18 Notes on Training Camp, Day 1 | Harris Hits

4. I was excited to see newly acquired RB Joe Mixon in action as a runner, but his work as a receiver will also help this offense. A few plays after Stroud successfully completed Dell, Mixon ran a corner route on a LB, got in his face, shook him in space and when he turned inside after his cut, he was wide open…and Stroud’s ball came in just in time.

5. Speaking of Mixon, it was really cool to see him and WR Stefon Diggs get on with the younger guys at their positions after making big plays. The one thing I had heard about them during the offseason was how good leaders they are. Little things like that go a long way in a long season and it was great to see them get excited for their younger brothers.

6. It’s hard to know exactly which rookies are going to stand out in any given camp, but I thought S Calen Bullock was locked in. He seemed to lead his group from the back, making changes and getting everyone in the right spots, playing the right defense. But it was also his explosiveness on the ball that I liked, too. Early in practice, he was all over rookie TE Cade Stover in man coverage to force a PBU. Later in practice, he could have decapitated WR John Metchie III on a route after a bootleg. QB Davis Mills punted and saw a wide-open Metchie III. Bullock saw it too and took off like a shot. If they had been in pads, in a game, Bullock would have separated Metchie III from the ball, giving him a major jolt. The important point was that Bullock spotted the route quickly and then snapped/closed on the ball in a hurry. It’s his game – length, speed and quickness of transition. I really liked his performance on the first day.

7. Oh my God, P Tommy Townsend was hitting TANKS with his right foot. His hang time for the first three or four punts during the special teams period must have been close to five seconds. The ball just floated forever. Wow.

8. QB Case Keenum threw one of the best passes of the day when he threw a ball backwards to WR Jared Wayne on the near sideline toward me. The placement. The speed. The accuracy. Everything was perfect as Wayne turned to catch the ball for a first down.

9. As expected (without pads), the defense really took over the running game for the most part, especially the outside running game. I remember seeing LB Henry To’oTo’o run explosively toward the ball carrier for a TFL. But there were a few scoring runs for the offense, including a couple to RB Dameon Pierce.

10. Okay, I mentioned Pierce on purpose because I wanted to bring up the new Dameon in 2024. Now, I realize things are different for running backs when no one has protection, but I was never worried about Dameon avoiding contact or the physical part of the game. However, we wanted him to be even more decisive on his runs. I wanted him to see the cut, make it, and GO. Today? He did it. On his first run in team drills, he was on an outside zone route, saw his cut, and hit the boosters downfield. YES! That’s the key to this run game and Dameon executed it perfectly.

A little later, he took a kick that he cut back and cut his way through the defense, quickly and decisively. I tapped my notebook a few times because I was excited about what I was seeing, and then I wrote, “31 is really good.” I hope it stays that way because if he runs like that, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans will be absolutely right about his 1-2 punch in the backfield.

11. I always enjoy going to CFB media days to talk to coaches and players who have coached or played alongside our Texans. Last week when I went to Las Vegas for Big 12 media days, I was hoping to spend a few minutes with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell to discuss Texans second-year WR Xavier Hutchinson. I’ve had instances where a coach didn’t really want to talk about former players, but as soon as I asked Coach Campbell about X, his eyes lit up and he was so excited to do it. I thought about it today when I saw X make the catch of the day, right in front of me. He ran full speed toward the sideline and as he did, Mills threw a fastball in that direction, but a little further ahead than Davis may have intended. X stretched out, caught the ball in both hands and stomped both feet into bounds for a terrific catch.

12. I’m really looking forward to seeing how disruptive rookie Marcus Harris can be when he puts on his pads. He nearly knocked one of the offensive guards on his face trying to block the ghost that was Harris. The former Auburn DT was so quick down the field that the guard just missed his shot and Harris was safely in the backfield.

13. Another rookie that will catch people’s attention during training camp and preseason games is RB Jawhar Jordan. He’s had jump for DAYS. He sees openings very well. He came out the back door on a run at one point that started to the left, but he rushed out of the hole way off where the hole was supposed to be.

14. QB Tim Boyle has a very strong right arm. He showed it on a completion to WR Steven Sims. Boyle RIPPED a pass to Sims as the WR ran through the defense on a slant route to the end zone. The offense was clearly screaming and hollering for that long touchdown.

15. A few reps later, Stroud threw a ball down the sideline to Diggs for a reception and a first down. A very nice run and a throw for a completion.