40 Acres Sports

There are pros and cons to every potential next head coach. Yes even the great Nick Saban.

Not enough experience. Too old. No big wins. Doesn’t know Texas. Can’t recruit.

Coach Art Briles has won big at Baylor. Can he put the Longhorns back on top?

My concern about Art Briles is more complicated than that. He certainly has experience. He’s taken Baylor to unimaginable heights both on the field and in recruiting. He’s respected by Texas high school coaches.

The big question is, how good is Baylor really?

Their resurgence has coincided with a time when both Texas and Oklahoma are as bad as they’ve been in 15 years. Texas Tech is just ok. The Husker and Aggies are gone. The Big 12 was incredibly strong just 5 years ago, but now the conference is just a shell of it’s former self. How high would people be on Briles if he has 2-3 more losses each of the last 3 seasons?

Yes Baylor is leaps and bounds better than they’ve ever been before and Briles deserves all the credit for that but I’m not sure that’s any more impressive than what Charlie Strong has done at Louisville or James Franklin at Vanderbilt. And Strong and Franklin are probably last on the Texas fan base’s wishlist. I’m high on Briles and would be excited if he was hired by Texas, but he’s 58 and his defenses have ranged from ok to awful. He’s not the slam dunk that many Texas fans think he is.

But hey, Briles might not work out at Texas but at least the offense should be fun to watch.

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from Texas’ rivalry game against Oklahoma.

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Willy Wonka?! Did you notice the golden ticket that was stuck on every player’s jersey? Wonder if the Texas football team took away Bob Stoops candy after this game?

1st Quarter (13:15) WTH Horseshoe?! I know that I am hard on Case McCoy (13-21 190 yards) but his buddy Jaxon Shipley (5 catches 59 yards) made an incredible catch on third down to keep the first drive alive and start the mojo going Texas’ way!

1st Quarter (4:20) WTH Striker?! Next time you want to assault someone Eric Striker you may want to avoid 92,500 fans watch you do it. The roughing the passer penalty put Texas close to the red zone until Joe Bergeron fumbled on the very next play.

RB turned DT Chris Whaley’s interception return for a touchdown was a gamechanging play.

1st Quarter (2:29) WTH Bulldozer?! Glad the defense came to play. DT Chris Whaley had himself an oskie and proceeded to bulldozer over the Belldozer for the first touchdown of the game. Horn fans need to give credit to Coach Robinson for putting the kids in the right place to succeed in this game.

2nd Quarter (11:38) WTH Trophy?! What is a $30,000, 34″ tall, 45 lb. National Championship trophy doing on the sidelines at this game? Oh right, OU thought they had a chance to win this award. NOT!

2nd Quarter (:03) WTH Kill Shot?! You could tell this was a different Longhorn team. One example of the confidence was how fast the Horns worked down the field to kick a field goal to make it 23-10 at halftime. This was the largest lead at halftime for the Longhorns since 2005.

3rd Quarter (7:22) WTH Deflator?! Daje Johnson stuck a pin in the OU hopes when he returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. Think OU special teams wish they would not have had the delay of game penalty just before that punt?

4th Quarter (15:00) WTH Belldozer?! Blake Bell was harassed all day long by Jackson Jeffcoat and Cedric Reed. The defense had two oskies and 4 sacks to make for a dominating effort.

4th Quarter (:58) WTH Dynamic Duo?! No Batman or Robin here. Malcolm Brown (23 for 120 yds.) and Johnathan Gray (29 for 128 yds.) played like Supermen at the Red River Rivalry.

Next up for the Longhorns is the TCU Horn Frogs in Fort Worth on October 26th.

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas game against Kansas State.

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Ash?! What a way to start off the game?! If there was ever a game that the Horns needed to start fast this was it. Instead on the very first snap the team gets a delay of game penalty. Ash played brilliantly but he did not return in the 2nd half. Prayers going out to David Ash.

1st Quarter (7:01) WTH Espinosa?! Are you allergic to the red zone? Last week you false started when the offense was on the 1 foot line and now you fumbled the snap that Ash has to fall on when you are at the 8 yard line. Both miscues ended up with the Horns kicking a field goal. Dominic please take a chill pill. Wondering if the time on the clock would have been better if it was at 4:20?

WR Kendall Sanders hauled in 3 passes for 80 yards, including this 63 yard TD.

1st Quarter (2:16) WTH Colonel?! OK. Not a good nickname, I agree. But Kendall Sanders was good lookin’ on his way to a touchdown that covered 63 yards to put the Horns up 10 to zilch.

2nd Quarter (3:54) WTH Gutsy?! Both fourth down conversions during the game were huge. The completion to Jaxon Shipley by Ash for 10 yards so close to the end of the half was a statement of confidence and clutch by the offense. No trickery on this conversion.

3rd Quarter (12:22) WTH Back Breaker?! The KSU John Hubert fumble that went right into the arms of UT Desmond Jackson was a huge momentum swing because the Cats were driving on their first possession of the half. Another back… butt breaker was coming later!

4th Quarter (7:22) WTH Target?! I agree on the interpretation of the new rule that went against Steve Edmond. I believe the KSU linebacker Tre Walker that called this team soft at Big XII media day may want to change his words to dirty. I will take dirty over soft any day. Just ask Sergio Kindle.

4th Quarter (2:46) WTH Sanchez?! KSU Jake Walters channeled his inner Mark Sanchez and butt fumbled a crucial touchdown run at the five yard line. Wonder if Jake said “Oh Crap!”

4th Quarter (1:26) WTH Sports Clips?! I saw the new marketing campaign for this chain of sports barber shops. Show the three clips that KSU players had on the Longhorn special teams to spring Tramaine Thompson. I enjoyed the sheer magnitude of venom that most of the 95,248 fans displayed that fired up the UT defense to put the clamps on any more scoring!

Next up for the Longhorns is a road game against the Cyclones of Iowa State on October 3rd.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at @40AcresSports or follow me at @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

Mack Brown fired Manny Diaz to try to fix the defense. So… now what?

This is the second time in less than a year that you will not see the normal WTH article this week. The loss to Ole Miss 44 – 23 is another step in the decline of the program. The first time I did not write a weekly WTH article was after the shellacking by OU last year. I need to explain why I am not writing my usual article, and I also want to tackle the coaching situation at UT.

The reason that I did not give a moment by moment account is because I left the game after the third quarter when Ole Miss took a punt to the house to make the score 37 – 23. I did not know what was going to happen next, but I assumed that the team had given up any hope of winning and so did I. You have every right to rip me for not staying until the end of the game to sing the “Eyes of Texas” win or lose. To let you know my track record, I have never left a game (season ticket holder) win or lose except for one other time. I left at halftime of the 66 – 3 rout by UCLA. The 1997 season was John Mackovic’s last year when the team went 4-7. I have the same feelings now as I did 16 years ago about this team and their head coach. I will continue to support the team by attending and cheering the Longhorns at the very next game. At that moment when Ole Miss went up two scores, I felt the only real message I could send to the administration, coaches and the media is to leave the game and have them see the empty seat. I hope the message that was interpreted from the empty seats was this is not the type of effort or standard to be played at DKR. I can deal with losing to a better team or the team having an off day. This team has lost its edge and confidence in the present coaching staff. The fan base has a sense of apathy towards this team and its coaching staff which is deadly for a program. I welcome your thoughts if I totally missed the mark on my exit.

In regards to the coaching situation at Texas, Coach Mack Brown has eliminated any chance of getting another good assistant coach to ever come here because of what he did by firing (excuse me… reassigning) Manny Diaz. I am not going to argue the point if he should have gone or not, but no self-respecting coach is going to be on a program that has no stability and is not a cohesive group. I have to imagine that the other coaches are getting their resume together because they know that Mack is not long for this job. I will be totally shocked if Mack Brown does not step down after this season. My biggest concern is that the Regents, President Powell, and the new Athletic Director try keep all the assistants together by hiring Major Applewhite to coach this team. We all understand that change is evident, but do not try to lessen the change in order to keep the status quo.

I hope they clean house and return an edge to the program that is lacking. Oh yeah, the edge should come from the Head Coach not the assistants or the star players.

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas game against BYU.

QB David Ash was hounded and pounded by the BYU defense all game long

1st Quarter (15:00) WTH Lightning?! Is it me or did every college football game have a weather delay. Just wish Mother Nature would have made this game unplayable. Texas handled that part of the plan pretty well.

1st Quarter (5:04) WTH 3 & OUT?! How many of these do want to start in a game? (three consecutive 3 & out) Did anyone tell the offensive coaching staff that there were second string defensive backs in the game?

2nd Quarter (9:30) WTH Special?! Texas you are on the road. The defense just stopped the BYU offense. Texas you are ahead in the game 14-10. Why did you call for a blocked punt? Stupid is as stupid does. Three plays later after the roughing the punter penalty, BYU goes up for good.

2nd Quarter (7:26) WTH Stat Line of the game?! 6 plays (includes the punt), -5 yards of offense and 22 seconds of possession time. Welcome to the up tempo offense we were promised.

Halftime (:00) WTH Charmin?! ESPN halftime crew back in Bristol was dying to say it on television. The Longhorns are “SOFT”. I think the Big Blue Stop Sign that showed up on 3rd down affected the Longhorn offense.

3rd Quarter (9:57) WTH Manny?! I can still hear Mack Brown yelling at Coach Diaz about getting the defense to stop their quarterback. QB Taysom Hill of BYU ended up with 259 rushing yards & 3 TD’s.

3rd Quarter (:00) WTH Gashed?! The most rushing yards ever given up by a Texas defense which was 550 yards and they gave it up before the fourth quarter ever started. I predict that Lee Corso will never pick the Longhorns to win the rest of the season. Guess my prediction for the season is in grave jeopardy.

4th Quarter (15:00) WTH Luke Bryan?! ESPN chose to open the fourth quarter with a Luke Bryan country song. They should have used the song “Wasting Bullets!”

Next up for the Longhorns is a game at home against the Ole Miss Rebels on September 14th.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at @40AcresSports or follow me at @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas game against the New Mexico State.

Daje Johnson was electric with the ball in his hands against New Mexico St. (Photo: Getty)

1st Quarter (11:38) WTH Crash Davis?! We’ve heard about this quick strike offense. Nothing would have been better than to have Mike “Magic” Davis get the team into the red zone. He ended up fumbling the ball to end any hope of a first score. He would more than make up for it later.

1st Quarter (3:29) WTH Punter?! What a letdown when your team cannot make a first down. Well, looks like punter Anthony Fera puts a little more excitement into 4th down with a booming 68 yard punt that is downed at the 1 inch line!

2nd Quarter (15:00) WTH Godzillatron?! A lot of us are happy that LHN is on Time Warner Cable. Too bad the University forgot to pay their cable bill for the stadium’s television set which was on the blink and out for a good portion of the quarter.

2nd Quarter (8:45) WTH Head Games?! Never seen that one before. The NMSU backup quarterback signaled for the snap just as his wide receiver was coming in motion. The ball bounced off the receivers head and rolled around as a fumble. At least the receiver, Bergstrom, used his head and recovered it.

2nd Quarter (1:48 & 1:08) WTH Wonder Twin Powers?! This duo did not transform into an animal and water, but it did electrify the dormant UT crowd (99,623) before halftime. The explosive TD catch and run by John Harris (54 yards) and Daje Johnson (66 yards) made the walk into the locker room a little less uncomfortable.

3rd Quarter (15:00) WTH Gutsy?! The coaching staff for NMSU decided to try an onside kick. No risk it… no biscuit. Did not work, but you gotta give them credit for trying.

3rd Quarter (10:27) WTH Ash?! David Ash galloped 55 yards for a touchdown to pad his rushing stats for the night. (91 yds. rushing + 343 yards passing) He had a tremendous second half. Let’s hope he wakes up earlier for the next game versus BYU.

4th Quarter (15:00) WTH House of Pain?! As the kids say “Epic Fail.” The crowd did not respond when the loud speakers starting playing “Jump.” Time to kill any thoughts of making this a tradition. I been to a few Badger football games… this is not a Wisconsin type fan base.

4th Quarter (2:34) WTH Magic?! Mike Davis redeemed is nickname with a spectacular one foot in bound catch in the end zone. Too bad the refs missed it when they did not signal touchdown but decided to call pass interference. Luckily the replay booth got it right and awarded the TD to Davis.

4th Quarter (:00) WTH Major?! 715 yards! The most yards EVER recorded by a Longhorn football team. Guess the Applewhite offense is up tempo. Greg Davis must have been smiling after this one.

Next up for the Longhorns is a trip to Utah to play the Cougars of BYU on September 7th.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at @40AcresSports or follow me at @Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

Magic… Momentum… Anything?

As we get closer to the start of the 2013 Football Season, the question needs to be asked where is this team headed. An even bigger question is what is the state of the Longhorn Men’s Athletic program?

Magic is described as the appearing to perform supernatural feats using sleight of hand. Back in the day there was a term used as “Sooner Magic” where the unexpected would occur for the OU Football team. The term came from epic tussles between the Sooners and Cornhuskers. That magic and momentum carried to other games where the Sooners would do the unimaginable. Just look at their last National Championships when OU who was a 10.5 point underdog beat the Seminoles 13-2. Texas had a similar run of “magic” when Vince Young took a team that had just lost 0-12 to the Sooners in 2004 and went on to win 20 games and two Rose Bowls plus a National Championship. Now look at these two programs and tell me where the “magic” is at. The magic is with the other teams in the conference.

Kansas State: Just came off the greatest sports year ever with a Big XII Championship in football, baseball and basketball in 2012-13.

Oklahoma State: Won the Big XII Championship in 2011 and owns a better overall record over the Sooners for the past three years.

Baylor: Has a Heisman Trophy winner, a new stadium being built and a winning record over the Horns in the past three years.

Texas Tech: At least they have a new coach and an inspired fan base that has a lot of hope for the future.

TCU: Is finishing up their renovations to their stadium and has plenty of momentum with a solid coach and a win over the Horns last year.

And then there is A&M: A multi-million dollar stadium renovation that will make it the biggest football stadium in Texas, solid footing in the tough SEC, and a Heisman Trophy winner. Oh yeah, I forgot… we do not care about them anymore since they are not in the conference.

So with everyone else having momentum beginning this football season, what is in store for the Longhorns in 2013. Here is a video to get you going before we go game by game.

New Mexico State (0-0) at Texas (0-0) Aug. 31st

At least we can say we beat the Aggies this year… even though there from New Mexico. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (1-0) at BYU (1-0) Sept. 7th

This game will tell much of the story for this year’s team. Win impressively and the fan base will believe a BCS game is in the cards. The Horns squeak by this team with their altitude sickness in check, and then the fan base is in for a rollercoaster ride. Lose this game and we will wonder if Mack will make it back next year. Horns WIN (close)

Mississippi (2-0) at Texas (2-0) Sept. 14th

This game just got tougher since the Rebels posted a 7-6 record last year in the SEC. The only reason I can predict a win for the Horns is because this game is at home. Again the aftermath of Provo determines this outcome. Horns WIN (close)

Kansas State (3-0) at Texas (3-0) Sept. 21st

The sorcerer from Manhattan will have his team ready to play. I think momentum of the home crowd and the pending bye week ahead will get this team ratcheted up to take it out on the Cats. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (4-0) at Iowa State (2-1) October 3rd

A Thursday night game?! Are we in the AAC? Do we need the exposure to help our recruiting? Guess Horns want some extra time to get ready for the Sooners. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (5-0) vs OU (4-1) October 12th

The Sooners will be coming off back to back tough games (ND & TCU) before the Red River Rivalry. I cannot see the play of the Belldozer causing much harm unless Manny and the defense cannot stop the run like last year. Hope the extra time gives Applewhite something for Stoops’ defense to chew on. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (6-0) at TCU (4-3) October 26th

Trap game! TCU will have the toughest part of their schedule behind them and they will be looking to turn their season around with a win. The Horns will have another bye week to start dreaming about an undefeated season. The more desperate team will win this one. Horns LOSE (close)

Kansas (2-5) at Texas (6-1) November 2nd

Get ready for a pissed off bunch of Horns in Austin. They will take it out on the Jayhawks who will be reeling from 5 consecutive losses coming into DKR. Horns WIN (big)

Texas (7-1) at West Virginia (3-5) November 9th

I see the urgency in the Horns to not let another TCU moment come back to haunt them. Playing for the first time ever at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, sounds like the stadium was named after an impressionist painter; the fans will try to make it an intimidating venue. The Longhorns take care of business in the fourth quarter. Horns WIN (big)

Oklahoma State (9-0) at Texas (8-1) November 16th

This is the defacto Big XII Championship game in Austin. Both teams are talented and will be coming on strong for this pivotal matchup. Last year I flipped a coin and I predicted the Horns would win (Horns won a close one). Just flipped it. Horns LOSE (close)

Texas Tech (7-4) at Texas (8-2) November 28th (Thanksgiving Day)

The rock star coach will be a little less flamboyant coming into Austin. The talent on the field should show up with the Horns still smarting from last week’s lost to the Cowboys. Fans will breathe a sigh of relief after this one is over on Turkey Day. Horns WIN (close)

Texas (9-2) at Baylor (8-3) December 7th

Say so long to Floyd Casey Stadium which is the smallest stadium in the Big XII. A sloppy game played by both teams as they try too hard to impress the bowl committees. Both running games will be on display on a miserable day for offense. The Horns emerge victorious to reach Coach Brown’s bar for a successful season. Horns WIN (close)

Just so you know… close means 10 points or less and big is 14 points or more.

I am predicting a 10-2 year for the Horns. You can check my past predictions to see that I was not too far off in 2012 & 2011. I hope to see some magic and some momentum from the Horns this season because I don’t think Mack Brown has anymore tricks up his sleeve.

Palo Duro WR Montrel Meander gives the Longhorns a speed threat for the 2013 class.

Welcome to the 40 Acres Montrel Meander. Meander, a 6’3″, 180 pound WR/S from Palo Duro High School in Amarillo became the fifteenth 2013 commitment after a last minute official visit to Austin. Meander had long been committed to Washington State, but flipped this weekend in favor of the good guys.

Meander is an athlete. He can play either safety or wide receiver. As a spread wide receiver he shows excellent straight line speed and could be the deep threat this offense so desperately needs-especially with the departure of the drastically-under used Marquise Goodwin. His route running is raw, but he shows great separation at the line of scrimmage and a willingness to go across the middle and make a tough catch.

As a safety, Meander showed really good instincts and takes good angles when tackling. He shows the ability to cover sideline to sideline, sheds blocks well, and wraps up-all of which are sorely needed in the Texas secondary.

Meander’s number one weapon however, is his speed. The young man can fly. Track speed doesn’t always transfer to football speed, but in this case it does. He has documented track times of 21.55 seconds in the 200 meters, 10.9 in the 100 meters, as well as a 4.46 second 40 yard dash and boasts a 21’3.5″ long jump.

Check out some of Meander’s highlight video:

Will he be a tool for Major Applewhite or for Manny Diaz? He could help either side. My bet is that he ends up at wide receiver at least for the time being.

The Texas offense will be better in the next season due to the departure of offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin and his manic, almost bi-polar play selection. Major Applewhite remains Co-Offensive Coordinator, but will now share the role with wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt. What will make 2013 better than 2012 is that Major Applewhite will be doing what he should have been doing for the last two seasons: calling plays and coaching quarterbacks.

The Alamo Bowl is a small sampling to draw conclusions from, however, it showed that Applewhite has the ability to maximize the talent on offense. He crafted roles for guys based on their unique skill sets. Absent from the Alamo Bowl was Harsin’s dogged insistence on forcing round pegs into square holes. Applewhite didn’t try to outsmart anyone; no mass substitutions, no multiple shifting at the line of scrimmage, no trickery. The game plan wasn’t perfect, but it showed one key element that seemed absent for much of the past two seasons: the ability to adjust when the original plan wasn’t working.

Simply put, Harsin wasn’t a good fit at Texas. The players didn’t respond to him. They didn’t relate to him. Harsin wasn’t a Texas guy. Major Applewhite is Texas. Every recruit in the Southwest knows the name. Their mothers and fathers remember the Big XII Championship game and the Holiday Bowl. Applewhite has the infamous “It” factor that Harsin lacked.

Please don’t get me wrong… I don’t think the 2013 season will be all sunshine and rainbows, but we will see a more cohesive team. We will see more discipline. We will see more accountability. We will see more heart. The old saying, “Attitude reflects leadership” certainly applies here. I don’t see this next iteration of Longhorn football cowering to Oklahoma or self-destructing against West Virginia.

I heard Trent Dilfer last week discussing the Harbaugh brothers and he said, “they get the most from the least and the best from the best.” This immediately made me think of Applewhite’s Alamo Bowl press conference quote when asked about the differences between his offense and Harsin’s. He replied, “…I’ve always felt like even as a player this game is about players, put [the ball] in the best guys’ hands and let them make plays. I think sometimes we over think it a little bit as coaches, so I’m excited to watch these guys go play.”

I’m excited to watch these guys go play as well.

Watch this video below and it will give you a taste of what the players think of Applewhite:

If you were to describe the perfect offensive lineman, it would sound something like this:

• Around 6’6′ – 6’8″
• Over 300 Pounds
• Athletically built-not sloppy
• Big enough to hold hid ground against the pass rush
• Fast enough to get to the second level on run plays
• Strong enough to pancake a defensive end

All these things can be said about the newest member of the 2013 Longhorn football team, Desmond Harrison. Harrison’s arrival can not come soon enough for a Texas team that desperately needs a dose of nastiness in the offensive line.

The time and effort that offensive line coach Stacy Searels and Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite expended to land Harrison shows just how much of a priority solidifying the tackle position is for 2013. Having Desmond Harrison on campus makes EVERYONE better and here’s why:

• Championship teams are built from the inside out-specifically the offensive line.
• A strong offensive line extends drives: punts become field goals; field goal become touchdowns. More touchdowns leads to more victories. Victories are a good thing. They keep people employed. They keep fan bases happy. They keep stadiums full. They keep bank accounts full.
• Jonathan Gray and Malcolm Brown have larger holes to run through. Bigger holes mean more rushing yards. High rushing totals allows for play action passing. Ash is a much better quarterback when there is a running game that can put up big numbers.
• David Ash has more time to progress through his reads and has larger throwing lanes. A comfortable David Ash with wide throwing lanes makes Jaxon Shipley and Mike Davis better receivers.
• Extended drives leads to a rested defense. If their offense isn’t on the field, that severely restricts the other team’s ability to score points.

Adding Harrison will lead to some changes in the offensive line depth chart. If Harrison is everything he’s expected be, he’s penciled in as the starting left tackle from day one. This will prompt last year’s Juco signee, Donald Hawkins to shift inside to either guard or center. Another possibility at the center position would be Mason Walters. Either would be an upgrade over incumbent Dom Espinosa, who was often over powered by the bull rush and lacked the speed to get to the second level. Not to mention the debacle that was the West Virginia game, but there’s no reason to beat a dead horse here.

Is Harrison a sure fire starting left tackle in the NFL? If I could answer that with any degree of certainty my bank account would look much more attractive than it does now. However, I can saw with a high level of confidence that he has enough God-given athletic ability to have a chance to hold up a jersey at the draft and flash a Hook ‘Em for the cameras.

The question surrounding Desmond Harrison is the same one that has surrounded every other elite prospect that has walked into DKR: Will that talent be developed to its full potential? Will he get stronger? Will he get faster? Will his tendency to play too tall and rely on his freakish athletic ability be corralled and coached into flawless technique paired with unreal athleticism?

I have faith in Stacy Searels, Major Applewhite, and Bennie Wylie. I am supremely confident that Harrison is the real deal and will be an impact player from the first snap of the 2013 season.

Take a look at his film (#68) and see what you think. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. Let me know what you think his impact will be and who he reminds you of: