Texas Football: 3 young pass rushers standing out late in spring practice
Texas football has now taken part in roughly a dozen spring practices at the conclusion of drills on April 4. Through the first month of spring ball, Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian proved that this program has really developed in terms of the talent and depth present on the roster than there was just a couple of years ago.
We’ve seen a plethora of under and upperclassmen make some pretty major strides in camp this offseason, especially since spring break let out a few weeks ago. The former group in that statement (the development of the upperclassmen) is why this spring feels so different than the last couple of offseasons.
At this point, we expect to see the underclassmen make some significant strides during spring ball. These are some good signs that the Longhorns are headed in the right direction this spring, especially at some key positions of need.
Edge rusher and linebacker are two good examples of position groups that have a good mix of players developing among both the upper and underclassmen.
The difference between edge rusher and linebacker this spring, though, is the maturity and proven production present with each group. Edge rusher is relying on a lot greener players to step up and make an impact on the defensive front in 2023.
Impact pass rushers among underclassmen stepping up for Texas football this spring
With that in mind, here’s a look at three young pass rushers standing out so far this spring.
Kris Ross, DL
A name we haven’t heard a ton about since the end of the first week of spring ball is the former blue-chip recruit and second-year defensive lineman Kris Ross. The 6-foot-2 and 250-pound Houston, TX, native has apparently picked up the pace in practice in the last couple of days of drills, though.
We heard about Ross making some plays in the closed scrimmage last weekend. He got some good pressure from the three-tech on the quarterbacks in the scrimmage. And he’s continued to be disruptive during team drills in practice early this week.
It sounds like Ross is getting work both out of the three-tech this spring and as a stand-up edge rusher. That makes sense given the lighter 250-pound frame that Ross is carrying this spring. His size and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage might be better suited for some hybrid edge player this fall, assuming he doesn’t add more muscle mass during the summer strength and conditioning program.
For the time being, though, it’s good to hear that Texas is getting a young and explosive pass rusher such as Ross making some notable strides in practice this spring.