Texas Football: 3 defensive players ‘taking the next step’ this spring
T’Vondre Sweat, DL
The last of the familiar names on this list that encompass the players that are off to a good start in spring practice is super senior defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat. The 6-foot-4 and 355-pound fifth-year senior interior defensive lineman will be one of the three or four most important players along the defensive front for Bo Davis, PK, and the Longhorns this fall.
Sweat is one of the most adept and experienced players returning on the entire Texas defense in 2023. Thus, he will naturally be looked to as a leader on and off the field to be able to guide some of the younger players and spearhead an attack from the front seven that will need to be just as disruptive, or even more so, than it was last fall.
Moreover, it goes without saying that it will be a tall task for the duo of Murphy and Sweat to replace what Texas is losing in Coburn and Ojomo up front. Coburn and Ojomo were staples in the pass rush and run defense up the middle last season.
The duo of Murphy and Sweat has more than enough tools to get the job done this year, though. Sweat has next-level tools and has the potential to be one of the best and most disruptive interior defensive linemen in the Big 12.
The two areas that Sweat needs to progress the most are his ability to hold his gaps (especially in run defense) along with utilizing his hands better to shed blocks.
It does sound like Sweat is making some notable strides at least in terms of his hand power and usage and the point of attack this spring. We’ve heard that Sweat is showing more power and better hand placement this spring than he ever has in the early stages of camp in the last few years.
Next. 3 standouts from first full-pads practice of the spring. dark
We won’t really know how well Sweat is progressing in terms of his ability to consistently hold his gaps and disrupt plays in run defense until more full-contact team drills and scrimmages begin this spring. For now, though, it’s very encouraging to hear that he is looking the best he has in defensive lineman drills and workouts of any year of his collegiate career to date.