4 Texas players who could move to RB this fall

Jelani McDonald, S

Sarkisian has talked about trying out a couple of guys who play the defensive side of the ball to get some backfield reps and try them out in practice at the running back position.

While Texas does have better depth and talent in the running back room, thanks to the talent stacking and development Choice has done on the recruiting trail within the program for the last couple of years, we're at least having a better conversation than when the RB depth was in such a frantic state in 2019. That was when the Longhorns had to put both Jordan Whittington and even linebacker David Gbenda in the backfield for emergency reps in preseason camp.

Texas now at least has multiple scholarship running backs remaining on the roster, and the staff has done a better job of talent scouting and athlete development with cross-training practice reps on both sides of the ball under Sarkisian for the last few years.

The question here remains whether Texas feels it is more necessary to move an athlete from the defensive side of the ball over to offense to get the bodies it needs in the backfield this fall camp. Gullette and second-year safety Jelani McDonald have both cross-trained before and I think their knowledge and experience from seeing those different dynamics of the Texas offense makes them viable emergency options here to the RB room.

McDonald has played both sides of the ball in high school. He was a dynamic dual-threat quarterback and even took some reps at wide receiver in high school for Waco (TX) Connally, so he has that understanding of the grind this would take having played in live-game action and practiced with both sides of the football before.

In McDonald's case, it would be more of a natural transition to play the offensive side of the ball if need be. With the coaches' guidance and his experience having gone through these player position meetings with the skill guys on offense in high school, it wouldn't be a completely new experience for McDonald to make a similar transition to take these backfield reps and go through that exhaustive preparation for the Longhorns this fall camp.

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