Top recruit Jefffferson ‘has a long way to go,’ coach says,
The de-recruitment of Malik Jefferson is officially underway at Texas.
On Thursday, Jefferson, the five-star linebacker from Mesquite Poteet, received a chilly review from defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, who made Jefferson sound like just another guy and not last year’s No. 1-ranked recruit in the state.
“I’m excited with what he’s done so far this spring, but he’s nowhere near where he needs to be to go out and help us win a football game,” Bedford said.
Bedford added that Jefferson, who enrolled early and recently started getting reps at inside linebacker, is “running around lost and confused” and “has a long way to go in a very short period of time.”
Jefferson, whom many had pegged to replace Jordan Hicks on the outside, has one last chance to endear himself at Saturday’s spring game. He’ll likely work with the second team behind vet- erans Peter Jinkens and Tim Cole.
The good news is Jefferson is not alone; Bedford was sharply critical of many of his younger pl ayers.
He likened sophomore safety Jason Hall to a flash-flood warning “that never happens.” Asked if Hall’s vicious two-point takedown on Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine last year was a one -hit wonder, Bedford replied, “You sai d it, not me.”
Redshirt freshman linebacker Ed Freeman, who could be playing alongside Jefferson on Saturday, “doesn’t know what he’s doing 40 percent of the time,” but “can hit and run.”
In all, Bedford sai d he expec t s as many as six freshmen in the defensive two-deep for this season’s opener agai nst Notre Dame. “Very scary,” he said. D-line dominance: Bedford’s 20-plus minute press conference was not completely devoid of compliments. For the second straight year, he expec t s the defensive line to be the strength of the team despite losing ex- pected draft picks Malcom Brown and Cedric Reed.
Ends Caleb Bluiett (knee) and Derick Roberson (shoulder) are out with injuries, as are tackles Desmond Jackson (foot) and Chris Nelson (shoulder).
“If those guys come back and they’re even close to what they were before the injuries, that will be the strength of our team,” Bedford sai d.
Shopping closed: Offensive play-caller Shawn Watson is so pleased with the progress of quarterbacks Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard he has suspended efforts to acquire a veteran transfer.
“We don’t really have those kind of talks right now because of the way those guys have performed,” Watson said. “But I’m a humbled guy. It’s a day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month process.”
ND kickoff: The season opener at Notre Dame will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on NBC.