One of the biggest revelations of this fall camp was the coaches telling veteran players that ties in position battles will go to the freshmen - which seems targeted at the OL, WR, DB and LB groups the most.



Linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary explains:



"We told the older guys, 'If we're at the midpoint of camp and you're in a dead-heat with freshman, we're going to play the freshman.



"So you have to be head-and-shoulders above them to justify us keeping you in there along with the freshman.



"Because if you play the freshman, it's an investment. You're building for the future."





WITH THAT CONTEXT IN MIND - IT'S WAY TOO EARLY TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS THREE DAYS INTO FALL CAMP. BUT THAT WON'T STOP ME FROM TAKING A STAB.



Here we go:





I knew Charlie Strong would give the fans some bull-in-the-ring on Sunday, and he didn't disappoint. He threw the young guys in there, and here's how it went:

Matchup No. 1 - DE Charles Omenihu vs OT Garrett Thomas

This was a solid first battle as the two stayed on their feet and pushed each other around for a good while. In the end, it looked like Omenihu finally got the edge on Thomas. But it was close.

Matchup No. 2 - LB Anthony Wheeler vs RB Tristian Houston

Going in, you'd probably think Wheeler in a runaway, but Houston put up a good battle before Wheeler finally got the upperhand.

Matchup No. 3 - S DeShon Elliott vs TE DeAndre McNeal

McNeal got control of this one early and won it, but remember this as the moment Elliott suffered a toe injury that caused him to miss the rest of practice.

Matchup No. 4 - CB Kris Boyd vs RB Duke Catalon

Perhaps the best matchup of the day (ending in punches thrown) as Catalon appeared to have control of Boyd for much of the matchup, only to have Boyd try to flip Catalon as Catalon was taking him to the ground. Boyd got up claiming victory, and a bunch of offensive players got in his face to say he'd lost - and Boyd threw a punch at someone. Boyd brings a lot of fire to the field. Love it.

Matchup No. 5 - LB Breckyn Hager vs RB Chris Warren

Again, you'd probably think Warren in this one with Warren at 232 and Hager at 224. But Hager, with his hand on the ground, has incredible ball getoff (a great first step), and he got underneath Warren and drove him backward and pinned him easily in the most lopsided of the matchups. And his defensive teammates went wild mobbing Hager, who had a good day Sunday playing a lot of inside LB when the defense was lined up in 3-4.

Matchup No. 6 - LB Cecil Cherry vs RB Kirk Johnson

This looked like an unfair fight from the beginning with Cherry at 240 and Johnson at 205. And it was. Cherry handled Johnson easily.

Let's go position by position regarding the rest of practice:

QUARTERBACKS





We had Matthew Merrick out practicing with the QBs Sunday (more on him in a minute).

Tyrone Swoopes is the best passer on the team, so he looked the best again on Sunday because they don't script QB running plays in practice (since the D is not allowed to hit the QBs).

Jerrod Heard and Kai Locksley were inconsistent throwing the ball - some highlights, some lowlights.

But the moment that stood out to me the most of those two was Locksley pulling the ball down and running in 11-on-11 team drills. Locksley looks great on the move and every bit as fast as Heard - only Locksley is 6-4 (Heard is listed at 6-2).

Swoopes is getting the first-team reps - and honestly, that's OK right now. It's important for Swoopes to have as much confidence as possible going into the ND game. Heard is so laid back (maybe too laid back) that he doesn't seem to mind the second-team reps.

When Charlie Strong was asked if Heard needed more first-team reps, Strong said enough of the top skill guys are runnning with the 1s and 2s that Heard is working with the guys he needs to work with. In other words, Strong didn't make a big deal out of it.

Here's why: After the TCU and Arkansas games, Swoopes' confidence needed to be rebuilt, and so the coaches don't mind Swoopes running with the first team as long as he's making good decisions and throws. And, so far, he is.

Heard's strength is running the ball, and the QBs don't run in practice.

BOTTOM LINE: Both QBs are going to play vs Notre Dame (with Swoopes likely to start). That's when we'll see who truly has made the most progress. Heard showed us in the spring, when he completed his first nine passes vs the No. 1 defense and led a TD a drive, that he's a when-the-lights-come-on player.

Locksley looked better throwing the ball on Friday (at Denius Fields) than he did on Sunday (at DKR), but, again, he looked GOOD when he tucked the ball and ran.

Merrick is accurate and had a decent day throwing the ball in drills (better than Locksley), but he appears to have a three-quarters arm slot (a la Vince Young), so a little lower release point than Swoopes, Heard and Locksley.



