The sun went and hid for a few hours, but the humidity cranked up on day eight of Texans Training Camp at the Houston Methodist Training Center. Let's dive into my HARRIS HITS from Friday's workout.
One-on-ones
I've been waiting for the one-on-ones for a while and we finally got our wish on Friday. I spent the day with the OL and DL on pass rush drills but before I got there, I had a ringside end zone seat for TE Cade Stover making a SWEET TD catch against camp standout Calen Bullock.
The OL/DL one-on-ones are some of the most intense reps a trench player will have in any practice. It's purely man against man, mano a mano for all to see. So, it's just raw and sometimes one-sided and beautiful all at the same time. I'll follow with this. I've seen the offensive line get absolutely worked by defensive lines over the years. Destroyed. Crushed. You fill in the adjective. But, as a whole, I thought the OL performed about as well as I could remember, especially the first time doing one-on-ones in pads. But, I'll start with the most impressive guy in these drills first.
Togiai Time
One defensive rusher who continued to give the OL problems was DT Tommy Togiai. His bounce off the snap was incredibly impressive. Because of that burst, he was able to get under pads a few times to get to the QB.
On Togiai's first rep, he used a rip under move and was nearly scraping the ground as he turned the corner to the QB.
On his second rep, Togiai got on the edge of rookie C Eli Cox and was able to follow that path to the QB.
One of Togiai's last reps may have been his best. He faced OG Juice Scruggs, one of the strongest OL in the building. It appeared Tommy was going to try to power through Juice, but as soon as he made contact, he violently yanked Juice's shoulder pads forward just enough to then slide past him to the QB. That was a heck of a rep.
More from the 1-on-1s
Scruggs had a tremendous rep against DT Mario Edwards Jr., staying in front and staying latched out away from the QB's feet. That was the Juice Scruggs that I know and love.
Edwards Jr. then beat OG Laken Tomlinson when the veteran OL tried to quick set Mario off the snap. Edwards Jr. was able to absorb the quick punch and rip back underneath to get to the QB.
I thought DE Darrell Taylor and OT Austin Deculus had some excellent battles out on the edge…when both stayed onsides, I mean. On one rep, Taylor attempted a spin move and Deculus was able to stay in front well and held up for a good four to five seconds. I've said it a few times now and I'll say it here, Deculus has really improved throughout his second stay in Houston. It showed up in that drill.
Loved seeing C Jarrett Patterson hold up to the power of rookie Junior Tufuna. That's one strong dude and Patterson anchored and stopped the youngster's power rush well.
I only saw one rep from OG LaDarius Henderson but it was MAGNIFICENT. He hardly moved against one of the DTs (didn't write down who it was) and didn't even move off the spot during his rep. VERY beautiful.
I also saw just one rep from OT Blake Fisher, but he locked into DE Casey Toohill and wouldn't let go. It might have been one of the best reps I've seen from the second year Notre Dame product.
Due to some injuries from the inside guys, Toohill has taken some reps on the inside at times and he had a brilliant rush from there to get to the QB later in the drill.
It's so great to see DE Dylan Horton back up and getting after it after his bout with cancer last year. He had a couple of solid reps, but his last one, a little deke/dip move to get clean to the QB was outstanding.
Now to the 7-on-7s
Then, it was time for some seven-on-seven. On the very first play, QB C.J. Stroud eyed WR John Metchie on the over route, but when he lofted the ball in that direction the Locksmith aka Kamari Lassiter snatched the ball out of the air for the first interception of the day.
Then, Stroud threw one of his best passes to WR Christian Kirk on a flat route and he threw it to a spot where only Kirk could make the catch. The refs said Kirk was out of bounds, but these eyes saw a toe drag for a completion.
On the third play, a third down to be exact, Stroud threw a 102 mph fastball LASER to WR Nico Collins on the slant. Man, C.J. put some serious SAUCE on that one and it was right on the money for a first down.
When QB Davis Mills took over on the next series, he looked for WR Xavier Hutchinson. The former Cyclone star WR ran a curl route against the Texans zone defense and appeared open…at first. Then, LB Jake Hansen dove in and knocked away the pass. A GREAT play from a guy that just keeps getting better and better.
Undeterred, Mills threw one of his best passes of the day to rookie WR Jaylin Noel for a touchdown on the very next play. Noel ran into the void in the defense from the slot and Mills threw one perfectly into said void for a completion and touchdown. That was a DIME from Mills!
On the last play of the series, Mills looked in the back corner of the end zone, spying WR Braxton Berrios. The Texans receiver was hip-to-hip with DB Myles Bryant and at the last second, Bryant jumped up and knocked the ball away for an asterisk level PBU.
