Texas Football: Jalen Catalon participating early in summer workouts

Last month, we talked about how Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian expected all of the players that were out or limited for spring ball to be back for the summer workout program. That was big news for Texas, as there were some key players that were limited or out for most or all of spring camp.

One of the biggest Longhorns players that were limited throughout spring camp was the former Arkansas Razorbacks senior transfer safety Jalen Catalon. During the spring, Catalon was limited due to a shoulder issue that he was dealing with prior to arriving on campus after transferring from Arkansas.

We got an update regarding Catalon’s status at the outset of summer workouts from CJ Vogel of TFB Texas on June 6 (donor content). Vogel of TFB Texas reported early this week that Catalon “has been participating in the early summer conditioning workouts”.

Texas football gets S Jalen Catalon back in the fold for summer workouts

It sounds like Catalon is back in the fold with the rest of the Longhorns players at the outset of summer workouts. But he is on a specific workout restriction for his routine in the weight room this summer.

A key part of this TFB Texas report is that it mentioned Catalon is expected to be “back 100 percent healthy come fall camp”. That will allow him to get settled into this defense with the first-team secondary if he’s not already in a spot to get the starting job heading into the fall.

Catalon is expected to assume the starting job Week 1 at the boundary safety position opposite senior field safety Jerrin Thompson. But he will still face competition to solidify himself as the starting boundary safety from the likes of fellow senior Kitan Crawford and the former junior walk-on Michael Taaffe.

Texas started the full summer workout program earlier this week upon the arrival of roughly a dozen new additions to the program among the summer enrollees. Catalon and the Longhorns will open up the 2023 regular season at home at DKR on Sep. 2 against the Rice Owls.