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The opener against Houston is now less than four weeks away, and today we’ll take a little bit of time to talk about a man who appears to finally have an opportunity to shine this year after waiting his turn.
Dakota Austin doesn’t have the size of a future NFL corner (he stands at 5-10 and 170 lbs.), but he showed last season that he steps up when his number is called. Zack Sanchez injured his leg on the first play from scrimmage against Texas Tech, which is the wrong opponent to face when being short a star cornerback. But Austin came in and held his own, picking off a pass and keeping Tech’s passing attack at bay. Now it appears that he’ll be replacing Sanchez once again, with Mike Stoops indicating yesterday that he’s currently the starter at corner opposite Jordan Thomas.
Austin is a senior this year and doesn’t have the upside of some of the other guys (namely P.J. Mbanasor), but I think the position will be in safe hands if he is indeed a starter this year. He seems to have a knack for making plays (two interceptions last year) and it’s apparent that he gives a ton of effort out there. He doesn’t shy away from contact out on the edge despite his thin frame, which is more than I can say for his predecessor.