Then, the drill moved into the red zone, where Stroud hit TE Cade Stover on the boot to get it started.
Chubb brings the power
RB Nick Chubb had one of his best runs of camp on the next play. He took a zone handoff, headed right at DE Danielle Hunter. The Texans star edge disruptor had beaten the tackle and tight end and was ready to tackle Chubb. However, the Texans newest running back had different ideas. He nearly came to a complete stop and then hit the gas up the field to avoid Hunter. That was an excellent, and powerfully impressive, run.
Anderson Jr. continues to impress
On third down, Hunter's partner in defensive end crime Will Anderson Jr. forced Stroud to have to get rid of the ball way earlier than he wanted and incomplete.
On the very next play, Anderson Jr ran down a run from the backside to slow Chubb for no gain. I mean, dude…WHAT?!?
When Mills came onto the field for his series, he initially hit RB Jawhar Jordan out in the flat wide open. That was a good read, good catch. Positive yards in red zone to start the drill
The DL then completely stuffed an inside Jordan run, led by DE Dylan Horton.
A few plays later, rookie RB Woody Marks squirted through for a solid four-to-five yard gain without getting touched. Then, Mills threw to WR Justin Watson at the goal line, only to have CB Tremon Smith knock the ball away. GREAT PBU!
On the final play of Mills' series, he attempted to quickly put the ball on TE Brevin Jordan, but it got tipped a couple of times and CB Jaylin Smith was able to eventually gather it in for an end zone INT. That was a heck of a concentration catch on the pick.
As the drill moved inside the ten yard line, rookie QB Graham Mertz went under center. He immediately looked for fellow rookie TE Luke Lachey in the back corner of the end zone. Mertz threw a beautiful ball, but second year LB Jamal Hill got a hand on it for the PBU.
I mentioned RB Nick Chubb earlier for a great run that he had down in the red zone, but when the team moved the drill out beyond the goal line, Chubb had an equally impressive play on a pass play. S Jalen Pitre blitzed QB C.J. Stroud from the edge and it appeared that he might have a free run to the QB. But, Chubb spied Pitre and slowed him before he could even get close to Stroud. LOVED that pass protection.
Before the series started, LB Azeez Al-Shaair slammed himself on the helmet a few times to hype himself up. It must have worked because on the very next play, Al-Shaair flew into Chubb at the line of scrimmage on a run play.
Five locked down at once
The very next play was the secondary at its best. Five pass catchers out in the route and Derek Stingley Jr and company had EVERY single one on lockdown. LOCK FREAKIN' DOWN.
A few plays later, K Ka'imi Fairbairn DRILLED a 56-yard field goal to end that series.
LB E.J. Speed made the running backs, in particular rookie RB Woody Marks, feel his pain today. On the first play of the next series, Speed stopped Marks in the hole for no gain. A little later in the team situational drill, Speed blitzed and, let's say, introduced himself to Marks, quite rudely I might add, if you catch my drift.
A few plays later, Mills found rookie WR Jayden Higgins and LASERED one to him for a first down. Then, Mills followed that up with an excellent pitch and catch with TE Luke Lachey. Two plays later, Fairbairn finished that drill up with a 56-yarder that split the uprights. Two for two.
The offense struggled down the stretch of practice in the situational work, however - down three, 1:05 left, no TO, from the -38 yard line.
Anderson Jr. created pressure on Stroud which forced him to have to throw before he was ready and the routes had been completed. Al-Shaair knocked away the pass intended for Kirk.
Stroud hit Brevin Jordan on the next play, but barely missed him at the first down stick on the next rep. That would've been one heck of a throw. I wrote bad words on the next play because Anderson Jr. was in Stroud's lap for another practice sack. A few plays later, Fairbairn hit AGAIN, this time from about 59-yards.
It was great to see DE Solomon Byrd show up and force QB Davis Mills out of the pocket during Mills' situational opportunity. Casey Toohill had another sack, this time rushing from the outside.
CB Tremon Smith had another pass breakup during that drill and CB Jaylin Smith forced an incompletion as he was in brilliant man-to-man coverage down the field.
After missing a field goal attempt for the first time in this year's training camp, Fairbairn rocked one from 50-yards right between the uprights to finish practice.
What a day! Defense did some more positive things and that secondary is *chef's kiss*, but the offense had a few moments as well. The competition will ratchet up one final time in Houston before we head to West Virginia. Can't WAIT! See y'all tomorrow and thanks for reading!
