Texas Football: 3 players struggling mightily before Big 12 play

Jake Majors, C

It might just take time for the former four-star recruit and sophomore center Jake Majors to get his feet wet in a starting role this fall. But Majors is definitely off to the slowest start of any of the five starting offensive linemen through three games. Texas did not get a strong showing from the offensive line in the last three games.

It was better against Rice, but that won’t really count compared to the rest of the level of competition that the Longhorns will face during the regular season (outside of Kansas maybe).

Through three games, Majors has a team-low pass blocking grade and allowed five quarterback pressures in the first two games alone. He performed better in run and pass protection in the win over Rice. But that won’t be very indicative of where his game is trending heading into Big 12 play.

Majors played a little bit better down the stretch last season, but he was still one of the lower-graded blockers in run and pass protection.

Moreover, Majors does have quick feet and good size. But the skill just isn’t there yet to get the push he needs off the line of scrimmage. Last season, Texas Tech hesitated to blitz Sam Ehlinger. But when they did manage to get pressure on him, it was very effective. Ehlinger only completed two of seven passing attempts when he was put under pressure by Tech last season.

Texas will need to hold together better in the middle of the offensive line against the Red Raiders this weekend. That all starts with the trio of Majors and starting offensive guards Junior Angilau and Denzel Okafor holding strong at the line. If the struggles continue for linemen like Okafor and Majors in pass protection, it might be worth giving a look to backups like Hayden Conner, Andrej Karic, and/or Tope Imade.