Insider team notes: Thursday

The Longhorns are not practicing today, but will return to the field Friday for practice. 

So on this off day for the team, thought it would be a great time to deliver a few notes OnTexasFootball has picked up in recent days. 

* Trey Moore has been talked about the top/best pass rusher on the team in some circles already. That's because he has both finesse and power moves with twitch. What hasn't been talked about as much is his ability to be effective in the run game. One area he has impressed early on is his ability to set the edge. 

* Freshman Wardell Mack has made positive impressions at cornerback due to his advanced understanding of press coverage from a technical standpoint. He does some things naturally in press coverage that will help him maximize long term. 

* Left guard Neto Umeozulu was said to have had his best run of practices at Texas leading up to the Sugar Bowl. That began the last week of the regular season too. The spring thus far, it's been more of the same. Consistency in the film room and on the field. 

* Colin Simmons is showing the ability to be disruptive in spurts without being assignment sound. All of that is expected through a few spring practices as an early enrollee. His ability to create some chaos in the backfield is evident. 

* Ryan Wingo has been talked about plenty already. The continued theme OTF is hearing is a real skill set with ball skills. 

* Andrew Mukuba was mentioned on Monday by Steve Sarkisian. OTF was told he is a "savvy" player that has picked up the Texas playbook very smoothly. Texas is very happy with Mukuba in coverage, and the willingness to be physical. 

* Brandon Baker and Daniel Cruz may not be mentioned as much the first couple of weeks of spring practice due to the experienced depth and left guard battle, but Texas is very pleased with the two early enrollee OL's. Both are good in the OL room, and are proving to be keepers on the field out of the gate. 

* Freshmen safeties Xavier Filsaime and Jordon Johnson-Rubell have shown physicality early on. Filsaime has been talked about more in that manner early on, but JJ-R has also answered the that call. Both are said to be purposeful players that have flashed at both safety and in special teams thus far.