Players move as Herman makes changes
AUSTIN — The weeks leading into the Longhorns’ spring practice on March 24 will be used to help the program’s bevy of new faces get acclimated. That time to familiarize will be critical, especially for eight early enrollees from the program’s 2020 signing class, two new lead coordinators and five new assistants.
Texas coach Tom Herman on Tuesday addressed the offseason renovations, which included some notable players switching positions in advance of the Orange-White spring game on April 25.
A look at some of the news delivered by Herman during his first press conference of the year:
New spots for some Horns
Under defensive coordinator Chris Ash, Texas will shift to a 4-3 base, utilizing more four-down fronts on first and second down.
That prompted the staff to place Alamo Bowl MVP Joseph Ossai and Byron Vaughns at the “Jack” position, a hybrid between a true linebacker and defensive end. Texas is hoping Ossai can grow into a pass-rushing menace at this spot.
“As far as Joe’s ceiling, the sky’s the limit,” Herman said. “I think this will be a great fit for him.”
Cornerback Anthony Cook will see more action at nickel this season. And DeMarvion Overshown, ranked as a top-10 safety when he signed out of Arp in 2018, will shift over to the “Will” linebacker spot.
“It’s a pretty significant move for DeMarvion, but one that he’s excited about,” Herman said.
“When he approached myself and coach Ash he said, ‘I just want to see the field. I just want to play.’
“And I did let him know that when scouts come around and talk about him that that’s probably where his position in that league is going to be.”
On offense, Herman noted Roschon Johnson plans to stick at tailback for the “foreseeable future.” Recruited as a four-star dual-threat quarterback, a slew of injuries led Texas to name him Keaontay Ingram’s backup before the start of the season.
He excelled in the role as a true freshman, rushing for 649 yards on 5.3 yards per carry with seven touchdowns to go with 23 receptions for 158 yards and a score.
“I think we all saw what he was capable of doing with literally a week of training camp to learn that position,” Herman said. “It’s something we all agreed was in the best interest of the program and his future.”
With Johnson, Ingram and fivestar running back Bijan Robinson in the mix, Texas will move redshirt freshman Jordan Whittington over to slot receiver. A pelvic injury limited Whittington to just one game in 2019, but if healthy he could excel as both a slot maven and go-to option for gadget plays.
Finally, 6-6 Malcolm Epps will move back to tight end after playing receiver last season. He caught 20 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns in 2019.
“We just feel like he’s going to add a lot of value with that size and wingspan across the middle,” Herman said. “What he can do at the line of scrimmage at this point, not really sure, but we’re going to start training him there.”
New coaches blend in
Herman emphasized that new coaches don’t “just come in and dump a binder down on the desk and say, ‘This is my offense.’ ”
He added, “What you do is work together and find commonalities in what you believe, usually through the interview process.”
Ash and new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich will allow their styles to blend with that of Herman and the rest of the staff.
Yurcich most recently served as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State, and his strong track record with quarterbacks ( Justin Wells, Taylor Cornelius, Mason Rudolph) played a pivotal role in Herman’s hiring decision.
“He’s had multiple offensive staff meetings to talk about snap count, what runs are we going to major in, tempos — little bit more advanced tempo system than what we had had,” Herman said.
“And his quarterback development speaks for itself. The guy he coached this past season was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and we all remember what the guys were able to do at Oklahoma State during his tenure (2013-18) there.”
On defense, Herman hopes Ash’s approach will lead to more production in the trenches. Texas ranked No. 38 in team sacks in 2017, but fell to No. 55 in 2018 and No. 69 last season.
“Hopefully we can let our Dlinemen play on edges a little better instead of down the middle on people,” Herman said. “And to get a fourth pass rusher on first and second down it’s not coming from a blitzing linebacker every time. So those are the two big things and it’s what we felt like we needed around here.”