3 leaders emerging during summer S&C for Texas
Just over 50 days from the start of the 2024 regular season, Texas football is in the closing stages of summer workouts. Preseason camp is right around the corner, which is the first time that Texas fans will get to see many of the new faces on campus in pads and helmets for practice.
Texas football seeing a new group of faces emerge as leaders entering camp for 2024
This team for head coach Steve Sarkisian had plenty of time to gel during this offseason. Most of the players on the roster entering the inaugural season in the SEC this fall were on campus as early enrollees to compete in spring practice.
Having well over a dozen signees from the 2024 class from the transfer portal and high school recruiting gives Texas a leg up when it comes to key positions that faced some roster turnovers being able to gel in preseason camp. Texas didn't have to rely on many immediate impact summer enrollees to come in from high school or the portal and excel right away during workouts.
That said, that doesn't mean the Longhorns don't have a handful of summer enrollees who turned heads immediately in the strength and conditioning program over the last month or so.
Here are three key players for the Longhorns who have emerged as leaders on each side of the ball amid summer workouts.
Gavin Holmes, CB
One of the most improved returning players on either side of the ball for the Longhorns this offseason in workouts and practice is senior cornerback Gavin Holmes. Holmes will battle the San Jose State upperclassman transfer Jay'Vion Cole for the starting job at field corner in preseason camp.
But it looks like Holmes has the right mindset and work ethic this offseason to hit the ground running in this position battle at field corner entering training camp and the regular season. Holmes has not only improved his own speed and technique in practice, the weight room, and 7-on-7 work this summer, but he has also become a more effective leader for this position in the locker room.
On Texas Football reported on July 11 that Holmes is "hungrier than last year" in offseason workouts and on the practice field. He is reportedly taking on a bigger leadership role than he did last season as he is looking to make that elusive second-year jump after coming over to Texas from the transfer portal last offseason.