AUSTIN — Jake Majors shotgun snapped the ball into Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s waiting hands then went to work driving back Kansas State defensive lineman Drew Wiley. The call was a delayed handoff to running back Bijan Robinson, and the Longhorn center needed to plow a path toward the end zone.
A 6-foot-3, 298 pound true freshman in the second quarter of his first career start versus a battle-tested 6-4, 300-pound senior making his 48th career appearance. Advantage Majors.
About four yards beyond the line of scrimmage, Texas’ true freshman tailback chugged past Majors, still propelling Wiley toward the right sideline and away from the ball carrier. Robinson wiggled through the tunnel created by his blockers and bolted for the purple paint on a 30-yard touchdown.
The final combined tally for Robinson and sophomore running back Roschon Johnson in Majors’ first start: 23 carries, 311 yards, six touchdowns. Overall, No. 20 Texas (6-3, 5-3 Big 12) amassed a season-high 334 rushing yards and seven scores.
“We think the sky’s the limit for Jake,” Texas coach Tom Herman said on December 5 following that 69-31 win over the Wildcats. “He’s a natural born leader. Well, I don't know if he’s a natural born leader, but when we got him he was as good a freshman leader as I’ve seen. Understands the game, the game is not too fast for him. And to play that position as a true freshman is very impressive.
“He did a phenomenal job today. You know, we rushed for over 300 yards. Usually your O-line played pretty decently if you did that.”
Majors will start again at center against Colorado (4-1, 3-1 Pac-12) next Tuesday in the Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome. And barring catastrophic injury or an unexpected transfer, that’s the spot he’ll occupy for the next few years.
Majors’ opportunity arrived once redshirt junior left tackle Sam Cosmi opted out of the season and declared for the 2021 NFL Draft after Texas lost to Iowa State, ending its bid for a spot in the Big 12 championship game. Senior Derek Kerstetter, the last true freshman offensive lineman to start for Texas in 2017, moved from center to right guard for the Kansas State game, leaving the door open for the former Prosper High School All-American.
And with Kerstetter (ankle) recovering from season-ending surgery, it’s time for the understudy to shine.
“Jake has done an excellent job,” Kerstetter said in September. “He’s really understood the offense. He’s a really intelligent kid. He came in and it was almost like he got the playbook down pretty fast, which was really impressive. He really has a talent and understanding of the game, so I think that’s really exciting.”
Majors won’t be the only precocious freshman lineman starting for Texas in the Alamo Bowl. Kerstetter’s injury triggered a realignment in the trenches, with first-year Longhorn Andrej Karic now starting at left tackle and redshirt sophomore Christian Jones sliding back over to right tackle.
That configuration could pose some real problems for 2020 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Karl Dorrell’s Buffaloes.
In its final two regular season games Colorado surrendered a total of 460 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 83 carries (5.54 yards per carry). The Buffs have allowed three running backs to hit the century mark in those contests, something both Robinson and Johnson accomplished against Kansas State.
“Those are some beasts,” Robinson said of Majors and Karic. “Just to see how they’ve been developing throughout the season, and you know they’re in my class so it’s been blessing to get them out there and to give them experience so for next year they’ll be ready to go. But they’ve been great, those are my guys and I’m just very blessed to have them in front of me blocking.”
Majors appeared pretty proficient at keeping the team’s most valuable asset protected, too.
Kansas State sacked Ehlinger once and hurried him twice on 30 dropbacks, an encouraging showing given the line’s youth and its sudden rejiggering. In Texas’ five preceding games, opponents sacked Ehlinger 17 times — Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both got to the senior six times.
“He’s been incredible,” Ehlinger said of Majors. “He’s been a guy that came in and worked really hard immediately. I feel very comfortable with him at center. He knows every call, he gives me great snaps. He’s been doing a great job.”
While Ehlinger might be off to the NFL in 2021, it’s time to get familiar with Majors occupying the heart of the Texas offensive line. The job is all his now.
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