For the second consecutive Saturday, Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian took part in a fall camp scrimmage. The scrimmage on August 17 was less physical and intense compared to the first one held the previous weekend. This adjustment was made as a precautionary measure due to recent injuries sustained during team drills.
Unlike the usual full-contact nature of Longhorns’ fall camp scrimmages, this one featured live tackling only in the first half. The second half focused on lighter “thump” contact to reduce the risk of injuries, given the approaching regular season opener against Colorado State. Notable precautions included resting senior center Jake Majors due to a lower-body injury and limiting defensive players like Anthony Hill Jr. and Malik Muhammad.
In the second and final scrimmage of fall camp, the secondary emerged as a standout unit. The defensive backs, both first and second-team, excelled in tight coverage, making it difficult for quarterbacks to find open receivers and for receivers to gain separation.
Sophomore safety Jelani McDonald was particularly noteworthy, with a standout performance in pass coverage. According to Inside Texas’s Eric Nahlin, McDonald impressed with his cornerback-like skills and was a key disruptor in the secondary. His performance in the recent scrimmage was exceptional, continuing a trend from the previous weekend when he intercepted a pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning.
Leave a Reply