Takeaways: Kingsbury and players pleased with first practice of camp

RELATED: True freshman pulls veteran move as camp begins

- Kliff Kingsbury, on hearing that true freshman defensive end Houston Miller is sleeping at the facility: "Did he? He probably did. That's who he is. He's 180 percent all the time, so I wouldn't doubt it. I didn't even know he did that."

-Miller batted down two of Pat Mahomes' passes in the opening practice of the season. The defense had five in total on the day, and their per-practice goal is to have at least three. However, Miller's two were the only bat downs against Mahomes.

- Kingbsury on Houston Miller: "He's gonna go as hard as he can go on every snap and every rep even if he's gonna make a mistake. I think - for a young guy - you can kind of cover up some of the mistakes you make schematically when you go that hard, so he's one of those guys that has a big time motor."

- Kingsbury noted that Arkansas defensive back transfer Willie Sykes and Boise State defensive end transfer Kaleb Hill are both joining the team as walk-ons, saying that both were Texas kid wanting to get back to the state. They've only been with the program for the last few days.

-Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Conner Dyer is not on the 105-man roster for fall camp because he's injured. Kingsbury noted it's a knee injury.

- Kingsbury is enjoying have three quarterbacks that are in their third season working in his system with Mahomes, Nic Shimonek and Payne Sullins. He's very excited about that group and where they're at, including true freshman Jett Duffey, who he doesn't consider a true freshman since he went through spring ball and has experience in the system already.

- Redshirt freshman Cody Wheeler took the first-team reps at left guard on Monday in the opening practice of the fall. Kingsbury said that Wheeler, Paul Stawarz, Jack Reichel, and Madison Akamnonu are all rotating in and getting reps there, and they'd like to really like to have a good idea of the starter at that position by roughly mid-week next week so they can shift the majority of the starting reps to one player.

- It's worth mentioning that Wheeler is currently the second-string center as well.

- Left tackle Baylen Brown on the first day of camp: "We're a little rusty. It's been nine months, and for (Justin) Murphy it's been longer than that," he said. "I think we've got a lot to work on. I think we need to play ourselves into shape. We need to move faster, up the tempo, make the defense work a little bit."

- On Wheeler starting at left guard today:"He works hard. He wants to be good. He studies film every day, so he wants to be that starter and it really shows on the field."

- Senior safety Keenon Ward apparently intercepted Mahomes on a post route, something he made sure to let Mahomes and the media know about after practice.

- David Gibbs is pairing up the freshmen and younger players with older players in both team sessions and drills. Ward was paired with true freshman Desmon Smith today, who is playing at safety right now, while Jah'Shawn Johnson was paired with Tevin Madison, who is playing safety for the first time.

- Speaking of DBs, true freshman Douglas Coleman was taking some snaps at punt returner today.

- Mahomes mentioned that he thought the defense had a good day, but when asked about the pick he threw to Ward, he made sure to mention that the senior safety forgot to relay the passes Mahomes completed over the top on him in the practice.

- Every player and Kingsbury mentioned that there's some trash talking going on right now between the offense and defense, but it's all in good fun as a group that seems to really be gelling together as a team very early on.

- Mahomes was asked if this was a more athletic defense than in the past. He said yes, but the group's football IQ has also grown: "More of it is that there are a lot smarter players, a lot of players that have better awareness and know when the ball is thrown that they need to get their hands up, or they need to know how to read how receivers are running routes, and I really think that's what's higher on this team."

- KeKe Coutee, Reginald Davis and Devin Lauderdale were the three receivers Mahomes spotlighted as having good first days.

- Malik Jenkins pointed to true freshmen linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Brayden Stringer having really good first days from an effort and pursuit standpoint. Even if they made mistakes, they were getting after it and getting to the ball.

- The Red Raiders will have their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday.