We officially will see Texas take the field at DKR on Saturday, ushering in that “All-In” season coming for the Longhorns. While it’ll be more of an event than a year ago, it won’t take the form of a traditional spring game. According to Sarkisian, you’ll see about 70-75 plays, 45-50 of which will be live action. It’s unlikely you’ll see Arch Manning, Colin Simmons, Cam Coleman and the other leaders much, if at all. Because of that, there won’t be massive takeaways but there will be some.
These are the things you CAN glean from Saturday’s action:
QB Order
I don’t expect Arch Manning to get much run, simply because of injury prevention and the confidence in him already. Manning is executing at a very high level in practice and it’s unlikely Sarkisian needs to see #16 out there. Behind him, KJ Lacey is likely to get the bulk or the snaps but who’s after him? It sounds like Dia Bell has looked the part during spring and could very well slide higher on the depth chart than many think. This is far from the finish line but it’ll give a peak behind the curtain of how the QB room is shaping up.
Rotations In The Trenches
Trevor Goosby and Laurence Seymore, assumed starters on the OL, will not be out there this weekend. That leaves the door open for Jordan Coleman, Dylan Sikorski and others to get more reps. On top of that, we’ll get to see who the answer is at OT behind Melvin Siani and Goosby. The OL is a relative question mark heading into the season and Saturday will give a glimpse of where the group is following spring.
Moving to the defense, the DT room is really deep and the rotations will be consistent. The second line behind Hero Kanu and Alex January will be important, with names like Maraad Watson and Justus Terry being in the mix. The rotation at the nose tackle spot will be another thing to watch. Ian Geffrard, Josiah Sharma and more could factor in but who’s leading the way?
The trenches will need confident depth for them to be as effective as they can be and Saturday will be a peak behind the curtain of how things stand.
Starting Five In Secondary
The secondary is the sole unit I feel could undergo major change before Week 1. Saturday will give an idea of who’s setting the pace at CB and S. It’s assumed Bo Mascoe, Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips will get the start at CB but the rotation will be consistent. At safety, Derek Williams Jr. will get a chance to shine in front of the home fans and get his feet wet in the Muschamp defense. This secondary unit is incredibly talented but who will lead the way with Jelani McDonald?
Can The Freshmen Shine?
One of the consistent things coming out of spring camp is the strength of this freshman class. Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Tyler Atkinson came in as 5-stars and have asserted themselves as such throughout camp. Derrek Cooper is making a move in the RB room early on. Dia Bell is shining under center, maybe contending for QB2. Rocky Cummings and Kosi Okpala are surprising in the LB room early in their tenure. We will get a chance to see them and the rest of the freshmen on Saturday. Can they continue building their elite reputation?
How Healthy Are The Horns?
This is the best piece of news out of spring camp. There hasn’t been any major setbacks or injuries to speak of for the Longhorns. Some of that is Sarkisian being cautious, understanding the talent he has. Some of that is just plain luck. One way or another, we’ll get to see how far along Arch Manning, Justus Terry and others are in their recovery. The biggest thing is making sure the status coming out of the tunnel is the same as going back into it.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Things to watch during Texas “Fan Day”: Manning’s health, OL rotation
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
