Texas' Week 1 position power poll: Who's No. 1?

I like to do this at certain times throughout the year so we can track development and developments, both good and bad.

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I don’t think there’s a single coach lacking the ability to develop his position — in fact many of them are quite strong in that regard — but development can often depend on where positions are in the roster cycle from a talent and experience standpoint. 

Most positions have a nice mix of talent and experience, therefore we can expect continued improvement from last season. While other positions have less depth and experience. Not coincidentally, the latter positions rank lower.

10. Edge

Pete Kwiatkowski embodies the point above about it mattering where a coach’s position group falls in the life cycle. Edge is still in the embryonic stage. That said, PK has a very strong track record for evaluation (yet another Washington Edge he signed is going to get drafted high in the next draft) and development. He’s going to have to earn his keep this year because only Barryn Sorrell is proven.

The veteran Edge coach has a number of options to work with, especially Ethan Burke who will likely start at Buck, but they’re still raw either in technique or physical maturity. In particular, true freshmen Colton Vasek and Billy Walton have shown promise.

If Texas struggles to play the pass and run honestly at his position there are ways for PK the defensive coordinator to manufacture production through packages and rotations while leaning heavier on other position groups.

9. Linebacker

Senior leader Jaylan Ford is a stud, but like at Edge, this position is largely unproven, young, or both. David Gbenda could end up being above league average or replaced as the season wears on. He’s still largely unknown when it comes to assignment soundness in live settings. 

With Morice Blackwell out for 2-4 weeks depth takes a hit, though senior Jett Bush does have positional versatility. 

Anthony Hill is going to play a lot, but likely more as a point-and-shoot weapon than a pure off-ball linebacker. Expect the true freshmen to alter the course of a game or two in his narrow role. 

Liona Lefau is another true freshmen who could see time this year. He is very promising as Ford’s likely long-term replacement beginning next season.

8. Offensive Line

If this position was divided into two groups like the defensive line, the offensive tackle tandem of Kelvin Banks and Christian Jones would rank very high. However, I have lingering questions about the interior, though you can expect the trio, whoever it is, to improve considerably throughout the season. In addition, I like the overall depth across the line. Kyle Flood can play at least 8 but maybe more.

It can only help this group to go up against the likes of Byron Murphy, Alfred Collins, and T’Vondre Sweat in practice. The big uglies are going to be happy to see Rice on their plate this weekend.

7. Safety

Depending on his health, Jalen Catalon could be one of the best handful of players on the team this year, but those concerns can only be put to bed over time. I do like Jerrin Thompson as the field general in the backend. 

Depth is somewhat of a concern, though Michael Taaffe came on pretty strong toward the end of last year and Kitan Crawford is entering his second full year at the position. 

Derek Williams and B.J. Allen should play this year. Those could be your starters next year so you know the talent is there.

6. Running Back

It’s perfectly plausible to expect a productive room in aggregate even if you don’t know how the carries will be dispersed. This group will be aided by a good quarterback, a great set of offensive tackles, a passing attack that threatens the whole field, and an offensive coach intent on running the ball.

CJ Baxter and Jonathon Brooks are likely to receive the most carries this season but Keilan Robinson and Jaydon Blue provide Sark with versatile options. 

5. Tight End

Ja’Tavion Sanders has the chance to be great this year after being very good as a sophomore. He’s a dynamic receiver and capable blocker. Gunnar Helm has also improved. A sign of that is he will play even when the offense is in single tight end sets. 

Depth is a concern but this is a strong duo. If Texas wants to go really big, the coaches can easily borrow from the O-line room. 

4. Quarterback 

I believe in Quinn Ewers‘ maturation even if he still has some on-field development and teaching moments ahead of him. He won’t be perfect this year — he’s still not a veteran — but he’s going to be good.

We know he can make pure ‘arm’ throws but for him to take the next step he needs to be more accurate and consistent on lower difficulty passes. That boils down to consistent mechanics, a good pocket, and proper timing with the receivers. Each aspect is better than it was 12 months ago.

Much more goes into QB play than throwing the ball around. IT has closely chronicled his evolution into a leader and you can expect that to show up in tightly contested games. 

3. Cornerback and Star (Nickel)

Thanks to quality recruiting (including the portal) and development, cornerback is four deep and Star is three deep. That alone sets a very high floor for the position. There’s also a good amount of experience between Jahdae Barron, Ryan Watts, and Gavin Holmes. Others, like Terrance Brooks, are still somewhat green but have still either played, or in the case of freshmen Malik Muhammad, are well ahead of the developmental curve. 

I think Barron is one of the most underrated players in the country.

2. Interior Defensive Line

Speaking of depth, Bo Davis has plenty of it to work with. You have seniors like Alfred Collins and T’Vondre Sweat as well as very mature junior in Byron Murphy. On top of it, the coaches added Honorable Mention All-Big Ten defensive tackle Trill Carter. 

There’s intrigue in the ranks behind those four with Vernon Broughton, Jaray Bledsoe, Aaron Bryant, Zac Swanson, and Sydir Mitchell. 

Texas has very good depth at a position where it’s hard to even find good starters.

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1. Wide Receiver 

Xavier Worthy will likely be UT’s most overall productive receiver. Adonai Mitchell will certainly have games where he’s the most productive or makes the clutch play of the game. At times last season Jordan Whittington was the No. 1 catalyst in the passing game and he’s about to see a lot more RPO’s and room to operate from his native slot position. A healthy Isaiah Neyor would have been the top receiver last year if it wasn’t for his injury and he’s back and looking good.

The last time we saw Casey Cain he had a 100-yard performance against a quality opponent. The rest of the depth at the position is young but very talented and ready for snaps. 

There is very little wasted movement from this group on the field and there is zero wasted space on the roster.