Now that Tom Herman is at the helm what does the 2017 season look like for Texas football and how will the Longhorns finish?
It’s hard to believe the Charlie Strong era of Texas football is over, but it’s a good time to move the program forward under Tom Herman’s leadership. The former Ohio State offensive coordinator turned Houston head coach is looking to turn the Longhorns around and he has plenty of talent surrounding him to do so.
Many believe it’s only a matter of time before the Longhorns are national contenders once again, but there are a fair share of doubters, too.
With fall camp finally here, it’s time to look at which players stand out at each position and what the projected two-deep depth chart will look like when the season kicks off against Maryland on Sept. 2.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Connor Williams (LT), Tristan Nickelson (RT)
Backups: Denzel Okafor, J.P. Urquidez
Connor Williams is a clear-cut starter at left tackle and many believe he could be the best lineman in the entire country. The junior will likely be gone after this season. On the other side, Tristan Nickelson and Denzel Okafor will be battling for the starting job this fall, but I’m going with the former.
With Brandon Hodges planning to transfer, sophomore Okafor will likely take his spot as a backup right tackle. J.P. Urquidez should also push for time in the rotation now that it’s thinner than expected.
Starting guards: Patrick Vahe (LG), Jake McMillon (RG)
Backups: Patrick Hudson, Alex Anderson
Juniors Patrick Vahe, a returning starter, and Jake McMillon will look to anchor the interior. The latter will look to take over the right guard spot, backed up by freshman Patrick Hudson, and Vahe is the starting left guard with Alex Anderson adding depth.
Starting center: Zach Shackelford
Backup: Terrell Cuney
Last, but certainly not least, the center spot will be occupied by one of the best young offensive line stars in the conference: Zach Shackelford. The sophomore is coming off a Freshman All-American season in which he was also dubbed an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection. Junior Terrell Cuney will provide depth in case of injury, but expect Shackelford to pick up right where he left off.
Defensive Line
Starting tackle: Poona Ford
Backup: Jordan Elliott
Texas plays more of a 3-4 look with a nickel in place of a fourth linebacker. That means that the defensive tackle position is vital. Poona Ford, heading into his senior year, returns as a force in the middle of the defense. He finished fourth on the team with 54 tackles last season and added 5.5 for loss.
Unfortunately, he didn’t record a single sack, which could, and should, change this season. He’s going to be backed up by talented sophomore Jordan Elliott. Although he had just eight tackles, and 1.5 for loss, last season in limited time, he has the potential to be a star on the defensive side of the ball.
Starting ends: Malcolm Roach, Chris Nelson
Backups: Charles Omenihu, D’Andre Christmas
Junior Chris Nelson is returning as a starter at defensive end. He finished with 45 total tackles, six for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2016, but it seems as if he’s just scratching the surface. Charles Omenihu also has starting experience and will start the season in a backup role. He had three sacks in 2016.
Malcolm Roach had 33 total tackles, eight for loss and three sacks as a true freshman and could be in for a breakout campaign. The talent is definitely there and he could be a staple of the defensive line for the next couple of years. D’Andre Christmas is a serviceable backup who recorded a sack last season.
Linebackers
Starting inside linebacker: Malik Jefferson
Backups: Jeffrey McCulloch
If you haven’t heard the name Malik Jefferson yet, acquaint yourself. He’s one of the best linebackers in the nation and he’s fresh off a stellar sophomore season. He finished with 60 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks with two pass deflections. He can do it all and will be expected to be a leader on this side of the ball. Sophomore Jeffrey McCulloch had 22 tackles last season and is expected to be the backup.
Starting outside linebacker: Breckyn Hager
Backup: Naashon Hughes
While Naashon Hughes didn’t have the best season at outside linebacker in 2016, he still played well enough to put himself near the top of the depth chart in spring ball. However, Breckyn Hager returns as the team’s leading tackler from last season. He finished with 65 total tackles, 13.5 for loss and six sacks. Combine him with Jefferson and you have a deadly one-two punch at linebacker.
Starting nickel back: P.J. Locke III
Backup: Antwuan Davis
Junior P.J. Locke III will return as the team’s starting nickel and he led the defensive in interceptions last season — albeit it was only two. He was just 12th on the team in tackles as well, but there’s nowhere to go but up for him. Antwuan Davis is entering his final season with the Longhorns and he will be pushing for snaps.
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Starting middle linebacker: Anthony Wheeler
Backup: Erick Fowler
Arguably the most important position on the defensive side of the ball, middle linebacker will be Anthony Wheeler’s job to lose. The junior returns as a start for the Longhorns after finishing second on the team with 60 tackles in 2016. Sophomore Erick Fowler is an intriguing player behind him and is looking to break out in 2017.
