4 pleasant surprises for Texas football in first half of fall camp
Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey's been overcoming height bias his entire football life. Now, the JMU transfer LB is a big part of UT's plans.
— Nick Moyle (@NRMoyle) August 10, 2022
"We wouldn't have brought him here if we didn't think he could have an impact on our team this fall.”https://t.co/jt8eh5GUA7 @ExpressNews pic.twitter.com/GIUC6AHTQb
Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, LB
A new addition for the Longhorns this offseason that no one should be sleeping on is the FCS All-American and former James Madison Dukes senior grad transfer linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey. This impactful addition for co-defensive coordinators/linebackers coaches Pete Kwiatkowski and Jeff Choate came by way of the NCAA Transfer Portal back in the spring.
And it wouldn’t be jarring to me at all if Tucker-Dorsey winds up becoming a regular starter for Texas at sam linebacker this season. “Tuck” clearly looks like the better and more reliable option at the sam linebacker spot in fall camp compared to junior David Gbenda. The ability that Tuck has shown since the summer to set the tone for this front seven and find the ball as an off-ball linebacker should give him the edge.
There’s even a possibility that Tuck could wind up getting some of the starting reps at will linebacker if PK and the Longhorns want to use senior DeMarvion Overshown as more of a true edge rusher at times this season.
The returns we keep getting from Tuck this fall is that his experience and ability to find the ball have continually stood out in practice and in the locker room. Tuck has continually proven that he is able to get his hand up in passing lanes and frequently force incompletions. He’s also an adept run stopper thanks to his football IQ and aforementioned ability to find the ball.
If Tuck keeps showing up the way he has in fall camp in the next couple of weeks, he’ll be well on his way to earning starting reps at linebacker in the regular season opener.