Christian Jones shares how Texas’ offensive line bonds outside of practice

Texas‘ offensive line enters Red River Rivalry week as one of the most physical in the country, and their success up front is no fluke.

On3’s Andy Staples welcomed Longhorns starting offensive tackle Christian Jones to the show on Thursday to discuss the Longhorns’ success, and how his offensive line group has dominated their opponents through the first five weeks of the season.

“During the offseason, we would try to link up once a week. We would go out, cook sometimes, go bowling and different things,” Jones told Staples. “During the season, it’s not as much because we don’t have as much time. Maybe during the bye week, we could get something on, that would be solid. But we definitely want to focus on this week first.”

That chemistry they built over the offseason has translated to the season. Quinn Ewers has been sacked in all but one game so far this season, as the offensive line stepped up on the biggest stage by defeating Alabama without allowing a single sack. His offensive line keeping Ewers upright has turned Texas into one of the top vertical passing threats in the nation.

That’s not even to mention the fact that running back Jonathon Brooks leads the Big 12 Conference in ruhsing yards with 597 and five touchdowns through five games in 2023. Texas is winning the battle in the trenches on a weekly basis and it’s showing on the stat sheet.

Still, it hasn’t always been perfect. The OL has allowed sacks in four out of the first five games for a total of nine — a number everyone on the offense would say is too high. That’s what the filmroom is for, and the Longhorns try to keep it light-hearted when reviewing even the worst bit of tape.

“It’s funny, it’s comedy but it’s also a classroom,” Jones said of Texas’ position meetings. “Everyone gets exposed, everyone gets told what they’re not doing correctly. It’s a great time.”

Of course, it’s easy to analyze mistakes that way when you’re undefeated. A loss against Oklahoma this weekend would put a damper on Monday’s meeting — and the laughs would be few and far between heading into the bye week.

The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Jones will be front and center for Saturday’s annual showdown against the Sooners. Opening kickoff is scheduled for Noon ET live on ABC as the Longhorns enter the weekend as a five-point betting favorite, per Vegas Insider.