Texas players met with the media following Tuesday’s practice to preview the season opener against Maryland on Saturday at 11 a.m. Here are three notes from practice.
Williams ready to lead on offense
Junior left tackle Connor Williams has already garnered plenty of notoriety in the offseason. The Associated Press named Williams a preseason first team All-American, and after being named a team captain last week, he’s already taken charge as a leader on offense.
“Sometimes the defense stones us (in practice), and it gets the offense down,” Williams said. “I have to remind the O-line and the offense sometimes that, I mean, this is probably one of the best defenses I’ve gone against in the last three years playing here, and we see it every day in practice.”
Williams also praised new offensive line coach Derek Warehime’s effect on the unit.
“It’s been a journey,” Williams said. “I think it’s been a good one. We’ve gotten a lot better in the past nine months. I mean, we’ve progressed a lot as a whole O-line — the ones and the twos — and I feel like we all believe in ourselves and our abilities now.”
Hurricane Harvey impacts Locke and his family
Junior cornerback P.J. Locke III didn’t shy away from addressing the concern he has for his family due to the flooding in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Locke hails from Beaumont, which is located about two hours northeast of Houston.
Following Tuesday’s practice, Locke shared details about his family’s situation back home, stating that his neighborhood is flooded and that there is also concern over displaced alligators loose in the area. Locke doesn’t know if his family will be able to make the trek to Austin for the Longhorns’ season opener on Saturday, but he’s trying his best to remain focused on the game.
“As a leader on the team, you got to set stuff aside and just be strong for my teammates, let them know that I’m all locked in,” Locke said. “Because if I’m not locked in, it can have a domino effect.”
In-game playlist not finalized
Ever since he arrived in Austin, head coach Tom Herman has made a point to have his hand in everything that revolves around the program — from
monitoring the color of his players’ urine to renovating both the locker room and weight room.
But perhaps the most unique area Herman dove into is what music will play inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this season. Everything ranging from pregame hype to situational moments in the game will be covered. But right now the Longhorns still need a song to play on third down.
“Right now, we’re still trying to figure out what we’re gonna do for third down,” Locke said. “That’s kind of like our discussion right now. We still haven’t decided.”
