Texas Football: 3 underclassmen that could win starting jobs in spring

The first day of spring practice has come and gone for Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian early this week. Texas got spring camp underway with the first practice of the offseason on March 6.

This was the first opportunity for Texas fans to see some of the 15 new additions to the program this offseason by way of practice reports and Sark’s media availability on Monday. There were definitely a good number of notable nuggets that emerged from the first day of spring practice.

But we also started to see some trends emerge that could be indicative of how certain players are performing in workouts and camp early this offseason. There are some players that are trying to win position battles in camp this offseason. And spring ball will be the first real impression in terms of on-field practice reps that some of these underclassmen can make on the coaches and their teammates.

If we learned anything from the first day of spring practice, it is that Sark and the Longhorns have plenty of talented underclassmen that were signed in the last two recruiting classes that are ready to contribute in 2023.

Which underclassmen for Texas football will be able to push some starters in spring?

With that in mind, here’s a look at three underclassmen for the Longhorns that could get on the path to winning starting jobs in the spring.

Cam Williams, OT

We already saw plenty of movement along the offensive line during the media availability window in the first spring practice on March 6. Texas and offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood worked in some of the underclassmen that were signed in the last two recruiting classes in the first two teams in practice on March 6.

That included some potential names to watch that could eventually challenge for starting spots in camp such as sophomore offensive tackle Cam Williams, redshirt freshman IOL Malik Agbo, and sophomore guard DJ Campbell.

Campbell took the first-team reps at right guard in the first spring practice this week opposite junior left guard Hayden Conner. Meanwhile, Williams and Agbo received second-team reps.

Williams got the second-team reps at right tackle and Agbo was at right guard.

Moreover, Williams is going to be in a spot to push redshirt senior offensive tackle Christian Jones for first-team reps in camp this offseason. It is a known fact that Flood and the Longhorns want some big humans that can seal the edge and move bodies off the line of scrimmage.

At 6-foot-6 and 360 pounds, Williams is one of the biggest humans that the Longhorns have at offensive tackle this spring. If Williams makes some necessary strides in terms of his ability as a run blocker, then he will really give Flood and the Longhorns something to think about to potentially move Jones to the interior ahead of the 2023 season.

Williams is currently the bigger of the two offensive tackles, and he has the higher ceiling as a pass blocker. But Jones is the more experienced and proven of the two. Jones is also the better run blocker at the moment.

To sum this up, if Williams can really show he’s made some strides in terms of his consistency and ability as a run blocker, he’ll have a legit shot to push Jones to the interior and solidify a path to a starting job at offensive tackle this fall.