Texas Football: 3 players showing needed improvement in spring camp

Josh Thompson, CB

Rising senior Texas defensive back Cook actually started out his college career three years ago playing at cornerback. And former four-star recruit and fifth-year senior defensive back Josh Thompson started out his college career with the Longhorns playing at safety. But both have switched to more proficient positions to match their skill sets in recent years.

Thompson did show more consistency in his game in pass coverage last year than the likes of Cook, former junior cornerback Jalen Green, and junior safety B.J. Foster did. He was pretty good in his first season playing at cornerback in 2020. That transition is not always easy, especially when Thompson played in as many different defensive schemes as he has in his college career.

Last season, Thompson played in all 10 games for the Longhorns. And he registered 28 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception, and three pass breakups. The 2020 campaign was by far the most productive for Thompson in his four years playing for Texas to date.

There’s even more good news for the Longhorns as it pertains to Thompson’s progress of late. He’s shown out in what we’ve seen from him in full pads practice and scrimmage time in spring ball this offseason. Thompson has reportedly (per Horns247, paid content) come up with a good number of interceptions both in wide receiver drills and scrimmage-type scenarios in spring practice.

These are all good signs for the Texas secondary, which looks to continue to build off a solid stretch run to finish out last season in wins over the Kansas State Wildcats and Colorado Buffaloes from the Alamo Bowl back on Dec. 29.