Texas Football: 3 Longhorns summer enrollees impressing in workouts

A few weeks into the summer workout program, Texas football has seen some players stand above the rest from what we’ve heard. Texas had quite a few players that needed to put on some weight and get their bodies right in the summer strength and conditioning program ahead of a critical final season in the Big 12.

The summer enrollees for the Longhorns make up a large portion of the group that needed to get down to work immediately in the strength and conditioning program, especially since most of them are true freshmen.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns welcomed roughly a dozen new additions to the program this summer, which included double-digit players from the high school ranks in the 2023 class and a couple of NCAA Transfer Portal pickups. And it’s already looking like some of the summer enrollees could make an impact for the Longhorns on the field this fall.

Which summer enrollees are standing above the rest in workouts for Texas football?

With that in mind, here’s a look at three summer enrollees for the Longhorns impressing in summer workouts this offseason.

Jelani McDonald, DB/LB

Among the most physically-gifted summer enrollees for the Longhorns this offseason is the former high-four-star athlete recruit out of Waco (TX) Connally High School, Jelani McDonald. The 6-foot-2 and 205-pound versatile athlete McDonald is looking the part as one of the most athletic players in this freshman class for Texas so far this summer.

McDonald arrived on campus in good shape, putting him in a spot to hit the ground running early in summer workouts. He needs to add around five or 10 more pounds in muscle mass this offseason to get a better weight to face Power Five competition.

With the likelihood that McDonald will start his collegiate career at the nickel position for the Longhorns, it’s not like he needs to add a ton of weight. But getting up around 215 pounds would be ideal for the position.

It was hard not to see McDonald being one of the most in-shape freshmen among the summer enrollees. A few weeks before he arrived on campus, he competed in multiple events in the state track meet in May.

Warren Roberson, S

One of the true freshmen for the Longhorns that is making the most noise in summer workouts is the former four-star recruit out of Red Oak High School, safety Warren Roberson. A late-cycle pickup for the Longhorns in the 2023 class, Roberson was a key snag that was once committed to the TCU Horned Frogs and head coach Sonny Dykes.

The Frogs’ loss is the Longhorns’ gain in the form of Roberson. All indications currently point to Roberson being a tremendous value pickup for the Longhorns in the 2023 class.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that we mentioned Roberson as one of the names that came up among the early standouts in the summer strength and conditioning program. Roberson blew away the coaches with what he showed in the early phases of the summer workout program.

And it doesn’t sound like he’s slowed down much in the weeks since we initially talked about his positive summer workout feedback.

CJ Vogel of TFB Texas tabbed Roberson as a “pleasant surprise” among the true freshmen in summer workouts.

After we initially thought Roberson would be viewed as a contributor two or three years into his collegiate career, he could earn more live-game reps right away this fall with how he’s shown out this summer in drills and the weight room. Roberson is part of a deep safety room on the Forty Acres, but he’s certainly making a valiant case to make an early impact during his true freshman campaign this fall.

Derek Williams, S

It’s hard to overlook the talent and hype that the former five-star recruit out of New Iberia (LA) Westgate High School, safety Derek Williams, came with when he arrived on the Forty Acres nearly one month ago. Williams was the highest-rated among the summer enrollees for the Longhorns in the 2023 class.

Given Williams’s versatility and maturity during his senior year at New Iberia, the expectations were always going to be there for him to make an impact on the field for the Longhorns this fall. And while it will be an uphill battle for Williams to earn a spot on the two-deep during fall camp, he’s certainly got the talent to make it happen.

Williams is making an impression on the staff that shows he’s capable of making an impact on the field this fall. He was the first name mentioned in a few different reports we’ve encountered this summer among the true freshmen standing out in the strength and conditioning program.

In the last couple of weeks, Williams reportedly continues to impress the coaching staff with his work in on-field conditioning and in the weight room. It was also mentioned by Vogel this week that Williams has garnered “strong reviews” throughout summer workouts.