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RUNNING BACKS





Johnathan Gray continues to be head-and-shoulders better than everyone else. Although he dropped a pass in 11-on-11 work, and that can't happen. Gray needs to be an excellent receiver for this team this season - the safety valve.

Although Duke Catalon and Kris Boyd had one of the more suspenseful/dramatic bull-in-the-ring sessions on Sunday. Catalon appeared to get the best of Boyd right up until going to the ground. Then Boyd seemed to flip Catalon at the last second and bounced up claiming victory.

That drew the ire of offensive players who got in Boyd's face, saying he lost. And Boyd threw a punch at someone. Not sure who the target was, and I don't think it landed. But Boyd is a fiery competitor who brings a lot of energy and swag to the field.

D'Onta Foreman had a great run in a drill against the linebackers that left Ed Freeman on the ground and led to Freeman getting cussed out by LB coach Brian Jean-Mary. Otherwise, no one else stood out.

In a one-on-one drill involving the RBs vs the LBs, Kirk Johnson got smashed by Malik Jefferson.

Chris Warren, who was destroyed by LB Breckyn Hager in the most lopsided bull-in-the-ring matchup Sunday, got an earful from RB coach Tommie Robinson to pick up his intensity in practice.

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RECEIVERS/TE





I'm going to start with DeAndre McNeal here because he reminds me of Iowa State's E.J. Bibbs (6-3, 261), who destroyed people last year (45 catches, 382 yards, 8 TDs) at TE.

Why?

Because Bibbs was more physical than his size and was a speed mismatch for defensive ends and linebackers.

That's McNeal. Physical beyond his 6-1, 236-pound frame and a speed mismatch for DEs and LBs.

Marcus Johnson killed it all day in drills - and then in 11-on-11 - he dropped a 15-yard pass delivered perfectly from Swoopes in between defenders in zone coverage.

Armanti Foreman caught everything thrown to him - just not everything punted to him. He dropped two punts.

Daje Johnson had a good day catching the ball and was explosive on a screen pass he snared in 11-on-11 and turned into a 15-yard gain.

Ryan Newsome made some nice catches Sunday and is explosive after the catch. Newsome has probably moved past Roderick Bernard (who had at least 2 drops Sunday) already and will probably push Jacorey Warrick for slot receiver reps.

John Burt is steady, consistent, dependable. So is Lorenzo Joe.

Dorian Leonard had a nightmare practice Sunday with 7 drops by my count.

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OFFENSIVE LINE



You know what? On a day that was largely won by the defense, the offensive line had some good moments during the inside run drill - creating holes for backs to get through.

LT Marcus Hutchins, LG Sed Flowers (and Patrick Vahe at LG), C Taylor Doyle, RG Kent Perkins and RT Connor Williams.

Vahe is already pushing Flowers at LG and will certainly get reps there in a rotation.

JUCO transfer Brandon Hodges dropped to third-team LT Sunday behind Hutchins and Garrett Thomas.

Jake Raulerson seemed to hold up at center with the second-team O-line, and Elijah Rodriguez continues to get second-team RG reps with JUCO transfer Tristan Nickelson backing up Williams at RT.

BOTTOM LINE: The stock of Patrick Vahe and Garrett Thomas appears to be rising. We know the coaches already trust Connor Williams as a starter.

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DEFENSIVE LINE





DT Hassan Ridgeway was dressed out in his pads, but he continues to observe practice, sidelined with what we've been told is a back injury.

DT Tank Jackson was involved in contact drills Sunday and lost his one-on-one matchup with OG Kent Perkins. But Jackson is working his way back into shape, still.

DT Paul Boyette won his one-on-one matchup with C Taylor Doyle and continues to look like a key contributor - as does sophomore DT Poona Ford. And redshirt freshman DT Chris Nelson got some praise from Charlie Strong on Sunday as a guy who is starting to flash.

I continue to think redshirt freshman DT Jake McMillon (who won his one-on-one matchup with OL Alex Anderson) also looks good at DT and will contribute sooner or later.

At DE, Shiro Davis got pushed back in his one-on-one matchup with Connor Williams, but then dug in and may have eeked out a draw.

DE Bryce Cottrell won his matchup with OG Elijah Rodriguez and DE Quincy Vasser handled his matchup with RT Tristan Nickelson.

Derick Roberson, who battled TE Blake Whiteley to a draw (good news for Whiteley), got into a fist fight with Nickelson late in practice. Both were throwing haymakers, but they both had their helmets on, so at that point you're just hoping they don't break their hands. They needed to learn from Dez Bryant and Tyler Patmon - rip off the helmets, then throw punches.

