Breaking Down Every Texas OL Starter with Landon Tengwall

Summary

Inside Texas Football: Breaking Down Every Texas OL Starter with Landon Tengwall

Date: July 18, 2026 | Host: Inside Texas, with analyst Landon Tengwall & Ian Boyd

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers a deep-dive analysis of every projected starting offensive lineman for the 2026 Texas Longhorns. Special guest Landon Tengwall—a former Penn State offensive lineman and respected O-line analyst—joins the Inside Texas team to share comprehensive, film-based evaluations of the Longhorns’ offensive line starters. The discussion covers each player's strengths, weaknesses, NFL projections, and what it all means for Texas's 2026 campaign in the SEC, especially regarding physicality, athleticism, and unit cohesion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Texas? Tengwall’s Interest in the Longhorns

• Motivation: Tengwall initially studied the Texas O-line while watching tape on Nick Brooks, then noticed intriguing traits among the starters. The online discourse piqued his interest, especially questions about whether the O-line could be Texas's Achilles heel despite the highly touted skill talent.
• Key quote:

  “Everybody knows Cam Coleman, Arch Manning … but everybody’s like what about the offensive line? That’s the question, that’s what people think is going to maybe hold Texas back this year.”
  (Tengwall, 02:38)

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Player-by-Player Breakdown

Brandon Baker — From Right Tackle to Right Guard (04:02)

• Strengths: Elite athleticism for his size, particularly on outside zone running plays. Moves fluidly, outstanding at reach blocks—“not many people can move like Brandon Baker can at his size.” Shows advanced use of independent hands in pass pro with clamp and uppercut/forklift techniques.
• Pass Protection: Consistently rehands opponents, recovers well if initially off-balance.
• Room to Improve: Needs to show more consistent physicality in the run game, particularly at the point of attack for “vertical runs.” Occasional struggles against true edge players emphasized his fit at guard over tackle.
• Projection: NFL future likely as an elite guard, but versatility adds value.
• Notable quote:

  “I feel like this guy can be an All-American guard and I think it fits him better … He’s got core strength, he’s got everything you want.”
  (Tengwall, 06:44)

Trevor Goosby — Star Left Tackle (10:01)

• Strengths: “Elite pass protector” with some of the best hands Tengwall’s seen in years. Excellent anchor, adept at rebounding from power moves. Shows mastery in redirecting bull rushers and excels in space on pin-pull and screen plays.
• Minor Flaw: Sometimes a “waist bender,” meaning he’ll lean forward and can get swiped, but this shows up rarely and is nitpicking an otherwise outstanding prospect.
• Projection: Early first-round NFL pick, the obvious stalwart of the line.
• Notable quote:

  “He gets out on those safeties and linebackers and they don’t want to see him coming … you’re going to get him in space. So I love that he excels at that.”
  (Tengwall, 11:01)

Melvin Siani — New Right Tackle, Wake Forest Transfer (16:15)

• Strengths: High-level technician in pass protection. Skilled at mixing up his sets (vertical, 45-degree, jump set) to disrupt rushers’ timing. Rarely gives up sacks or pressures, adept at hand combat, plays with calculated aggressiveness.
• Run Game: Not a ‘mauler’ but moves defenders with acceleration and leverage, excels at reach and pin blocks, especially on runs to space.
• Development: Made real improvements in avoiding leaning, showing willingness to self-correct and develop.
• Notable quote:

  “He’s comfortable taking risk and it paid off just about every single time.”
  (Tengwall, 18:57)
  On jump-set technique:
  “If you jump set, you got one bullet. If you get beat, you’re in deep trouble … but it just messes with the pass rusher because they’re not expecting it.”
  (Tengwall, 20:45)

Lawrence Seymour — Western Kentucky Transfer, Projected Left Guard (25:14)

• Strengths: Tremendous early punch in pass pro—“would collapse your chest in.” Known as “Big Baby Seymour” in high school for his devastating hand use. Very difficult to bull rush, provides a sturdy anchor.
• Concerns: Lacks “road grader” ability; inconsistent movement off the ball in run game, especially against SEC-level DTs. Typically played from a two-point stance—could switching to more three-point improve his run blocking?
• Notable quote:

  “If they do get into his chest, I didn’t see this guy get bull rushed, not one time. That is a big lower half that he has right there and he will anchor down on that thing.”
  (Tengwall, 27:00)

Connor Robertson — Returning Center (29:13)

• Strengths: Excels at passing off interior stunts and blitzes, always “where he needs to be” in pass pro. Moves well for a center, can match linebackers in space, and creates lanes for “cutback” runs. Athleticism stands out, and he’s a key to cohesion for the interior.
• Role: Solidifying factor for line calls and communication, especially as new faces join on both flanks.
• Notable quote:

  “He’s always really good at matching them in space … he’s got great ability to be agile … borderline elite athletically in terms of the center position.”
  (Tengwall, 30:30)

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Overarching Themes: Strengths, Strategies, and Cohesion

A Tackle-Based, Athletic Line (31:42)

• Philosophy: Kyle Flood and Steve Sarkisian are clearly recruiting and deploying tackle athletes all across the O-line—athleticism, pass pro, and movement skills are prioritized over pure power.
• Run Game Emphasis: Outside zone, pin-pull, and screen-based game that exploits the ability of linemen to move into space and handle assignments on the move.
• Comparison: Texas has much more raw talent compared to even successful outside zone units (like 2024 Penn State), but cohesion is the big difference.
• Notable quote:

  “It feels like a super athletic group that can all just straight up move and they’re all really, really good pass protectors.”
  (Tengwall, 31:34)

Cohesion & Early Test Concerns (35:40)

• Issue: The entire starting group has little to no game rep experience together, and Seymour only arrived post-spring. Early schedule features heavyweights (Ohio State, Tennessee, Oklahoma) with no "preseason" ramp-up.
• Implication: Big question whether the line can gel in time, practice reps at a premium, and in-game chemistry (especially between new guards and center) is crucial for successful outside zone and pass pro.
• X-Factor: Not just O-line cohesion but RB familiarity matters—a new group of backs has to sync with blocking.
• Notable quote:

  “You don’t get three full games of non-conference to get the OL going … there’s no game reps where any of these guys have played with the person next to them.”
  (Tengwall, 35:40)

The Persistent Interior Push Question (37:31)

• Red Zone & Short Yardage: Physicality up the gut remains the #1 doubt—can Baker and Seymour generate reliable vertical movement against SEC interior DL for “3rd and 1” and “goal line”?
• Notable quote:

  “The number one question is interior push for this Texas offensive line. When I need a couple yards, can I count on my interior offensive line to get me that? Easily, far and away the number one question.”
  (Tengwall, 37:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He kind of has this clamp uppercut technique ... like a little forklift motion … that’s a power angle, that’s that torque that you really like to get.” (On Baker, 05:40)
• “He’s an elite pass protector so that’s why GMs are gushing over the tape.” (On Goosby, 11:01)
• “It kind of feels like you’re going to the bathroom with the other hand, where it just doesn’t feel right.” (On switching O-line sides, Siani transition, 16:38)
• “All the Texas fans, if I got any new follows, they’re going to be a little shell shocked; they start to see Oklahoma content. But … I’m much higher on this Texas offensive line than I am for the Oklahoma offensive line.” (Tengwall, 38:42)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:38] Why Texas for OL breakdown?
• [04:02] Brandon Baker analysis (complete breakdown, guard fit vs tackle)
• [07:38] Discussion: Why not keep Baker at tackle?
• [10:01] Trevor Goosby evaluation (pass pro, NFL projection)
• [16:15] Melvin Siani detailed film review (pass pro technique, athleticism)
• [20:41] The art and risk of jump sets
• [24:40] Thematic: Athletic/outside zone O-line and cutback runs
• [25:58] Lawrence Seymour, strengths and limitations
• [29:13] Connor Robertson, center play and unit communication
• [31:42] "All-tackle" O-line philosophy, strengths
• [32:32] Penn State 2024 comparison & importance of tight end blocks
• [35:40] Cohesion, early schedule, and chemistry issues
• [37:31] Short yardage/red zone: Is physicality still a concern?

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Big Picture Takeaways

• Strengths: Texas may field the most athletically gifted and pass-proficient offensive line in the country. Every starter has serious NFL potential and the unit has true movement skills for a modern, outside-zone running game.
• Weakness: Proven ability to move SEC-caliber defensive lines vertically, especially on short yardage, remains unproven—especially with two new guards.
• X-Factor: Rapidly establishing cohesion among five starters who, in most cases, have not played real snaps together becomes absolutely critical due to the high-stakes early schedule.
• Outlook: Significant upside for a top-5 national OL, but their trajectory hinges on unit chemistry and finding answers up the middle in do-or-die situations.

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For more on Texas Football and detailed O-line breakdowns, check out Landon Tengwall’s YouTube Channel and follow him on Twitter @LandonTangwall.

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End of Summary

Transcript

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[Landon Tangwall]

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[Landon Tangwall]

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[Landon Tangwall]

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[Podcast Host]

Official bank of U.S. soccer bank of America. NA Member FDSE everyone. Welcome to the Saturday morning show. We got a special guest here, Landon Tangwall, former offensive lineman for Penn State and also he has a channel now that's absolutely awesome. He's doing some O line breakdowns as well. Wider college football, but he went through all of our starting linemen and broke them down. So I will link that in the description down below. But before we go through all that, head over to Inside Texas right now. Join for $1 then 50% off your first year for those new members. Link down in the description below. Of course, we're also with our main man, Ian Boyd. Landon, of all the teams to pick, why Texas first?

[Landon Tangwall]

Oh, man. First off, I appreciate you guys having Me. So I'll tell you what. Number one, I was studying a couple different offensive linemen earlier in the spring, and I. I was watching Nick Brooks, and so I was kind of going through. And so I watched some Texas games, mainly just watching him, but I was looking at the offensive line. I was really intrigued by a couple of the guys. And then you start to kind of see the dialogue online. I started to get some more Texas content in my feed. And everybody knows, okay, you got Cam Coleman. You got all these playmakers. You obviously got Arch Manning. You get two running backs that are super dynamic, and everybody's like, what about the offensive line? That. That's the question. That's what people think is going to maybe hold Texas back this year. And so I was like, let's dive into this tape. And honestly, I think I came away a lot more impressed than most Longhorn fans.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, for sure.

[Commercial Narrator]

And.

[Podcast Host]

But what you did, it doesn't matter because you went off what the tape said and your background knowledge. So he. He is. It got me excited watching it. And of course, he breaks it down incredibly well in a way that I could not. So we will go player by player through the starting five, and then Landon will hook us up with his overall eval, and then at the end, we'll kind of talk, what does this actually mean in action. But first, there's a player that you went off the bat with and someone you could tell on the video you were excited about, and that's Brandon Baker making right tackle to the right guard move. What did you see from his right tackle tape? And then what do you. How does that translate potentially to Red Guard?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah. So I think the first thing you see it was. It was interesting because I went back, I watched Ohio State first, and I think people remember, I think he allowed, like, four or five pressures that day, had some Arvell Reese reps that didn't go his way. But I also saw a couple really physical reps early on where he actually pancaked Sonny Styles, who was considered the best linebacker in college football. There was a short. Short yardage play where he just dug out the defensive tackle and, like, pancaked him. So there. There are certain times where I'm like, okay, I really like the physicality. And then there are also times where I'm like, I need him. Especially when he's going to be a guard. He's going to have to be more physical on these vertical runs. Now, the reason why I just fell in love with him, number one, anytime we ran outside zone. So Especially if he was like the backside tackle and he has to reach that three technique. It's one of the hardest blocks because you don't get a lot of help and the guy has a 2 yard advantage on you to the direction you're trying to go. He is so athletic and I'm just like, there's not many people that can move like Brandon Baker can at his size. So that was the first thing when I'm watching his tape, I'm just like, oh, I, I love this guy. And then his pass pro, there was a lot of things. Number one is like the little intricacies of what he does in pass pro, how he always rebites his hands. One thing that I really like that he does is he kind of has this clamp uppercut technique where he clamps with his outside arm. And I think we're so conditioned to saying, you know, everybody wants to see a perfect two hand punch. It's really starting to get away from that because these D, these DNS and these defensive tackles are so good and so trained with their hands that that old school two hand punch is getting swiped every single time. So guys are starting to kind of evolve and it's like, okay, as offensive linemen, how can we combat how much better these defensive linemen have gotten? And it's like, all right, we got to find different tools. And so one of these tools is kind of how you use independent hands. And they're not, they're not the same thing. They're not in unison. So he has this outside hand clamp where it's just, hey, I want to make sure I get on. I want to be attached to this defensive lineman in some way. And then he comes inside with that inside hand and kind of comes up under. It's like a little forklift motion. And, and then he'll even rebite that hand that was outside back in. So there's a couple reps where I saw that. The other thing I saw is even if his hand was a little bit outside, he'd get this rotation where he's like this out here and he'd rotate his arm up in like, like, like this and lift up. And that's just a, that's a power angle. That's that torque that you really like to get. So all those little things in pass pro got me really excited. And then maybe probably my favorite part about his pass pro is the ability to recover. I, I think you're not always going to be in perfect position that you're gonna get in. You Know, off balance, you're gonna step on someone's foot and you're kind of getting thrown back. There were so many times where he wasn't in the greatest position and he was able to find a way back to a good base and allow arch to get the football off. So, so overall, that was what I saw out of him. Like I said, the one thing that kind of left to be desired is how physical can he be in run game? Because I saw, I saw little spurts of it, but there was a lot of times where I'm like, I, I'd like to see this a little bit more. But I, I said, I feel like this guy can be an all American guard and I think it fits him better. The only times that he really did get beat at tackle, like was when he was, he was facing Texas A M and Cassius Howe. He, you could just tell it was like, Brandon Baker is just not really a tackle at heart with his size. So there's a couple times that Hal just got him because of that. And by the way, Gooseb will get to in a second, but he shut down Hal. I thought that was really impressive, but that was the game where I was like, okay, when he's facing the end, you can really see why Baker really isn't a tackle and why he's more of a guard. So I'm going to love him in there. I think he has a fantastic anchor. He's got core strength, he's got everything you want. Let's just see if he can get some real push when we want to run up the middle. That's the biggest question.

[Podcast Co-Host]

Landon. If for as light as he is on his feet and as well as he played, you know, right tackle opposite Goosby who's back, why remove him from guard? He's only a third year player. Could he have remaining upside if he stayed at tackle and just kept developing his skills? Why? Why is guard a better position for him to try to develop to?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, I mean, so I think naturally you, you look at him and he, he just is a little bit more, I mean, six four, so doesn't have the length you want. I think his hands are so good with how, like I was talking about how he uses them, that he was able to get away with being six' four. But there's a reason there's not a whole lot of six' four guards just because you just, you just don't have that full length that you'd like to have. So I've seen people talk about maybe even, you know, if he stays, could he bump back out to tackle? Like if se after Ciani's gone, Like is that something? I. I think it could be but at the same time I just. I don't know. I just feel like him at guard, it just, it just fits his play style more because the, the like I said, the only time I'd see him really lose in pass probably was when it was just an elite defensive end where it just felt like I, I need that, those extra couple inches, I need those arms to be a little bit longer and they just weren't. But, but I think he is a classic guard tackle swing. I think NFL GMs are going to love the fact that he, he definitely can play both. I just, I feel like guard is going to be more of a strong suit. But look, also we'll see. Maybe it's not. Maybe we turn on the tape and, and we couple first couple weeks and it's like oh no, Brandon Baker was way better at tackle. I hope that doesn't happen. But it's possible just because we have not seen him there. But I, I just looking at his size and all that, I saw him talking about food on, on a podcast. It seems like he's. He's with the beefing up a little bit getting inside. So that, that's why I like him more guard. But it also is hard to project sometimes because we just haven't seen those

[Podcast Host]

reps and you know, our intel in reporting is that that the coaching staff think that that's his NFL position and Texas likes to get you into your NFL position if they can. Also they just botani so it's like, you know, they want the, they want the right tackle there. So I'm sure that's a factor as well. All right, let's go to our other tackle, left tackle. And this is the one Texas fans love. Goosby. There's no complaints on the Goosebie side even with a difficult offensive line returns for another year which we think was awesome. And the NFL likes them projected to be an early first round pick. But what was your breakdown of Goosebie? Both the good and the bad?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah. So obviously an elite pass protector and I think I haven't seen someone with as good of hands as him in a couple draft cycles at this point like he is. There's a couple plays against Georgia where he was going against a really good DN and it was kind of he was getting swiped down at every single time. He was just re biting those hands, getting them back on whenever he gets a bull Rush, he'll go double under where he kind of gets up under their chest plate and will just like lift them up and redirect all their momentum that was coming straight at his chest right up into the air. So like it's clear and I give. Listen, I know Texas fans aren't the biggest fans of Kyle Flood, but it's clear like he has shown these guys some really, really good technique, especially in the pass pro game. So I really like that about him. I think he's just got a natural anchor too to him. Where I, I see like there was a rep against Ohio State and Kenyatta Jackson where just these defensive ends are in wide nines and they're just building up a full head of steam and trying to put their helmet into Goosby's chest and, and he's just, boom, I'm just anchoring down on that thing. So that's what I really, really like about him in pass pro and I just. He's an elite pass protector, so that's why GMs are gushing over the tape. And in run game, I. There's a lot to like. I, I think the number one thing I like though is like him in space. And that's going to be a common theme with pretty much this entire offensive line is that I like them more in space. Like he gets out on those pin pool where you, you bring some guys to block down and you pull Goosby around and he can get up on those safeties and linebackers and, and they don't want to see him coming. He does a really good job of, of, of moving like he's full on sprinting, but he's not out of control ever where it feels like he just gets like just a little move to the side and he's going to go flying. I really didn't see much of that at all on the tape. So you're going to run screen passes, you're going to have wide receiver tunnel screens like with the town you have with, with, with Smothers and all those like it's that that's going to, going to happen. You're going to get him in space. So I love that he excels at that. The overall like flaw in his entire game that isn't. It shows up very minimally on tape is that he is a little bit of a waist bender at times meaning like he'll just like lean forward. And I saw that a little bit in pass pro and run game. Like there's a couple times where he would just kind of get swiped because he was leaning. But like I said, it wasn't that many reps the the sacks that he did give up. I felt like he got to they got to the top and he had the defensive end and he was leaning a little bit and they felt it and they'd kind of like pull him down and and just really try to bend that edge. But that, that was the only flaw. There's really not much flaw in this guy's game and that's why he's projected to to be drafted so high. But if I had to pick one thing, it's just a little bit too much of a waste bender there.

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[Podcast Host]

what is why does that happen? Why do o linemen get caught leaning seven?

[Landon Tangwall]

I mean, I mean, yeah, I was gonna say he's, he's a long body and it seems like he's got a long torso. I mean, one thing is definitely core strength and that's something you're always working on. I, I, I feel like maybe that's something he guess could improve on upon a little bit. But it's also kind of like natural, just especially when you get to that. And it happened in run game too. Like you just kind of, you want to be physical. And I think part of that too is they felt like, especially in the run, they felt like we need to be more physical. So maybe there was some of that in his head. Like I need to just go. And sometimes if, if the defensive lineman catches you right where you're like, I'm about to just maul this dude and you kind of duck a little bit and they jump out of the way and give you a swipe, that's where you can get yourself in some trouble. So like I said, I think that'd be the one thing I'd mark, but I, I, I expect him to clean that up a little bit. And it really wasn't something I wrote down a lot and it was more of a nitpick of I, if I want to find something that's wrong with this.

[Podcast Host]

You had to find, you had to find something.

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, you got to find something. You got to find something.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Any thoughts, Ian, on Goosebie? Are you ready to go the next guy?

[Podcast Co-Host]

Not particularly.

[Podcast Host]

I'm gonna say we like Goosebie. It's, it's, it's, he's so good. It's uninteresting. We're just like, yep, good, go to the first round. Thank you.

[Podcast Co-Host]

So they got a lot of other spots that are more interesting.

[Podcast Host]

All right, so we brought in a new right tackle out of Wake Forest, Melvin Ciani. And he gave up zero sacks, nine total pressures last year according to PFF. So great numbers there. 66313. One thing I'll point out before we go into it, he had an adjustment period when he came to Texas because he's up against Colin Simmons, Lance Jackson, Xena, in our opinion, and probably also true, the best edge room in the country. So he had an adjustment period learning that scheme and then going against elite, elite first rounder guys. And then he found it and so he able, was able to block efficiently, but then he even started talking trash, feeling more comfortable. So that was good too. He was able to come out of his shell after that period. But what did you see on the tape with Melvin Siani?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, well, one thing I, that I'm curious about too, of I don't know what kind of intel you guys have gotten on him. Sounds like some, definitely some good intel of that, that, that transfer back to right tackle because obviously he was right tackle at temple in 24 when to wake force and 25 played left and then went back to right tackle now. So I, I will tell you as someone that like, I had to kind of like switch around sometimes if you're really used to one side, which like I said he probably wasn't because he played both already in college. It can feel a little bit weird. It kind of feels like you're, you're, you're going to the bathroom with the other, you're wiping with the other hand where it just doesn't feel right. Like it's just like, oh, this. I don't like how my set feels so mixed in with going against like you. I totally agree. Probably the best edge room in college football there was that probably adjustment to get back to right tackle. And speaking of that, while we're on that, one thing I noted from his, I went back and watched some of his Temple tape where he, he did play right tackle because I wanted to see if the movement looked the same, like if he moved as well. And I didn't see any differences. The one thing I noticed in 24 is Ciani had a problem. We were talking about leaning with Goosby. He would really lean and it got him in some trouble at times in 2024 at Temple. And my, what I really like is I, I, I, when I watched that, I watched that after I watched his 2025 tape and I'm like, well, you know what that tells me is he fixed that. And, and when whenever he did get beat very few times in Pass Pro in 2025 at Wake Forest, it was because he was leaning a little bit. But I love that he, that how much better he got that shows me like this guy is able to continue to progress and he's going to work on the things that he doesn't feel like are perfect. And so that, that is something I really noted that how much better he got it making sure he wasn't leaning and in pass pro. And that's why you saw such an elite year out of him as a pass protector. But overall, I mean, I don't even know where to start with this guy as a pass protector number one. I love how he switches up his sets, meaning that he'll give the defensive end and you know, pass rushing. Especially when you're going against the same defensive end, it's a full game because you might have 40 plus snaps. And so defensive ends are trying to set things up down the road in the game and the offensive linemen are too. And that's what I mean. Like we're evolving. It used to be, hey, we're going to take the same 45 degree set every single time. And defensive end started timing that up and so like, all right, we got to switch it up too. So you'll see times Zani will do a classic 45 degree set. He'll go straight back, vertical and then my favorite is when he wants the jump set. Guys, it is so pretty how he gets on them and just gets those hands on it is, it's really, really nice. So you got that. I saw high level technique where he's, he's using that flash hand where he'll just kind of. The defensive end isn't in range yet, but he'll throw out what we call a flash technique. And it kind of get, it just messes with the defensive end. They're like, oh crap. And it makes him hesitate and then he's able to get on top of them and it just messes up their rhythm. So that, that's a big tool that I, I've seen a lot of high level NFL offensive tackles talk about messing with the pass rusher's rhythm because they are on a rhythm and they're trying to set things up. And if you can mess with that, that's where you get them off your game. And I think Ciani does that in a, in a variety of ways with his hands, different techniques, the different angles of the sets he's taking. That's why he's such a good pass protector. And I, I think that comes from him being like, I guess you could call it almost a little bit of a risk taker. I think naturally a lot of guys are comfortable in a certain set that they just like, of like, like I said, you're, I'm always going to take my 45 degree set. He is, he's comfortable taking risk and it paid off just about every single time. The, the thing that I'll say about his run game that I feel like is a little bit underrated is he, he, he'll move guys. Once again, I think his best trait is getting out in space. Wake Forest ran a lot of pinpool where they got him in space. A lot of like outside zone and you'd see him get up on these linebackers, cover them up, get up on safeties and, and wall them off so they can, they can hit that kick out block. Like, there was a lot of good on his tape in run game, and I think because he was such a good pass protector, that kind of got looked over a little bit. It's, it's. I wouldn't say he's some like monster Mauler, but for, for how he moves and like he's not, you know, absolutely huge. And 66302 is what he's listed at. He can move some guys. And it's mainly just because once again, this is a, this is a high level athlete. This is a guy that accelerates really well. And so when he accelerates into those down blocks, you get some pretty good movement. I've seen him collapse those defensive lines a couple different times. So I, I definitely want to give him a shout out for that run game as well.

[Podcast Co-Host]

When you say jump set, are you referring to on your tape when instead of getting back, he actually fires out in pass protection and kind of hits the guy while the guy's trying to set up his move?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yes, sir. Yep.

[Podcast Co-Host]

Can you explain to us how that, that, how that works?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, so, so, so the, the, you know, generally like the, the defensive lineman has a plan in their head of what they're going to do on each play. Like I said, they might be setting up a rush that on my fourth rush, like I'm going to work this move, I'm going to try to set him up. So my fourth rush, I get him on this move and let's just say they're on that fourth rush and they're like, all right, once I get to my third step, I'm going to hit him with this move. And then guess what? That's what they're thinking. And, and then as soon as the snap happens, Seani, boom, just jumps on him. And they were thinking in their head, once I get to my third step, I'm gonna do this swim move, whatever. They didn't get a chance, they didn't get a chance to even think about it before Ciani just jumped on top of them. So that's where it's not something you want to do all the time. Because when you take like a normal vertical set, I would like to say you got a revolver, you might have a couple bullets in that revolver. Meaning that like, if you kind of get beat, maybe you can ride him by and make sure he like runs the arc around Arch manning or you can just find a way to recover. If you jump set, you got one bullet. Like if you get beat on a jump set because it's so aggressive, you're in deep trouble because that, that defensive end might have a straight line to arch manning within a half a second. So that's where you got to be cautious with these jump sets. But that, that's kind of what I mean of it just, it just messes with the pass rusher because they're not expecting it and you're able to just kind of throw off any plan that they had in their head. It's completely gone.

[Podcast Co-Host]

It's a lot like boxing. The second, second question, it mentioned Baker, obvious pass pro upside as a guard, and then Siani, kind of a evolving Zen master at this as well. Why is Texas pairing these two star pass protectors on the right side? I guess Siani to the left tackle obviously is not going to happen because they have Trevor Goosby. But why is it that you think Baker is being paired with Siani rather than being paired on the left side with Goosby?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, I think that that's definitely a good question. I mean it could just come down to like, Baker just says, I like, I like the right side more, so that's where we're gonna go. But I, I think naturally, like, I am excited for these guys combo blocks when they both get to get on and say a three technique and, and you know, Siani can accelerate into it and Baker kind of hold that thing up and they can knock it over. But I, I, I, I'm not sure exactly fully what went into that thought process. I don't think, let me look at, let's see. I don't think Baker has had, has he had any, let's see here. Sorry, give me one second. I don't think he's had really any in game snaps at, at left tackle or at left. He's so he's had 20, he's had 918 reps at right tackle. He's had 20 snaps at left tackle in his career. So my guess with that is they said to him, where do you want to play? And he probably just said right guard because he's more comfortable on the right side. So that, that would probably be my answer.

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[Podcast Host]

the description and then also too Siani. Once again this is going to be the theme of the show. He's good on outside runs. So anytime where he's sweeping, pin and pull any outside zone. That's just the story of the offensive line.

[Landon Tangwall]

You know what I just, I thought about, I haven't really talked about this at all. I think too, you know, outside zone, obviously you want to hit it to where you're running it, but the cutback lanes is something like the hitting the cutback on the outside zone that can produce some really explosive plays, especially when you have the backs that you have now at Texas. And I think both of these guys are really good. Not only play side of outside zone but backside of like making sure they cover those linemen up because they both move so well. Ciani and Baker. And so I think that's going to be a factor too of like you're going to see some really nice cutback lanes that they are creating on the backside of outside zone, not just the front side.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah, you can get giant runs and luckily we have fastbacks that can do it or league Brown for 80. That's the goal on the cut back there. All right, let's go to another transfer. We brought in Lauren Seymour out of Western Kentucky, but he's been around a couple spots. He gave it one sack last year, eight total pressures. I think he's listed in PFF at least 6, 2, 3, 20 and he wasn't even listed as a weight at Western Kentucky, which is suspicious. But that's, that's what PFF said, 320. And what did you see from Seymour? He only had a few games against, you know, SEC level competition. I think only probably one with lsu but against that higher tier. And I noticed in your play breakdown you absolutely looked at lsu. So what'd you see from Seymour Yeah,

[Landon Tangwall]

I, I tried to do as much LSU as I could because obviously that's who's going to be playing against in the sec. I, I think first off, and it's funny, we were in the same class coming out of high school, so we go to all the camps. Like, this dude was always amazing at pass, bro. He was always winning like all the awards because it was all one on one pass rush. And his nickname was Big Baby Seymour. And this dude had a punch that would collapse your chest in like guys, you'd see it and you would be like, oh my God. Like he just, just destroyed that guy. And he still has it. And, and that's easily my favorite part of this game, of his game. And that once I watch Seymour and I started to watch these guys, I'm like, okay, it's, it's clear what Flood and Stark are doing here. They have. And we're going to talk about a little bit. It's clear what they want from this offensive line. Seymour is, is a high level pass protector. He, his, his, like I said, his punch is great. My favorite thing about him of why, if you ask me why he's so good outside of his punch, is how early he throws his punch. So I, I think a lot of people on an offensive line is they're late with their punch because they're kind of, once again, they're kind of like nervous to throw it. There is no nervousness with Lawrence Seymour and his punch. So a lot of times you're late with your punch that allows the defensive end or defensive tackle to get into your chest. And, and after they get into your chest, then they can work a variety of different moves. Seymour really doesn't give guys a chance to get into his chest. And now I will note too, if they do get into his chest, I didn't see this guy get bull rushed, not one time. That is a big lower half that he has right there and he will anchor down on that thing. So that's where I'm watching. I'm like, okay, they got this guy to be a pass protector. Now obviously you're at guard. That would be my biggest worry when I watch this tape. Especially against lsu. There was a decent amount of run game where I'm like, I can't have you getting this dented where guys would just put two hands in. And he just wasn't coming with enough off of the football. Now one thing I'm really curious to, to find out if Kyle Flood changes this Seymour outside of goal line. 4th and 1 3rd and 1, he was in a two point stance entirely. So I am curious if Flood's gonna be like, look, you need to be in a three point stance on normal downs. Like if it's first and 10, second and five, get in a three point stance. So that's something I'm curious to look out for and I think, because I do think as a lineman, like naturally it's cool to be in a two, but I, I think if you're trying to fire off the ball and a problem for you is not getting enough movement on, especially on vertical runs, put that hand in the ground and let's, let's get in a three point stance. So that would be something I, I, I'd look at to see if Kyle Flood changes that for Seymour.

[Podcast Host]

So we should be solid at the guard spots because you said Baker and pass pro Baker had a good anchor as well as Seymour and physical and yeah, I noticed that too. I had to do a play breakdown on Seymour before we got him whenever we heard we were going to get him and same thing. Good, good hand fighting, ability to refit. So excited for Seymour and you know, in your video as well, he wasn't there in the spring, so that's the big question. We'll get into what cohesion means as well once we get through all the guys, but yeah, not a road grader, but once again can do some blocking on outside runs and he's a good pass protector. All right, let's go to the final piece of the puzzle here. And that's our returning center with some experience. And That's Connor Robertson. PFF has him listed at 0 sacks, 13 total pressure, 6, 4, 3, 17. What do you see from the mind of the offensive line?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, so I, I really, really like him in pass, bro. It feels like he's always where he. And it's funny because I feel like we're talking about how good this isn't like how good all these guys are in pass pro. And Arch was the most pressured quarterback in college during the SEC last year.

[Podcast Host]

Horrific leak at left guard last year and it got figured out kind of towards the end of the season. Robertson was a piece of that, but yeah, yeah, it was, it was rough, but it was one position particularly being attacked repeatedly.

[Landon Tangwall]

I, I, I think it was Nick Brooks gave up nine pressures in the Florida game. Yeah, so I don't, I don't only

[Podcast Host]

played for like two games for us and he gave up like six sacks or. It was crazy, man.

[Landon Tangwall]

Left guard was brutal when I first pulled up his like, pff I just see all this red in his pass, bro, and I'm like, oh, no, no.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, it was bad.

[Landon Tangwall]

So Robertson overall, like, so I, I really do like his pass, bro. He's always like in the slide where he needs to be. And I think the biggest thing is, I think this, especially the interior, a lot of times you can get caught on these interior stunts. Everybody kind of talks about those, like outside stunts with the guard and the tackle. You're seeing more and more, especially if you play like Texas A and M and what Elko does there with some crazy different blitzes. You get a lot of interior stuff going on. And that's where Robert Robertson really like Excelsior, where I see him be able to pass things off. He knows when something's coming over the top and he needs to slide. He's in the slide to the right and he knows when I need to slide back to the left and make sure that I'm there to be that safety blanket and, and protect arch with that. So I think that's one thing. And I also saw times where everybody was man up and he was man up with, with a linebacker. Everybody had defensive lineman and he was mano Imano with a linebacker that is naturally just a better athlete than him. And they would try to give him like a shimmy to the side and work one side. And he was always really good at matching them in space. So it wasn't just the ability to like sit down when he gets a bull rush or, or cover up those stunts. But like, he can move really well. And I think he's got, he's got great ability to just, just be agile. And I saw the same thing in the run game. Like, I, I love him. Once again, same theme. I love him in the outside zone game. When he gets going, he can get up on backers. He moves. When there's like a nose over top of him, he can get going. And he'll. There's times where he's powerful. He'll take that like backside hand and like throw them over and try to create a lane for the running back. So just athletically, once again, feel like he's, he, he's borderline elite athletically in terms of the center position and what you're able to do. So everybody, you know, you look at this entire offensive line, it feels like a super athletic group that can all just straight up move and they're all really, really good pass protectors.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So. Yeah, exactly. That's what I was going to ask you. The upside of what Kyle Flood is trying to do here. We, and we make a joke because, you know, Baker was a tackle. We're like, if Flood could have five tackles across the line, he would. And because that's the, the goal, clearly. But the big thing is this group moves really well, and so that lends them to good pass protectors, good outside runners in. Any thoughts there before we go into potential downsides or weaknesses of the line?

[Podcast Co-Host]

Well, let's go, let's go. Big picture with that question real quick. Okay, Landon, I want you to compare and contrast this line with another line that I recall from recent years that in my memory was one of the better outside zone run blocking lines I've seen. Can you guess who I'm going where I'm going with this outside zone?

[Landon Tangwall]

Are they in the sec?

[Podcast Co-Host]

No.

[Landon Tangwall]

No.

[Podcast Co-Host]

Oh, you're gonna, maybe you're gonna feel real bad if you don't get this.

[Landon Tangwall]

I know, I know. Come on. Wait, what's up, Big Ten?

[Podcast Co-Host]

Yes. Landon. Very recent playoff team that ran a lot outside zone very well. 2, 000 yard backs.

[Landon Tangwall]

Oh, is it? What are you talking about? Oh, Penn State. Is that where you're going?

[Podcast Co-Host]

2024 Penn State.

[Landon Tangwall]

Yes.

[Podcast Co-Host]

Compare and contrast this unit, their approach, their athleticism and Penn State on that same dude.

[Landon Tangwall]

I, that's how I know you guys really know ball. The fact that you knew how well Penn State was running the outside zone, especially at the end of the year, because they were running that, they were running that really nicely. Look, I just, I mean naturally, and this is why I said I think Texas really, I, I gave Notre Dame the title of, I think the, the best offensive line also because they have a ton of depth going into this year, but I really feel like I'm comfortable giving Texas the offensive line of the, the most talented offensive line. Now, all the cohesion questions and all that, but I, I, I, I really believe that looking at the, the Penn State offensive line, let's see, Olu Fashion, who wasn't there, he's already on the Jets. So like, overall, I don't think there, there, there was Venga Yan who was a first round draft pick. Everybody else was like a sixth round draft pick or worse or undrafted on that offensive line. So naturally there's just so much more talent on this Texas offensive line compared to that Penn State offensive line. But I think the biggest reason they were able to do it is because it was my offensive line coach, Philip Trotwine. He was very technical and they did a great job and they also had great tight end blocking that was, you know, you had Tyler Warren, the, the, the tight end coach there at the time. Ty how was huge on run blocking because he was a former offensive lineman at Penn State. So I think honestly that was a big reason too. Was the, the guy on the end line, the end line of scrimmage was really, really good at, at doing that as well. And you also had two backs, like you said, that were really, really fantastic in that playoff run. But, but overall the, the, the athletic background and just the overall talent, I don't really think it's close. Texas has so much more than that 2024 Penn State squad.

[Podcast Co-Host]

Well, that's exciting. And you know, they added a Big Ten tight end, Michael Massunas from Michigan State for exactly this purpose. Right. To seal that edge so that they can pull guys around it or so they can get the edge initially. But then, you know, you're talking that Penn State team. Trout Wine. I forgot he was there. That dude's been a part of a lot of really good offensive lines in college football over the years. A lot of cohesion across that group. What are the chances that this team with, you know, Seymour didn't even arrive till summer. There's a reason outside zone is a little more prevalent in the NFL than college. Can this unit gel in time for the season which hits them immediately like Ohio State at Tennessee early in the year? Oklahoma, are they going to be able to get cohesion and outside zone, Are they going to be able to get cohesion and pass protection in time against a schedule that has like no margin for error?

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, I think that that is the biggest question because you don't get three full games of, of non conference. Let's just have some fun. Let's, let's, let's get this offensive line going. It's week two. We're getting. After you get one week to shore that thing up and then it's. It, let's go. So that, that naturally is the biggest question because you look outside of spring ball. Ciani and Baker did get to play next to each other and obviously he got to play next to Robertson at center. There's no game reps where any of these guys have played with the person next to them. And so I think naturally that is obviously a little bit worrisome. I, I think it's, it's very possible. I think another piece that kind of goes into that is, is Smothers and Relique Brown and you know, I think they're kind of into this equation too of like I knew if anybody knows Katron Allen, who recently got drafted. Like, I knew certain things that Katron loved to do off of, like, duo. Like, I knew that he was going to try to press it vertical and he was going to bounce it outside. Like, I. I had that idea in my head. So I would always kind of. Even though I'm supposed to just get a vertical push, I would kind of try to, like, lean my guy inside because I knew that was going to try to get bounced. Similar thing, especially when we're talking outside zone. If I'm Brandon Baker, right guard, and I know I got to reach this. This two. You know, this two eye that I have on the inside, but there's a good chance that Relik Brown is going to cut this off my backside. And, you know, I might play that a little bit differently if I can see that the linebackers are cheating over. And I'm like, all right, we're gonna. We're gonna cut this thing back. I'm gonna. I might play that a little bit differently. So it's not even just the offensive line and the tight ends. It's also getting a feel for your running backs, which are also completely new. So I think that's another kind of factor to. To throw in there as well. That if they can do it, I guess. I guess we'll see. I'm excited to turn on the Ohio State tape, though, I'll tell you what. But I think it can definitely be done because of how talented these guys are. But it's. It's definitely a big if fall camp. You gotta squeeze as many reps as you can out of that.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely. And then the final kind of point of concern, it is third and one. It is fourth and one. We are in the red zone and we need to go vertical. I think that's still a big question mark and has been a question mark for five years now with the Texas offensive line.

[Landon Tangwall]

Yeah, that's. That's my number one question for Brandon Baker and Lawrence Seymour is both just at both God positions. Love the passport. All that's great. Both athletic. Can you get vertical push? Because both of their tapes doesn't leave me super confident that they're going to be able to do that. We'll see. You know how this offensive line gels and if Flood can coach them up a little bit. But that is absolutely. The number one question is interior push for this Texas offensive line. When I need a couple yards, can I count on my interior offensive line to get me that easily? Far and away the number one question.

[Commercial Narrator]

I agree.

[Podcast Host]

All right. Everyone head over to insidetexas.com where you can join for $1, then 50 off your first year link in the description below. And of course, Landon's video link will be in the description below. Go watch it. It's absolutely awesome. Landon, we learned a ton from you. Thank you so much.

[Podcast Co-Host]

Tell people. Tell people the name of your channel and what you got coming next, because Texas fans may be interested in that one, too.

[Landon Tangwall]

Yes, the Landon Tangwall Show. You can follow me. That's on. That's on YouTube. You can follow me at Landon Tangwall on Twitter as well. I always post a ton of cutups on there, so you'll. You'll see film, like, as it's happening. I like during games, too, so I'm sure, like Texas, Ohio State, I'm like, up against the TV with my phone, like, recording stuff and, like, rewinding it and posting little things I'm seeing, especially on the O line and D line happening. So definitely give me a follow there. We do have a full Oklahoma offensive line preview coming out next. So all the Texas fans that. And if I got any new follows, they're gonna. It's gonna be a little shell shocker. They start to see Oklahoma content. But hopefully you guys enjoy. I will give you the. The little sneak peek that I do. I'm much higher on this Texas offensive line than I am for the Oklahoma offensive line, so I'll leave you guys with that.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, no, no. Your enemy, guys. So you can. You're allowed to watch it. You're allowed to watch it, everyone. All right, Landon, thank you so much, everyone. Have a great Saturday and see you later.

[Commercial Narrator]

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