Defensive Backs
Starting cornerbacks: Kris Boyd, Holton Hill
Backups: Davante Davis, Eric Cuffee
Texas had one of the worst secondaries in college football last season, ranked 105th against the pass, but there will be three new starters gracing the defensive backfield. Sometimes you need a fresh start, and this is it. Kris Boyd is the only returning starter and the junior corner had 48 total tackles, an interception and five pass deflections in 2016.
Some believe that junior Davante Davis will be the other starting corner, but Holton Hill is my favorite to win the job. Hill had 22 total tackles and a pass deflection while Davis had 15 and two passes defended. They will likely have an intense battle for the starting job. Eric Cuffee will also be in the rotation as a freshman.
Starting safeties: Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott
Backups: Jason Hall, John Bonney
Remember when I said that there was only one returning starter in the Texas secondary for 2017? Well, that was only partially true. Jason Hall and John Bonney have starting experience at the two safety spots, but they aren’t likely to retain their No. 1 positions this fall.
In fact, junior DeShon Elliott and sophomore Brandon Jones are the early favorites to start in the defensive backfield. Elliott had 30 tackles, an interception and four pass deflections and Jones played sparingly, recording 15 tackles. Don’t count Hall and Bonney completely out, though. Sometimes experience wins out in the end.
Wide Receivers
Starting receivers: Collin Johnson, Jerrod Heard, Devin Duvernay
Backups: Armanti Foreman, Dorian Leonard, John Burt
There’s only one starting wide receiver returning from 2016, and that’s Amanti Foreman. Unfortunately, it looks like the senior will begin the season as a backup as the corps are headed toward a youth movement. Surprisingly, though, Foreman led the team with 34 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns. Not eye-popping numbers, but he’ll be a solid contributor.
Sophomore Devin Duvernay had a decent freshman season, catching 20 passes for 412 yards and three scores as well. He’s expected to be a starter and potential breakout receiver. Fellow sophomore Collin Johnson will be a go-to threat also — he had 28 catches for 315 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman.
Lastly, junior Jerrod Heard will be the third starter at wide out after a decent season. He’s the veteran of the starting group and will see his numbers increase drastically. Dorian Leonard and John Burt round out the rotation of wide outs. Don’t sleep on sophomore Lil’Jordan Humphrey, though.
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Starting tight end: Andrew Beck
Backup: Garrett Gray/Kendall Moore
The tight end spot is one of the most unproven on the roster. In fact, Andrew Beck, now a senior, returns and has just 12 career receptions in three years. However, he’s the presumed starter while Garrett Gray, a former receiver, has spent most of his career on special teams. Kendall Moore is a Syracuse transfer who might just steal some snaps from the guys who have been on the team longer.
Freshmen Cade Brewer and Reese Leitao could become starters by the end of the season. Both were members of Texas’ 2017 class and could have immediate impacts.
Running Back
Starting running back: Chris Warren III
Backup: Kyle Porter
Losing D’Onta Foreman is going to be tough for the Longhorns to swallow in 2017. He rushed for 2,028 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Unfortunately, he’s in the NFL now and the Longhorns will be forced to look for a new lead rusher.
Junior Chris Warren III will be the starting back when the season kicks off and that’s because, well, he was the second-leading rusher last season in limited time. In fact, he finished with 366 yards and three touchdowns, putting up 5.9 yards per touch. He was solid in the run game and made the most of his limited carries.
If you can believe it, Warren III is even bigger than his predecessor, Foreman. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at about 252 pounds. That’s a few pounds heavier and an inch taller than the monster that was Foreman. Could he have the same success?
Kyle Porter is expected to be the backup as a change-of-pace back. The 5-foot-9 sophomore had a decent freshman campaign, putting up 205 yards on 4.5 per touch, but didn’t reach the end zone. Expect him to at least double that production and maybe even take over if Warren III isn’t getting the job done.
Not listed is true freshman Toneil Carter, a former four-star. Don’t sleep on him this fall.
Quarterback
Starting quarterback: Shane Buechele
Backup: Sam Ehlinger
Shane Buechele took over for Tyrone Swoopes as the starting quarterback in 2016 and never looked back. Not many expected a true freshman to lead the Longhorns successfully last season, but he did just that even though his defense couldn’t help out enough to get Texas to a postseason contest.
Although Texas’ passing attack was ranked just 50th in the country, he proved to be an effective starter for Charlie Strong. He took over the offense and looked like a veteran right away. He engineered an impressive win over then-ranked Notre Dame to open the season and that’s when everyone jumped on the bandwagon.
The freshman finished the season with 2,958 yards and 21 touchdowns with 11 interceptions and a 60 percent completion rate. He looked the part of a quality Big 12 starter and he’s back to lead the way for Herman in 2017 — although the Longhorns nearly added Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire.
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Expect Buechele to have a huge season, especially with more experience returning at the receiver position. Touted incoming freshman Sam Ehlinger was the Longhorns’ highest-rated 2017 recruit and will be a valuable backup. He’ll be patiently awaiting his turn to start.