Texas Football: 2-deep defensive depth chart heading into fall camp
Will linebacker
Starter: DeMarvion Overshown
Backup: David Gbenda OR Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey
Texas coaches should feel much better about the depth at the two linebacker positions this offseason compared to last. With some experienced players coming back, along with one key addition by way of the NCAA Transfer Portal, Texas is in a much better spot in terms of linebacker depth heading into fall camp.
Heading up this linebacker room for the Longhorns this fall will be the returning super senior and former converted safety DeMarvion Overshown.
The fifth-year linebacker looks much more comfortable in the Kwiatkowski system this offseason compared to last year. And the way that Texas utilizes Overshown could be much more dynamic this fall. I anticipate that Overshown will be called upon more on blitz plays and utilized as an edge rusher more often than ever before.
Behind Overshown at the will linebacker spot will be either junior David Gbenda or the former FCS All-American and James Madison Dukes senior grad transfer Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey. Gbenda is a bit faster than Tucker-Dorsey, so he’ll be able to cover more of the field sideline-to-sideline on passing plays.
Yet, Tucker-Dorsey has a more proven track record than Gbenda of finding the ball carrier and making impact plays from the middle linebacker position.
Mike linebacker
Starter: Jaylan Ford
Backup: Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey
Another spot where we could see Tucker-Dorsey getting some key live-game reps this fall is at the mike linebacker position.
But this wouldn’t come with Tucker-Dorsey as the starter.
Instead, we’re probably going to see junior linebacker Jaylan Ford start out the 2022 season with the first-time defense at the mike spot. Ford has looked the part as one of the more impressive linebackers throughout this offseason. He continues to impress the coaching staff through summer workouts and spring camp.
Texas needs better play at this level of the defense. If Ford can take his play to the next level this fall, the Longhorns could turn middle linebacker from a shortcoming to a real strength.