Texas Football: 3 problematic Alabama players for the Longhorns

Jaheim Oatis, DL

Alabama has some hog mollies up front that Texas’ interior offensive line will have a tough time dealing with in this weekend’s matchup in Tuscaloosa. Redshirt sophomore starting nose tackle Tim Keenan III and sophomore starting defensive tackle Jaheim Oatis average 6-foor-3 and 334 pounds.

That is a much different matchup size and skill-wise than the Longhorns faced against a much smaller Rice defensive front last weekend.

Oatis is the more experienced and proven of the two starting down linemen for Alabama’s defensive front. As a true freshman, he was among the most disruptive and powerful defensive tackles in the SEC last season, registering nearly 30 combined tackles, two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 11 quarterback pressures.

The 6-foot-5 and 330-pound Oatis is a freak of nature athletically that is very powerful yet quick at the point of attack.

If Texas’ interior offensive line doesn’t take its physicality to another level compared to what we saw from them against Rice last weekend, Oatis and Keenan will eat their lunch on Sep. 9. Oatis, in particular, is not afraid to eat up double teams and get pressure up the middle on opposing quarterbacks.

The good news for offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and the Longhorns is that how problematic Oatis and Alabama’s defensive line will be on Saturday night is mostly up to them. If Texas’ interior offensive line is as physical and communicating as well and often as they did last season against the Tide, this should be a manageable matchup against Alabama’s interior defensive line.

If Texas’ IOL looks like it did last weekend against Rice, Oatis and the Tide will wreak havoc on Ewers and the UT ground game on Saturday.