https://texas.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=500&tid=203104921&mid=203104921&sid=902&style=2
Some notes from Monday's practice in the rain Reply
--- The practice started in the bubble because of weather, but when lightning passed and it was just raining hard, Charlie Strong brought everyone out. Everyone was soaked by the end of the workout, obviously including coaches.
- The team was back in full pads on Monday after working out in shorts and shells in Sunday's open practice.
- One source said the players actually seemed a little fired up to be playing in the rain like it was something fun, but it also gave coaches opportunity to test ball skills in bad conditions.
- The same source said it was a physical practice and there weren't many issues with footing despite the rain.
- Mykelle Thompson was working at safety after working a lot as corner in practice Sunday, one person said.
- The starting offensive line was the same as in Saturday and Sunday practice, with Desmond Harrison manning the right tackle spot.
- One source said freshmen DTs Chris Nelson and Poona Ford are getting to work together at times with the third team. Ford has been given a chance to show he can be disruptive at least against backups and Nelson was impressive at Sunday practice. The source said it's one salty of group of freshmen with those two and Derick Roberson coming up in the system.
- Johnathan Gray was much more noticeable today catching balls out of the backfield and looked good overall, one person said.
- Desmond Harrison held up Cedric Reed one time in one-on-one pass rush drills, but then Ced smoked him on the next one. This has been a back-and-forth battle the past few days, but the fact that Harrison is holding his own is a pretty big step for him.
- Hassan Ridgeway continues to look like an important player, and had some good reps against some starters in one-on-ones, one source said.
- It looks like Geoff Swaim might be one of the personal protectors on punt team, with one source saying "you won't see Swaim let those guys get by like they did last year."
late sunday - 10 aug 14 - practice news / thoughts:
https://texas.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=500&tid=203093700&mid=203093700&sid=902&style=2
A few notes and charts from Sunday's open football practice along the defensive and offensive lines:
- Wickline teaches leverage and reach-block principles with a substantial amount of fire in inside and outside zone-blocking drills. Wickline really got on Camhron Hughes for "drifting" to the sidelines with his zone block rather than reaching, gaining outside leverage and then driving upfield.
- The first OL unit that Texas put out Sunday looks likely to be Texas' best unit by the second or third week of the season. Harrison at RT seems to represent much less of a liability than he would at LT.
- Wickline was spreading the linemen five feet apart in order to get space between them in pass rush drills, making them have to be more comfortable operating in open space and defending against both inside and outside pass-rush moves with no help from either direction.
- Kent Perkins worked Hassasn Ridgeway once then Ridgeway got him back - two of the strongest guys on the team.
- Desmond Harrison did a good job holding up Cedric Reed at times and keeping the inside of his body guarded from conversion moves out in space at right tackle. He appears to finally be on some sort of uptick.
- Malcolm Brown and Tank Jackson both basically had their way with Flowers and Espinosa as upfield penetrators in position drills, but Sedrick Flowers showed some good things power-wise versus FR Chris Nelson No. 97.
- Some of the things Tank Jackson was doing to Espinosa as far as penetration in drills and simple man-handling of numerous situations in general could be seen as either very concerning for the offense or very good for the defense. In "zero-sum" situations for Texas like the Spring Game or practice (hat tip to Orangebloods HOF poster echeese) the answer is likely somewhere in the middle.
- The player who kept popping off on the defensive line is Chris Nelson. He uses his hands in a dirty way and is put together notably well. Strong hasn't said much about freshmen contributing at any positions other than "skill players," but Nelson appears to be one to keep an eye on based on the ways the staff is trying to catch them.
- The large amount of run concepts that seemed to stem from the draw that Wickline utilizes serve the purpose of allowing the play-side tackle to have an immensely easy kick-out block, but call for the guard to combo block then make an impact at the second level with linebackers in space for the play to be successful.
- During team periods, Texas fans saw the Texas offensive line put the following 11 run block concepts on display through the "ones vs. ones" session. Even being such a small sample, it gives a good look at what key concepts are being installed at this early juncture in camp at one of Texas' most vital areas of concern.
LT Kennedy Estelle
LG Sed Flowers
C Dom Espinosa
RG Kent Perkins
RT Desmond Harrison
1. Run Block Concept: Outside Zone Right
Notable Line Moment(s): Kent Perkins successfully executes killer reach block and gains leverage to the play-side via application of principles Wickline very clearly preaches over and over in practice.
2. Run Block Concept: Man-Power with Draw-Action
Notable Line Moment(s): Sed Flowers pulls and gives about the most pitiful effort a coach could imagine. Desmond Harrison reaches on right side, gets good seal, play blown up by TE vs. Cedric Reed.
3. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by the entire line except Sed Flowers who needs to do a better job getting off his easy combo-down block and up to the linebacker.
4. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by all. Held up to a good, disruptive surge from the left side of the defense most notably.
5. Run Block Concept: Draw with TE fold-block lead
Notable Line Moment(s): Geoff Swaim motions and executes terrific open-field block on the linebacker after folding under Estelle's good kick-out play. The line from Flowers right all blocks down well. Great play.
6. Run Block Concept: Inside Zone Right
Notable Line Moment(s): Sed Flowers and Dom Espinosa don't give a good push, but at least they don't give up penetration, which was an inside-zone killer for Texas in 2013 as it would be for any team.
7. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by the entire line except, again, Sed Flowers who needs to do a better job getting off his easy combo-down block and up to the linebacker.
8. Run Block Concept: Pin and Pull
Notable Line Moment(s): This run concept was either a badly executed pin and pull play by Kent Perkins who took an outside-zone angle like the rest of the line or a mishap by Dom Espinosa, as it seems he attempted to pull. I'm inclined to not think of Espinosa as the one committing mental errors in this case. Horrible play results in tackle for a loss.
9. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Horrible execution and effort from Kent Perkins gets the play blown up for a loss.
10. Run Block Concept: Pin and Pull
Notable Line Moment(s): One of the worst individual plays anyone will see, I'm not sure Desmond Harrison knows what "pin and pull' means, as easy as the concept is. One guy pins another with an easy down block, the other one pulls around. Terribly sloppy job by Harrison and simply what coaches would call a crap effort on the back side of the play. Well blocked otherwise all around.
11. Run Block Concept: Outside Zone Left
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by all. No penetration, lots of good reach blocks.
Some notes from Monday's practice in the rain Reply
--- The practice started in the bubble because of weather, but when lightning passed and it was just raining hard, Charlie Strong brought everyone out. Everyone was soaked by the end of the workout, obviously including coaches.
- The team was back in full pads on Monday after working out in shorts and shells in Sunday's open practice.
- One source said the players actually seemed a little fired up to be playing in the rain like it was something fun, but it also gave coaches opportunity to test ball skills in bad conditions.
- The same source said it was a physical practice and there weren't many issues with footing despite the rain.
- Mykelle Thompson was working at safety after working a lot as corner in practice Sunday, one person said.
- The starting offensive line was the same as in Saturday and Sunday practice, with Desmond Harrison manning the right tackle spot.
- One source said freshmen DTs Chris Nelson and Poona Ford are getting to work together at times with the third team. Ford has been given a chance to show he can be disruptive at least against backups and Nelson was impressive at Sunday practice. The source said it's one salty of group of freshmen with those two and Derick Roberson coming up in the system.
- Johnathan Gray was much more noticeable today catching balls out of the backfield and looked good overall, one person said.
- Desmond Harrison held up Cedric Reed one time in one-on-one pass rush drills, but then Ced smoked him on the next one. This has been a back-and-forth battle the past few days, but the fact that Harrison is holding his own is a pretty big step for him.
- Hassan Ridgeway continues to look like an important player, and had some good reps against some starters in one-on-ones, one source said.
- It looks like Geoff Swaim might be one of the personal protectors on punt team, with one source saying "you won't see Swaim let those guys get by like they did last year."
late sunday - 10 aug 14 - practice news / thoughts:
https://texas.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=500&tid=203093700&mid=203093700&sid=902&style=2
A few notes and charts from Sunday's open football practice along the defensive and offensive lines:
- Wickline teaches leverage and reach-block principles with a substantial amount of fire in inside and outside zone-blocking drills. Wickline really got on Camhron Hughes for "drifting" to the sidelines with his zone block rather than reaching, gaining outside leverage and then driving upfield.
- The first OL unit that Texas put out Sunday looks likely to be Texas' best unit by the second or third week of the season. Harrison at RT seems to represent much less of a liability than he would at LT.
- Wickline was spreading the linemen five feet apart in order to get space between them in pass rush drills, making them have to be more comfortable operating in open space and defending against both inside and outside pass-rush moves with no help from either direction.
- Kent Perkins worked Hassasn Ridgeway once then Ridgeway got him back - two of the strongest guys on the team.
- Desmond Harrison did a good job holding up Cedric Reed at times and keeping the inside of his body guarded from conversion moves out in space at right tackle. He appears to finally be on some sort of uptick.
- Malcolm Brown and Tank Jackson both basically had their way with Flowers and Espinosa as upfield penetrators in position drills, but Sedrick Flowers showed some good things power-wise versus FR Chris Nelson No. 97.
- Some of the things Tank Jackson was doing to Espinosa as far as penetration in drills and simple man-handling of numerous situations in general could be seen as either very concerning for the offense or very good for the defense. In "zero-sum" situations for Texas like the Spring Game or practice (hat tip to Orangebloods HOF poster echeese) the answer is likely somewhere in the middle.
- The player who kept popping off on the defensive line is Chris Nelson. He uses his hands in a dirty way and is put together notably well. Strong hasn't said much about freshmen contributing at any positions other than "skill players," but Nelson appears to be one to keep an eye on based on the ways the staff is trying to catch them.
- The large amount of run concepts that seemed to stem from the draw that Wickline utilizes serve the purpose of allowing the play-side tackle to have an immensely easy kick-out block, but call for the guard to combo block then make an impact at the second level with linebackers in space for the play to be successful.
- During team periods, Texas fans saw the Texas offensive line put the following 11 run block concepts on display through the "ones vs. ones" session. Even being such a small sample, it gives a good look at what key concepts are being installed at this early juncture in camp at one of Texas' most vital areas of concern.
LT Kennedy Estelle
LG Sed Flowers
C Dom Espinosa
RG Kent Perkins
RT Desmond Harrison
1. Run Block Concept: Outside Zone Right
Notable Line Moment(s): Kent Perkins successfully executes killer reach block and gains leverage to the play-side via application of principles Wickline very clearly preaches over and over in practice.
2. Run Block Concept: Man-Power with Draw-Action
Notable Line Moment(s): Sed Flowers pulls and gives about the most pitiful effort a coach could imagine. Desmond Harrison reaches on right side, gets good seal, play blown up by TE vs. Cedric Reed.
3. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by the entire line except Sed Flowers who needs to do a better job getting off his easy combo-down block and up to the linebacker.
4. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by all. Held up to a good, disruptive surge from the left side of the defense most notably.
5. Run Block Concept: Draw with TE fold-block lead
Notable Line Moment(s): Geoff Swaim motions and executes terrific open-field block on the linebacker after folding under Estelle's good kick-out play. The line from Flowers right all blocks down well. Great play.
6. Run Block Concept: Inside Zone Right
Notable Line Moment(s): Sed Flowers and Dom Espinosa don't give a good push, but at least they don't give up penetration, which was an inside-zone killer for Texas in 2013 as it would be for any team.
7. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by the entire line except, again, Sed Flowers who needs to do a better job getting off his easy combo-down block and up to the linebacker.
8. Run Block Concept: Pin and Pull
Notable Line Moment(s): This run concept was either a badly executed pin and pull play by Kent Perkins who took an outside-zone angle like the rest of the line or a mishap by Dom Espinosa, as it seems he attempted to pull. I'm inclined to not think of Espinosa as the one committing mental errors in this case. Horrible play results in tackle for a loss.
9. Run Block Concept: Draw
Notable Line Moment(s): Horrible execution and effort from Kent Perkins gets the play blown up for a loss.
10. Run Block Concept: Pin and Pull
Notable Line Moment(s): One of the worst individual plays anyone will see, I'm not sure Desmond Harrison knows what "pin and pull' means, as easy as the concept is. One guy pins another with an easy down block, the other one pulls around. Terribly sloppy job by Harrison and simply what coaches would call a crap effort on the back side of the play. Well blocked otherwise all around.
11. Run Block Concept: Outside Zone Left
Notable Line Moment(s): Well blocked by all. No penetration, lots of good reach blocks.