BOTTOM LINE: This will be a different D-line once Ridgeway gets back.

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LINEBACKERS





I'm convinced freshman Malik Jefferson is your new middle linebacker.

He lined up there with the ones all day Sunday with Ed Freeman and Peter Jinkens as the outside linebackers when the defense was in a 4-3 alignment.

When the defense was in a 3-4 alignment, Anthony Wheeler and Breckyn Hager both got reps with the ones as the other inside linebacker next to Malik. (More on that in a second.)

Cecil Cherry ran MLB with the second team, and Cameron Townsend got some reps with the second-team D at OLB.

Cherry struggles to cover ground when a play goes out wide or bounces outside. He's a true box middle linebacker - downhill, physical as hell and fiery. So he'll be good in games in which a team wants to run right at you - such as K-State. And maybe you can get away with playing him more in a 3-4 alignment, when he doesn't have to cover as much ground.

Townsend got praise from LB coach Brian Jean-Mary for the angles he took and plays made in one-on-one drills with the running backs.

BOTTOM LINE: I'm getting the sense Jinkens is the only veteran LB with a chance to make an impact. Otherwise, it's going to be the Fab Five Freshmen LBs (Malik, Wheeler, Cherry, Hager and Townsend).

Dalton Santos, coming off the ankle injury, is listed at 257 and might be heavier than that. He can't play that heavy. He lacks lateral quickness as it is. And Tim Cole missed his third straight day of practice in the Pit with Holton Hill and Hassan Ridgeway.

I think the most interesting development Sunday at the LB position was Hager at inside linebacker in the 3-4, and Hager made some plays. Strong told Hager's dad, Britt, UT's all-time leading tackler, that he wanted to see Breckyn at ILB to see if he had the same instincts there as his father and older brother Bryce Hager. So it appears Charlie is doing just that.

Hager read a play perfectly in inside drill, shot the gap and stuffed RB Tristian Houston for a loss. Teammates were oohing and aahing over the play.

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DEFENSIVE BACKS



Davante Davis has been really good in the two practices I saw. He runs well. He flips his hips and changes direction well. He's physical when he needs to be. Has good ball skills. Really impressed.

John Bonney at LCB and Duke Thomas at RCB have also looked really good in the two practices I've seen. And I'll add Kris Boyd and Bryson Echols into that group as well.

Echols didn't fall for a double move by Lorenzo Joe and nearly picked off a deep ball that Joe ended up having to break up.

Antwuan Davis had a really nice play today where he got his hands on Dorian Leonard at the line and Leonard couldn't get away from him. Davis is giving this thing all he has - as he should with this infusion of young talent now threatening to move ahead of him.

At safety, Dylan Haines had a great practice. Haines and Duke Thomas both had INTs. Haines also made a nice play to break up a pass to Ryan Newsome. He also decked Lorenzo Joe in one-on-one drills between the DBs and WRs.

Just haven't seen much yet from Jason Hall, and having DeShon Elliott (toe) out of most of practice should have opened the door for Hall.

BOTTOM LINE: With Bonney playing so much at LCB and holding up well, you wonder what Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford will do at nickel corner? The defense didn't show any nickel in the practices the media/public were allowed to watch - and a 3-3-5 is likely to be Texas' base defense most of the season.

Strong has so many options with how configure his five-DB set, especially with the way DaVante Davis, Kris Boyd and Bryson Echols are playing.

DeShon Elliott needs to get back from this toe injury. He was playing well on Friday and then got injured early in Sunday's practice.

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SPECIAL TEAMS





I'm not trying to set off alarms here - but Texas' punting was atrocious in team drills again on Sunday (after being atrocious on Friday).

New addition Michael Dickson of Australia continues to look jittery and hit a couple knucklers in team situations right in the middle of practice.

Walk-on P Mitchell Becker was the better of the two punters, and that's not saying much. But at least Becker boomed one of his three punts. (Becker also shanked a punt dead left.) If Texas' offense struggles early, the Horns will need a punter to help bail them out and flip field position. That's not looking likely right now. But it's early.

K Nick Rose looked to be connecting on his FGs.

And a bunch of guys were fielding punts in drills: Daje Johnson, Ryan Newsome, Armanti Foreman, Rod Bernard, Duke Thomas and even DeAndre McNeal

Later in practice, Foreman dropped a couple punts in team drills.

BOTTOM LINE: Good news is there appears to be much more play-making potential in the return game. Bad news is UT has nowhere to go but up in terms of punting. And I mean nowhere to go but up.