Coburn could be a force on the defensive line
AUSTIN — Malcolm Roach sees the similarities. Not in appearance or demeanor, but in the way they fight and impose their will.
Redshirt freshman Keondre Coburn has about three inches and 30 pounds on former University of Texas nose tackle Poona Ford. He is a mobile mountain with room yet to grow.
And buried somewhere within, Roach believes, is a player capable of earning the Big 12’s defensive lineman of the year award like Ford did as a senior two seasons ago.
“Keondre’s a bull,” said Roach, a senior starter at defensive end for UT. “I really see a lot of Poona in him. He’s going to be a good player for us.”
Coburn (6-2, 340) didn’t make much noise last year. With a slew of upperclassmen blocking his path to playing time, the Longhorns figured it would be wiser to allow the Westfield graduate to maintain his redshirt status.
So Coburn appeared in just three games, including the Sugar Bowl, and recorded a pair of tackles. It was a slow and methodical approach that proved frustrating — at first.
“I wanted to play more,” Coburn said. “But to be honest, the way it played out was good for me.
“All last year it took me to learn the plays and how to be a college football player, how to get used to the program. Now I feel like I’m up to date.”
UT coach Tom Herman hailed Coburn and fellow 2018 signee Moro Ojomo (Katy) as the “two best defensive tackles in the state of Texas” when they finally joined the team. And, at least according to the 247Sports composite rankings, he was dead-on.
Coburn was the No. 13 player in Texas, the highest-ranked defensive lineman in the state and the No. 11 tackle in the nation. And, rankings and statistics aside, he looked the part.
The tape from Coburn’s final seasons at Westfield is filled with disruptive dominance. At times, it looks like he’s manhandling a blocking sled. If there’s not multiple sets of hands on him, the towering tackle appears unstoppable.
Size and power, even at the collegiate level, aren’t issues. The main concern for Coburn is conditioning. An ongoing kidney issue that forced Coburn to miss some time due to back pain and askew blood levels only furthered those fears.
“It was like, damn, I’ll be missing some spring practice,” Coburn said. “But I have got to get better, get healthy and get back on the field as fast as I can.
“It was just a little soreness (in my back). My body was taking soreness a different way. That’s really all it was.”
Texas played it slow. Coburn took some time off and, upon return, underwent testing following each practice. His blood levels and vitals were monitored and scrutinized as he worked his way back to the field.
He looked no worse for the wear upon return. In fact, Coburn has seemingly edged out senior Gerald Wilbon for the starting nose tackle position, though defensive coordinator Todd Orlando expects a consistent rotation at that spot.
“I think Coburn is explosive,” Orlando said. “It’s just, can he do multiple reps?
“To me, it’s one of those positions where the reality is if there were 80 plays in a game I think both guys would get in the 30 to 35 range. But it’s really hard because that position is so physically demanding, and we rotate quite a bit.”
Coburn’s ascent has helped quell concerns over the defensive line losing all three senior starters from 2018.
With Roach and junior Ta’Quon Graham flanking Coburn on the outside, plus Ojomo, Wilbon, Marquez Bimage and junior college transfer Jacoby Jones providing depth, this group could become a key asset rather than a detriment. That’s how Coburn sees it.
“The whole D-line is amazing,” Coburn said. “I think it’s going to be the best year we’ve had as a defensive line. Everybody is doing their job.
“We have so much depth. To be honest, the whole D-line is going to surprise. We’ve got something to prove.”
Coburn absorbed as much as possible from Chris Nelson last season. As the senior’s understudy, he knew their brief time together would be invaluable.
Nelson taught patience and focus. He let the freshman know how to identify the times to let loose and when to flip the switch.
“He pretty much taught me how to be a D-lineman without even being on the field,” Coburn said.
He’ll be on the field far more in 2019. And even if his Ford-like play induces a few double takes from Roach, Coburn isn’t out to be anyone but himself.
“I want to be me,” Coburn said, “but to be compared to Poona, that was amazing. I felt pride hearing that.”