Texas Football: 3 upperclassmen to watch in spring camp
1) Upperclassmen to watch in spring for Texas football
Montrell Estell, Safety
There’s very few defensive backs in the mix for Texas this year that saw their roles and overall playing time fluctuate more over the course of the last three years than senior safety Montrell Estell. This experienced but rather unknown 6-foot-1 and 195 pound safety could be looking at a competition for a starting role this year if the cards fall in line right for him.
Estell showed flashes in the past of being able to assume a bigger role in the Texas secondary. But the likes of former defensive coordinators Chris Ash and Todd Orlando didn’t really give him the consistent opportunity to succeed in the spotlight. Maybe the time is now for that to change under new defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.
Texas has some gaps to fill in the secondary this year, and Estell might be the right fit for this new coaching staff.
Last year, Estell only got to play in two games for Herman, Ash, and the Longhorns. In those couple of games he actually saw action in, Estell registered two combined tackles (both solo) and one tackle for loss.
For his career to date in three years playing for Texas, Estell has 32 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, no sacks, one interception and one pass breakup.
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The production from Estell two years ago (the season he had the most game action) was a mixed bag for Texas. He allowed four passing touchdowns, but had one pass breakup and one pick. The positives to his game in other areas include just three career missed tackles, no penalties called against him, and an additional three quarterback pressures and five stops under his belt.