Texas vs. Alabama: 5 key matchups NFL scouts are watching

By Rob Rang
FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst

If Steve Sarkisian and his Texas Longhorns are to have any chance at upsetting Nick Saban and the top-ranked Crimson Tide, running back Bijan Robinson will likely have to put on a performance that bolsters his NFL Draft résumé.

Week 2 of the 2022 college football season features several key inter-conference showdowns, but none of them are more appealing than Alabama vs. Texas in Austin on Saturday (noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide thumped Utah State, 55-0, in Tuscaloosa last week as a tune-up for Saban's reunion with his former offensive coordinator Sarkisian.

The Longhorns were dominant too, crushing visiting Louisiana-Monroe 52-10, as highly touted freshman Quinn Ewers and projected first-round running back Robinson each played starring roles. 

Of course, the ULM Warhawks do not boast a War Daddy on defense like Will Anderson Jr., who could use a dominant showing on national television to make his own early Heisman push, similar to the way that Aidan Hutchinson — and future No. 2 overall NFL draft pick — did for the Michigan Wolverines against Washington a year ago. 

There are expected to be more than 100,000 fans attending Saturday’s showdown. Many of them already know these big names. What follows, however, is a more in-depth breakdown of the five key matchups pro scouts will be watching, as well.

Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. vs. Texas OTs Kelvin Banks and Christian Jones

Scouts can often sound like rival politicians — especially early in the season — with their strong opinions and fierce arguments over player projections, but Anderson’s position as the elite talent in this draft class is virtually uncontested.

At 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, Anderson isn't as big as Jadeveon Clowney or Myles Garrett, but he is both more polished and productive than his predecessors, checking every imaginable box for talent evaluators. Anderson is not only lightning-quick off the snap as an edge rusher, but he also possesses incredible power for a man of his size, consistently knocking back blockers nearly 100 pounds heavier than him. He is agile and instinctive, terrorizing interior linemen on stunts and racing down ball carriers from behind, playing with the high-revving motor of a player hoping to earn a scholarship, not the most celebrated defender in college football.

With Sarkisian calling the plays and a legitimately draftable prospect of their own in senior right tackle Christian Jones, the Longhorns are better situated than most to have a chance at slowing Anderson down. Jones is listed at 6-foot-6, 333 pounds, and has extensive experience at both tackle spots. Saturday’s tilt is his 24th career start, and his 37th game overall. 

Opposite him, however, is a true freshman in Banks. And while Banks performed quite well in Week 1 (surrendering zero sacks, pressures or hits in 26 pass attempts), he is facing a jump in degree of difficulty akin to joining the PGA Tour after making a hole-in-one at your local putt-putt course. 

There is a good chance that Anderson (or his counterpart Dallas Turner) controls the edges and gives a whole new meaning to the burnt orange of Texas. Don’t be surprised if Sarkisian asks his running backs and tight ends to help his tackles by frequently chipping Alabama’s edge rushers. Doing so, of course, would limit how much else Robinson — easily the Longhorns’ best player — or tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (six catches for 85 yards and a score in Week 1) might be able to contribute. 

Texas RB Robinson vs. Alabama ILB Henry To’oTo’o

Given how often Alabama sends Anderson (and other pass rushers) looping inside, it might not be entirely fair to only list Texas’ offensive tackles in the previous matchup. Similarly, it won’t matter how dynamic Robinson is in the open field if a young Longhorns offensive line is not able to create rushing lanes. Stout nose guard DJ Dale (6-foot-3, 300 pounds) will have a lot to say about that, with Texas starting a redshirt sophomore in Jake Majors (6-foot-3, 314 pounds) at center, sophomore Hayden Conner (6-foot-5, 324) at left guard and freshman Cole Hutson (6-foot-5, 305) on the right side. 

Few teams can match Alabama’s size and physicality along the line of scrimmage, but giving the Longhorns' inside trio the benefit of the doubt, the more tantalizing matchup is between Robinson and To'oTo'o.

At a time when running backs rarely generate true first-round grades from NFL teams, the 6-foot, 220-pound Robinson is a throwback with terrific balance, burst and power. He is a battering ram with breakaway speed and has terrific vision for cutback lanes. 

Robinson can be an equalizer of sorts. Not only is he the Longhorns' best threat to score on any given play, Sarkisian can feed him the ball to play keep away from Young and the explosive Alabama offense, which has a splashy future back of their own in Georgia Tech-transfer Jahmyr Gibbs, among others.

At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, To’oto’o does not possess the bulk of many of Alabama’s top inside linebackers of the past — just don’t tell him I said so. He plays an incredibly physical brand of football and trusts his eyes, diagnosing the action in a flash and creating explosive collisions. 

Alabama QB Young (and his new receivers) vs. an experienced Texas secondary

Young, the first and only Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy, might be best known for his poise and accuracy from the pocket, but he showed off his underrated athleticism last week against Utah State, rushing for a career-high 100 yards and a score.

No one is expecting that he’ll run for such a gaudy total against the Longhorns (or anyone else for that matter) but Young's running does give a very experienced Texas secondary one more thing to worry about when defending what is expected to once again be an explosive Alabama passing attack. 

