Texas football: Young defenders work on cutting loose

Todd Orlando tells players not to be afraid to make mistakes

After hours of tedious preparation, film study and boning up on what makes the opposing offense tick, Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando believes there comes a point when you just have to let your players cut loose and play football. 

Younger guys, you give them so much information," Orlando said. "They can't process (all of it) you know, and sometimes it slows them down. Sometimes when you're really demanding on them. They can feel on their heels." 

With the Longhorns breaking in eight new defensive starters, Orlando has worked to help keep his younger players loose and playing fast, but in the end, everyone has to come to that understanding in their own way. In other words, guys have to go from trying to make every play to make the ones in front of them. 

Several new starters have already had their light bulb moment, including redshirt freshman nose tackle Keondre Coburn. 

Coburn came to the Forty Acres with a world of hype around him, and after redshirting last season was named the starter in the middle of Orlando's defense. However, after two games he didn't think he wasn't playing up to the standard he had set for himself with no tackles in the first two contests. 

"I was focused on not doing wrong," Coburn said. "(I was) putting pressure on myself instead of just doing the job that they told me to do."

After the LSU game Coburn doubled down on his time in the film room and mental preparation ahead of playing Rice, but it was a simple realization that ultimately led to him cutting loose.  

"(I realized that) It's just football," Coburn said "Practice is harder than the actual game. So I felt like you just going out there having fun."

Coburn broke through against the Owls, getting his first collegiate sack and a pair of tackles. Most importantly, he owned the middle of the line and helped hold run-heavy Rice to just 87 rushing yards. 

"When you just take the process and you slow it now he's taking step by step and then it gets so much better," Coburn said.

Fellow defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham had a similar eureka moment early in the season, according to Orlando. 

"T.Q. (Ta'Quon Graham)  can let some things linger on them where it's like, you know, he cares so much, that he's disappointed," Orlando said. "Maybe he let us down. You know, he's, you know, he's upset at himself. And I'm like, forget about that, man. Forget to use your talent. Go in there. Do the things that you're supposed to do. And what the place come to you. Don't press. Don't get down on yourself if you do miss a play. Let's just continue to get better."

Having fun and enjoying the game sounds like a simple concept, but for young players, the moment of realization has to come in its own time. 

For the Longhorn coaching staff, the goal is to help that process along as fast as possible.