Shane Buechele should be Texas’ starting quarterback
The Texas Longhorns have a three-man quarterback competition but a new leader may have emerged after the spring game.
One of the biggest downfalls for the Texas football program in recent years is they have yet to find a replacement for Colt McCoy under center.
Texas struggled at the end of the Mack Brown era and two losing seasons into the Charlie Strong era, the quarterback play has been integral to the Longhorns offensive futility.
Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard were believed to be the top two options for Strong and first-year offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert to work with. However, a third name has emerged after the Texas spring game and could have risen to the top of the depth chart.
FWIW, #Texas QBs in spring game at halftime: Shane Buchele: 24-41, 299 yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. Tyrone Swoopes: 4-16, 71 yds, 0 TDs, 2 INTs.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) April 16, 2016
Freshman quarterback Shane Buechele made a fantastic first impression at the spring game with nearly 299 yards and two touchdowns, including one on a 65-yard strike to John Burt that showed off his arm strength.
Buechele also looked like a natural fit in Gilbert’s fast-paced offense that will have Texas looking like Baylor, provided they get the quarterback to run the offense like their Big 12 foe has done.
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It may be premature to picture the freshman starting over Swoopers who didn’t look as sharp as Buechele or Heard, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for Strong, citing his unflappability and composure.
“The day he stepped on this campus he’s been a guy who you know is going to be patient, is going to be relaxed,” Strong said, via Jeff Howe of 247Sports. “Nothing really flusters him because he’s seen it, he’s been in it.”
Complicating the decision for Strong is the pressure he’s facing to win now. Starting Buechele may be the best move in the long-term interest of the program, but Strong may not be the beneficiary of that long-term outlook if Buechele leads Texas to a 5-7 record and he’s fired.
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I don’t think Strong will be making personnel decisions based on his job security, however, and if Buechele is the best quarterback, then he’ll be the starting quarterback.
He can be the quarterback of the future and the quarterback of the present.
Based on how he looked at the spring game compared to his competition, it looks like Buechele is the quarterback to beat.