Texas Football: 3 second-year players set to become stars in 2023
DJ Campbell, IOL
Despite Texas essentially returning every starter along the offensive line in 2023 from last season’s squad, I do still think there could be some movement in this spot during the offseason among the projected starters.
Offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and the Longhorns are still very much restructuring the mold of what this group of starters in the trenches looks like from top-to-bottom. And while the offensive line play dramatically improved year-over-year in 2022, there are still some strides this group needs to make this offseason.
The consistency of the interior offensive line in pass pro and run blocking will be one of the biggest storylines to watch in 2023.
Texas essentially started with sophomore center Jake Majors, true freshman right guard Cole Hutson, and sophomore left guard Hayden Conner for every game during the 2022 season.
But the one interior offensive lineman that worked into the rotation more than anyone else (at least in terms of snap count) last season was true freshman DJ Campbell. The former elite five-star recruit started to become a more significant part of the interior offensive line rotation near the end of the 2022 season.
In fact, while Hutson was dealing with some lingering injury issues late in the 2022 campaign, Campbell actually took more offensive snaps at right guard in the last three games. And in the process, Campbell actually graded out better as a blocker than Hutson did throughout the 2022 season.
Between Week 10 and the conclusion of the 2022 season, DJ Campbell was the only IOL in the Big 12 with at least 40 pass-blocking snaps to not allow a single QB pressure. pic.twitter.com/L1xY7jErrs
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) January 29, 2023
Campbell’s high rate of development at the end of the season showed in his production primarily in pass blocking. He was actually the only interior offensive lineman that took at least 40 pass-blocking snaps to not allow a single quarterback pressure between Week 10 and the end of the 2022 season.
If Campbell continues to show that he is one of the most proficient pass blockers in the mix for Flood and the Longhorns in camp in 2023, and he makes some strides in run blocking, I think he will be a legit contender to win a starting spot at guard for next season.