.

Coleman, a redshirt freshman out of Cedar Hill and a three-star recruit, stands at a towering 6-foot-5 and 354 pounds. He made an appearance this past season against Sam Houston but has yet to see extended action since. He’ll look to climb the depth chart while Goosby recovers from shoulder surgery.

“You see the physical ability,” Sarkisian said via Inside Texas. “When he does it right, it’s like whoa. He can pass set guys and move people in the run game. Now it’s the consistency factor.”

The offensive tackle has been impressing seemingly everyone as of late, and his early performance is part of the reason Texas has experimented with shifting Jaydon Chatman inside to left guard during spring practices.

While Chatman was initially expected to work at left tackle, Coleman instead took first-team reps at the position in the opening practice.

If Coleman continues to improve as such, this offensive line could start looking much deeper than everyone had expected. Still, as Sarkisian noted, consistency remains the next step. Turning flashes into reliable production will be key as Coleman continues to develop behind Goosby.

“We’ve been very encouraged by where he’s at,” Sarkisian said.

With several weeks of spring practice remaining, Coleman will have more opportunities to prove he can translate those flashes into steady play. If he does, his physical tools suggest he could become a meaningful depth piece along the offensive line.

While the hope is that Goosby stays healthy, if Coleman were to step in for extended periods of time, his recent flashes suggest the unit could hold up just fine.

For now, his development stands as one of the more intriguing storylines to watch as Texas moves through the spring.

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