Midseason report: Using PFF grades to assess the Texas Longhorns
After six games, the 2022 Longhorns are 4-2. But how have individual members of the Texas football program graded at the midway point of the regular season?
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Inside Texas issued quarter-season superlatives using Pro Football Focus grades after the UTSA game. Now six games in, here are the mid-season awards according to the same metrics for the Longhorns.
Top 5 offensive player grades, minimum 100 snaps
- Bijan Robinson – 87.5
- Quinn Ewers – 81.8
- Roschon Johnson – 79.8
- Jordan Whittington – 74.8
- Ja’Tavion Sanders – 73.4
The next five: Xavier Worthy, Hudson Card, Kelvin Banks, Christian Jones, Casey Cain
Robinson is the bell cow of the Longhorn offense, boasting an almost six-point advantage over Ewers in twice as many games. For as good as Robinson is, Ewers’ presence near the top should reflect how valuable he is to the Longhorn offense. The remaining three — Johnson, Whittington, Sanders — should come as no surprise. Those three have driven the Longhorn offense no matter who has been at QB.
Top 5 defensive player grades, minimum 100 snaps
- Moro Ojomo – 82.9
- Keondre Coburn – 82.4
- Byron Murphy – 82.0
- Jerrin Thompson – 78.9
- T’Vondre Sweat – 78.5
The next five: D’Shawn Jamison, DeMarvion Overshown, Jahdae Barron, Barryn Sorrell, Anthony Cook
Ojomo missed the game in Lubbock versus Texas Tech, but he has proven to be one of the best defenders on the Longhorn defense this season, as have several members of the Texas defensive line. Longhorn linemen have both played and graded well this year, but seeing secondary players like Thompson, Barron, and Cook indicate positive performances from all three levels this season.
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Five for special teams, minimum 20 snaps
- Michael Taaffe – 77.6
- D’Shawn Jamison – 74.5
- Jett Bush – 71.7
- Jordan Whittington – 70.3
- Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey – 68.9
Taaffe plays on several special teams units and has performed well regardless of when he sees the field. Individual honors are deserved, but every Longhorn special teams unit has played at a high level this year. Next time there’s a Longhorn game on, watch how Jeff Banks celebrates special teams plays. His reaction reflects how Texas consistently executes in the third phase.
Highest tackling grade, minimum 100 defensive snaps
- Jerrin Thompson – 88.3
- Ovie Oghoufo – 82.9
- Jamier Johnson – 82.3
- Keondre Coburn – 79.0
- Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey – 76.4
This was an issue last year. It has been anything but an issue this year. Having great grades from players at all three levels shows the Longhorns have tackled regardless of position. Thompson being in the middle of the defense and leading the way when it comes to getting guys on the ground has been nothing short of a boon to Texas.
Yards after catch leaders
- Jordan Whittington – 185
- Ja’Tavion Sanders – 167
- Xavier Worthy – 130
- Roschon Johnson – 129
- Bijan Robinson – 111
Whittington’s presence on this list says plenty about the Longhorn offense, especially considering where he is typically targeted. He and Sanders do well in the short and intermediate game. As a result, they are the top two on Texas’ YAC leaderboard.
Most pressures
- Ovie Oghoufo – 19
- Barryn Sorrell – 18
- Keondre Coburn – 18
- Moro Ojomo – 10
- DeMarvion Overshown – 10
- Byron Murphy – 9
Two EDGE players’ presence at the top of the pressure leaderboard should be seen as good news, but so too should the presence of interior defensive linemen like Coburn and Ojomo.
