Texas Football: 3 emerging leaders for the Longhorns in summer workouts
A few weeks from now, Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian will report for fall camp. That means Texas is getting close to the start of the 2023 regular season, which will be one of the most highly anticipated in the last decade on the Forty Acres.
Sark and the Longhorns were voted to finish atop the Big 12 this season by the media in the preseason poll released last week. Texas also tied for the most All-Big 12 preseason selections from the media, with five.
Before we get to fall camp, though, the Longhorns have to finish a summer workout program that started over a month ago. Texas had some early risers among the summer enrollees in the strength and conditioning program this offseason and some upperclassmen who continue to emerge as vocal leaders on and off the practice field.
Jaylan Ford and the emerging leaders for Texas football in summer S&C
With that in mind, here’s a look at three emerging leaders for the Longhorns during summer workouts this offseason.
With Christian Jones and Kelvin Banks Jr. coming back in 2023, Texas is the only team in the Big 12 that returns both offensive tackle starters that produced a pressure rate allowed of less than 4%. pic.twitter.com/fJ5OQ6YYTN
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) March 8, 2023
Christian Jones, OT
The most experienced offensive lineman returning for the Longhorns this season is sixth-year senior offensive tackle, Christian Jones. Texas’ starting right tackle has more than 2,300 offensive snaps in his collegiate career.
Naturally, given all of Jones’ experience at the collegiate level, you would expect him to emerge as a leader for the Longhorns.
But it sounds like Jones has really emerged as the true leader of the entire offensive line for the Longhorns this summer. Horns247 reported this week (paid content) that Jones is the “group’s leader” among the offensive linemen in summer workouts this offseason.
This Horns247 report specifically mentioned that Jones has emerged as the leader of the group “from a vocal standpoint”. Jones is building up to have a sixth-year senior campaign this fall where he is one of the leaders by example and vocally for the Longhorns.
There is also no doubt that Jones and sophomore offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. are the staples along the offensive line for the Longhorns this year.