Could Jalen Overstreet Be A Much Needed Spark For 'Horns?

Red shirt freshman Jalen Overstreet was recruited as an athlete and then competed within the quarterback depth chart, has been moved back to being a versatile, multi position athlete for the 2013 season.  Overstreet impressed many during the 2013 spring game where he showcased his running ability and showed that he could be used in wildcat formations as well as a slot receiver in certain packages.

The Longhorns have been missing a certain “x-factor” in recent years and Overstreet could very well be that type of player.  In a season where the expectations seem to be a Big 12 title or bust, an explosive player of Overstreet’s skill set is exactly what the Longhorns offenses needs.  Due to his athleticism and knowledge of the offensive packages due to being a former quarterback, Overstreet could come in immediately and become an impact player this fall.

Junior quarterback David Ash already has an arsenal of known offensive weapons in wide receivers Jaxon Shipley and Mike Davis as well as running backs Jonathan Gray and Joe Bergeron.  Those guys are known commodities in the Texas offense, but  having an emerging unknown play maker like Overstreet could benefit the Longhorns greatly when they head into conference play.  Having the ability to both run red zone wildcat packages for short yardage touchdowns as well as line up as a slot receiver could make opposing defenses second guess how they defend the Longhorns defense this fall.

Head coach Mack Brown told Tim Griffin of mysanantonio.com that Overstreet is a very versatile player that can and will be used in different formations this fall. “He’s still staying in tune with the quarterbacks, but we also feel he wants to play and this is a to get him on the field,” Brown said. “We think Jalen is the type of young man who can do same type things that (sophomore wide receiver) Daje (Johnson) is doing where he can run the speed sweeps, catch the ball out of the backfield and run routes as a wide receiver but he could still play some tailback and make some plays in the backfield as well.”

It’s obvious that Overstreet has the athleticism and ability to create mismatches for opposing defenses during the 2013 season, but he will need to show more of what he can do during fall camps as well as the tune up game against New Mexico State on August 31st.  If he can prove that he can handle the ball under pressure, then I’d expect him to see some playing time when the Longhorns travel to Provo, Utah to take on the Brigham Young Cougars on September 7th.