While Young lost his favorite receivers of a year ago — Jameson Williams and John Metchie III — to the NFL Draft, reinforcements are already in place. 

Possessing better size than most of the recent Alabama receivers, junior Traeshon Holden led the Tide with 70 receiving yards (on five grabs) and two scores against ULM, numbers nearly duplicated by both Jermaine Burton (a transfer from Georgia of all places!) and flashy freshman Kobe Prentice. Speedy senior Tyler Harrell (a transfer from Louisville) is one of the fastest players in the country and appears ready to play against Texas after sitting out the opener with his foot in a walking boot. 

There are NFL teams that would struggle to contain Young — who tossed 47 touchdowns against just seven interceptions in his first season as a starter — and his supremely-talented receiving corps. But for the Longhorns, the secondary is a strength. 

Saturday will be D’Shawn Jamison’s 50th game for the Longhorns, and he possesses the savvy, speed and versatility (he’s also the team’s primary returner) to continue his playing career at the next level. He’ll line up opposite Ohio State-transfer Ryan Watts with Jerrin Thompson, Anthony Cook and Jahdae Barron all returning starters. 

While experienced, the Texas secondary will need to prove they are greater playmakers against Alabama. Texas finished last season with just seven interceptions in 12 games. Only Kansas — with six — finished with fewer in the Big 12. Jamison did record a pick in Week 1. It was the fifth of his career, but only his second since 2019. 

Alabama OT Tyler Steen vs. Texas edge rusher Ovie Oghoufo

While fans will likely be focusing on the matchups pitting players from the so-called "skill positions," the battle between this pair of transfers is certainly one pro scouts will be watching, and it could play a critical role in the outcome of the game. 

Alabama lost left tackle Evan Neal to the New York Giants via the first round of the NFL Draft, but quality replacements come to Tuscaloosa with seemingly each incoming Tide. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Steen played four years at SEC rival Vanderbilt — starting 33 consecutive games — before opting to sign with Alabama as a graduate transfer. While not in the same class as Neal athletically, he has good initial quickness and balance for a big man. He's also seen it all. 

Oghoufo began his career at Notre Dame, playing 20 games over three seasons. Seeking more playing time, he transferred to Texas and earned a starting role immediately, earning Honorable Mention Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year last season, registering a career-high 42 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

The 6-foot-3, 239-pounder has an explosive first step and good bend off the edge. He also shows awareness of passing lanes, using his long arms and hand-eye coordination to cloud the vision of rival quarterbacks. That attribute could be especially important against the relatively diminutive Young. 

While Oghoufo is expected to start, Texas will try to attack Alabama in waves. That could create an opportunity for splashy sophomore Barryn Sorrell to continue his strong start to the season. The 6-foot-3, 256-pounder was all over the field against ULM, registering six tackles and 1.5 sacks, showing good quickness and coordination between his upper and lower to dip and rip his way into the backfield. 

Texas QB Ewers vs. Alabama secondary

Sarkisian is a brilliant offensive mind and his ability to lure the former five-star recruit Ewers back to his home state of Texas (after he’d initially signed with Ohio State) was a coup. The road from potential to production, however, often finds potholes when facing the team from Tuscaloosa, and Ewers could be in for quite the baptism by fire against this defense. 

Ewers has nearly two full years left before he is eligible for the NFL, but scouts are curious how he’ll develop under Sarkisian. Not wanting to give Saban any unnecessary help, Sarkisian and Ewers played it pretty close to the vest in Week 1, with each of his two touchdowns simple short tosses in which his teammates broke free to score. 

Broken tackles, of course, do not happen very often against Alabama. Safeties Brian Branch (6-foot, 193 pounds) and Jordan Battle (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) are two of the more reliable draft-eligible open-field defenders in college football.  

While they may be more occupied than normal given the Longhorns’ talent at running back and tight end, Alabama has the speed at cornerback to hold up in coverage against a still-developing Texas receiving corps, whose best big-play threat is speedy sophomore Xavier Worthy (6-foot, 170 pounds). 

Like with Ewers and Worthy, Alabama starting cornerback duo of Kool-Aid McKinstry (6-foot-1, 188) and Terrion Arnold (6-foot, 188) are at least another year away from NFL Draft eligibility. Scouts looking to quench their thirst for a potentially draftable prospect this year might instead focus on yet another high-profile transfer for Alabama, Eli Ricks (6-foot-2, 190), a former five-star recruit at LSU. 

Read more on Texas-Alabama:

• What we're watching in Week 2: Can Bama stop Bijan? 
• Sark looking to find QB magic once again
• The intertwined history of Texas and Alabama
• Key questions ahead of Texas-Alabama
• Joel Klatt: What ‘progress’ would look like for Texas
• How to bet Alabama-Texas
• Alabama-Texas and other Week 2 games by the numbers
• Week 2 odds: Top 25 lines
• Quinn Ewers' towed car fuels laughs ahead of Alabama-Texas

Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang.