Texas spring football notes: Freshman LB Anthony Hill impresses veteran teammates, coach

There were almost 600 yards of offense in Saturday’s Orange-White game at Royal-Memorial Stadium, but linebacker Jaylan Ford focused on the defensive side of the ball.

Even if those players — like prized freshman linebacker Anthony Hill — were wearing a different-colored jersey.

“Anthony, he had a pretty good day,” said Ford, who suited up for the Orange team in the White team's 21-10 win. “But he’s on the opposite team, so I don't want to celebrate him too much.”

Ford smiled while saying those words, and he must be happy with how his presumed running mate played before a large and rowdy crowd of more than 30,000 eager for a glimpse of the 2023 Texas team.

Hill, a five-star recruit from Denton who flipped to UT from Texas A&M late in the recruiting cycle, looked a lot like DeMarvion Overshown, the leader of the Texas defense a year ago and an All-Big 12 honoree. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Hill lined up at multiple positions and saw extended action as an edge rusher. He had three official tackles with one sack and even brought down quarterback Arch Manning — accidentally, of course — in a meeting between the team’s top two recruits from the 2023 class.

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“He carried himself well,” said Ford, a veteran who played limited snaps. “He had a lot of reps. I thought that was pretty impressive just to get his feet wet. And honestly, I'm really excited for how far he's come since he's been here and the potential he has to continue to grow into next season.”

Head coach Steve Sarkisian agreed with Ford, saying Hill made a major impact in his first action before the Longhorn fans.

“I felt like I saw Anthony Hill a lot today, and I saw him play multiple positions,” Sarkisian said. “That’s a big positive for us.”

There’s no doubt about the starting QB

Now in his second season as a starter in Sarkisian’s system, sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers looked every bit the starter. He went 16-of-23 for 195 yards while helping the White team to the win. He completed eight of nine passes on the final drive of the first half, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell, who made a leaping, one-handed snag that drew oohs and aahs from the crowd.

And Maalik Murphy may have solidified his status as the No. 2 quarterback despite the standing ovation that freshman Arch Manning drew from the crowd. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound redshirt freshman threw for 116 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-13 passing, including a beautiful 79-yard scoring pass to freshman Johntay Cook II.  

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Receivers show depth, versatility

Even with Isaiah Neyor and Casey Cain sitting out the scrimmage with injuries, the receiving corps impressed with its depth and versatility. Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington — the team’s two leading receivers a year ago — looked ready for the fall by combining for 142 yards on nine catches.

Mitchell drew the biggest reaction from the crowd with his highlight-reel scoring catch and six receptions for 58 yards, and Cook showed his ability to take the top off the defense on his touchdown reception. The only negatives were several dropped passes, including two by freshman DeAndre Moore, who did have five receptions for 44 yards.

Recruits enjoy sideline seats

The Orange-White game traditionally serves as a centerpiece of the spring recruiting season, and Saturday proved no different. A handful of four- and five-star recruits for the class of 2024 watched from the sidelines, including several of the “big humans” whom Sarkisian says he likes on the offensive line. They included 6-foot-6, 300-pound Colin Cubberly of Lagrangeville, N.Y.; 6-5, 330-pound Daniel Calhoun of Roswell, Ga.; 6-3, 295-pound Daniel Cruz from Richland Hills in North Texas; and 6-5, 285-pound Brandon Baker, a five-star prospect from Mater Dei High School in California.

Plenty of skill players watched the game, too. Houston Cypress-Fairbanks quarterback and UT pledge Trey Owens, a member of the class of 2024, chatted on the sidelines with several recruits such as emerging star running back Tiger Riden, a sophomore at DeSoto, south of Dallas, where he was a teammate of Cook's.

Spring surprises stand out

Every spring game seems to produce a few surprising heroes. This year, a pair of linebackers seized the spotlight. Senior David Gbenda had a team-high eight tackles for the White team while continuing to show the playmaking ability that has drawn raves from his teammates and coaches throughout the spring. For the Orange team, senior Jett Bush had six solo tackles, including a sack and a tackle for a loss.

Could these seniors seize regular playing time in the fall? They made their case Saturday.

News and notes

Will Stone, a sophomore kicker from Austin Regents, made a 27-yard field goal, the only attempt of the game. He's locked in a battle with Bert Auburn for the starting job. … Redshirt freshman defensive back B.J. Allen Jr. tied Gbenda for game-high honors with eight tackles. … Jaydon Blue led all rushers with 52 yards on 10 carries, including a scintillating 31-yard touchdown run. … Freshman running back CJ Baxter led all players with 11 carries and had 28 yards and a touchdown. … Sarkisian was especially excited about the lack of any notable injuries during the game. Offensive lineman Cam Williams, who started in place of injured DJ Campbell, took a knee at one point, but that probably had more to do with the 360-pound lineman playing extensive snaps in temperatures that soared above 90 degrees on the field. … Several players expected to see lots of action in the fall missed the spring game with injuries, including receivers Cain and Neyor, running back Keilan Robinson, offensive linemen Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson, and defensive backs Jaylon Guilbeau and Jalen Catalon.