Understanding Texas’ Offensive Line Struggles — A Fan’s Attempt to Diagnose the Real Issues

[Lam Dinh]

I wrote this as a diehard Longhorn fan just trying to understand what’s really behind our offensive line struggles — not to pile on with lazy “we suck” takes. This isn’t about blame; it’s about figuring out why the line looks so different this year and what can actually be done to fix it.

I’m not an expert — just a fan who wants to start an honest discussion so we can all better understand the root causes (and maybe sleep a little easier before the OU game). And if Big Tony Hills or @Jeff Howe are out there — the true Offensive Line experts over at OTF — I’d love to hear your takes. You guys know this stuff infinitely better than I do (hint hint: keep the great content coming 🙂).

1. Offensive Line Execution

Last year, Texas’ offensive line was a strength — ranking roughly 28th nationally in pressure rate allowed (~25.5% of dropbacks). That group even earned Joe Moore Award semifinalist honors.

This year? A complete collapse. Texas now ranks 128th in pressure rate allowed, giving up pressure on over 40% of dropbacks (CBS Sports / ESPN). That’s a 100-spot swing. We replaced four of five starters, and it shows: five false starts vs. Florida, blown pickups, and almost no consistent run push.

Possible Fix: Left Guard (Stroh) and Center (Hutson) are the weakest links right now. I’d try either Hutson at LG (where he was serviceable in 2024) and Conner Robertson at C, or continue letting Nick Brooks develop at LG (with 2026 in mind) while giving Robertson a shot at Center (since he gets more push IMO). 

2. Quarterback Time-to-Throw (and Scheme Design)

In the Florida game, Arch averaged 3.5 seconds before releasing the ball — roughly a full second longer than Quinn Ewers’ 2.58s average last year (PFF / CBS). That extra second is everything. It’s the difference between a tackle maintaining leverage and giving up a sack.

But it’s not purely on Arch. Sark has clearly emphasized more vertical routes and deeper progressions this year, which naturally extend the play clock. So it’s likely a mix: a scheme built for deep shots plus a quarterback hunting them too often.

Possible Fix: Speed up the reads. Call more quick-game and one-read concepts. Mix in rollouts, including Arch's favorite roll right waggle play. Let Arch build rhythm before chasing chunk plays, just like Quinn did last year.

3. Recruiting & Depth Misses

This problem started years ago. Texas has missed on nearly all the Top offensive lineman recruits after the 2022 class. Some examples: John Mills (now Washington’s starting left guard) and Michael Fasusi (now OU's starting LT). The result: thin depth, raw backups, and too much hope in youth.

But it’s not just about who we missed — it’s about how we evaluate. As Gerry Hamilton pointed out on the defensive side of the ball, Byron Murphy was a 3-star, undersized recruit who became a first-round NFL pick. The current staff probably wouldn’t have recruited him based on measurables alone.

That’s the lesson. Texas doesn’t need more so-called “Big Humans” — we need "TOUGH humans". Guys with a mean streak, an edge, a dog in them. Linemen who finish blocks, not just measure well in spring. Until Texas recruits to that identity relentlessly — we’ll keep ending up with size without bite.

Possible Fix: There’s no real in-season fix for this one. Texas needs to hit the portal hard this winter for veteran linemen who can anchor the group right away, and rethink its high school recruiting philosophy — prioritizing tough humans, not just big humans.

Hook 'em!

Edited 3 hours ago by Lam Dinh

[JMarquette]

This is good work

[Hashtag]

I’d add the term athletic into the “tough athletic humans” portion of this post and you are spot on. 

[TexasLonghorns]

3 hours ago, Lam Dinh said:

 

3. Recruiting & Depth Misses

This problem started years ago. Texas has missed on nearly all the Top offensive lineman recruits after the 2022 class. Some examples: John Mills (now Washington’s starting left guard) and Michael Fasusi (now OU's starting LT). The result: thin depth, raw backups, and too much hope in youth.

 

 

I agree with most of your post, but not that part.

Sure, we’ve missed on some OL prospects in past cycles and relied on players down the list, no doubt. But the two you mentioned (Mills and Fasusi) are true freshmen, so they don’t really support the “too much hope in youth” argument  for this team.  The guys we’re actually playing are older than both. Only one is a second-year player, the rest are third and fourth year guys. This isn’t a young group, they’ve had plenty of time in the program.

Also, Neto’s been here four years now, he just hasn’t developed for whatever reason. That’s not a youth problem, it’s a recruiting, evaluation, and development problem, compounded by coaching and scheme issues.