Texas' front seven vital to mitigating Jalen Milroe's game-breaking rushing ability
Texas has a challenge ahead of itself in stopping Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. The dual-threat quarterback made a splash in Week 1, seeming to nail down the quarterback spot as his own.
Bobby Burton of Inside Texas hopped on with Andy Staples for his Tuesday podcast to discuss the Longhorns upcoming battle against the Crimson Tide. The front seven, and its potential ability to limit Milroe was a major talking point.
“I think they’ve got three guys that are draftable at defensive tackle this coming year,” Burton said. “They are T’Vondre Sweat, Alfred Collins and then Byron Murphy is a junior. Those three guys are all going to get draft grades…That’s the first time in a long time.”
But the interior of the defensive line is not a worry for Burton heading into the game. He is more focused on the containment of Milroe.
That role falls to other players, including EDGE rushers Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell.
“The question I have is not necessarily those interior guys, but against Alabama, you’re gonna have to keep Jalen Milroe hemmed in,” I don’t have any question that Texas is gonna be okay up front. Right now, Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell are your two edge players. Ethan Burke earned the starting job. Ovie Oghoufo transferred from Texas to LSU as a grad transfer this year. Started for LSU by the way against Florida State. But Ethan Burke already in his first game had one and a half sacks. Ovie Oghoufo all of last year had one and a half sacks. There’s an improvement at edge too. Barryn Sorrell’s gotten better. I do agree with you that the front three, the guys that kind of control the line of scrimmage, is a strong point. But I think Texas is hoping to get more out of its edge play this year too. And take another step on defense.”
One player who Burton thinks will be key to stopping Milroe will be middle linebacker Jaylen Ford.
A first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2022 and preseason Big 12 Player of the Year this offseason, Ford is one of the top linebackers in the country. He is not only adapt at tackle but has a knack for finding the football.
“I think he’s absolutely vital,” Burton said. “I don’t know if you saw all of it but Jaylen Ford made a one handed interception. He’s now got five interceptions in the last 13 games or something like crazy like that for a linebacker. He basically keeps the front seven together with the back end. It’s his job to kind of communicate between the two.”
But Burton doesn’t think Ford is going to be exclusively locked in on Milroe during the game. A one-man spy team is not going to work against the Longhorns.
Instead, Burton believes that it needs to be a group effort to hold him in the pocket so Ford can have the opportunity to play the passing lanes like he does so well.
“Milroe, though, I don’t know that you can spy him per se with any one player,” Burton said. “I think he’s too fast, too strong. I actually think that Texas, it’ll be important for them to play a little bit of umbrella coverage to try to get Jalen Milroe to keep him in front of them. Instead of beating them with his legs to beat him with the arm. Ford’s ability to get in passing lanes is something that I want to see and for Texas to win Jaylen Ford is going to have to be a guy.”