With only two weeks until Texas’ season opener, things should start to falling into place, especially after the Longhorns’ scrimmage Saturday morning.
While the Texas offense left Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium with the win, it was defensive coordinator Todd Orlando who spoke with the media following practice.
Here are the highlights:
RevolUTion 18 class continues to shine
It’s no secret that the coaching staff has been impressed with freshman defensive back Caden Sterns, who looks like he is ready to start in the season opener. But he isn’t the only standout freshman.
Orlando said he has been pleased with defensive back B.J. Foster and linebacker Joseph Ossai, and with the entire RevolUTion18 recruiting class as a whole.
“They’ve been very impressive. They are as advertised,” Orlando said. “They are making moves up the depth chart … Normally when you have a recruiting class, what you see on film sometimes may not be what get but as a whole but collectively, offense and defensive wise, we can’t see anybody that you would call a “bust.’”
Orlando said they have three or four newcomers he could see himself relying on once the season actually begins, and it sounds like we already know who three of those players could be.
Depth chart set to take form
On Thursday, head coach Tom Herman said they will begin assembling a two-deep depth chart after the scrimmage Saturday. Now, we wait. Orlando said they will find their top 11 starters, and from there they will rank the next 12–19 players.
“We’re going to watch the tape today. Tomorrow will be all about personnel,” Orlando said. “We’re going to sit down as a defensive staff and we’re going to rank all these guys to make sure that when we put guys on the field, it’s in that order. We’re not going to put No. 22 ahead of No. 13. We’re going to make sure the best athletes are out there.”
Orlando addresses rumors
Orlando could be a head coach if he wanted to. His success at Texas or at any of his previous jobs doesn’t go unnoticed. He is expected to get a head coaching job sooner rather than later.
Last year, rumors spread that he interviewed for a head coaching job at SMU, but Herman later denied that, saying he would be the first person to know if that took place.
Orlando parting ways with Texas is something Texas fans have accepted as something that will likely occur later down the road. For now, though, Orlando appears to be focused on his job coaching the Longhorns.
“Realistically it really never materialized, to be honest with you,” Orlando said. “All of the noise and the outside stuff, I don’t want to sit here and be a distraction but sometimes you’ve got to defend yourself … Most of the stuff was completely false. To me, personally, we have something really special here.”
