5 College Football Programs on the Rise
Texas was just 6-7 in Charlie Strong’s first season as head coach, though there were obviously reasons to be optimistic about the future of the Longhorns.
Other than an embarrassing 41-7 loss to BYU in Week 2 and a 31-7 loss to a surging Arkansas squad in the Texas Bowl, the Longhorns only lost to ranked opponents: No. 12 UCLA, No. 7 Baylor, No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 11 Kansas State. They also beat West Virginia 33-16 when the Mountaineers were ranked in the Top 25.
Strong also set the tone for his tenure. Nine players were either kicked off the team or encouraged to transfer – and not just scrubs. Those nine players combined for more than 2,000 offensive yards and 28 touchdowns as Longhorns prior to Strong’s tenure, plus 38 tackles on defense.
Because they were shorthanded, Texas struggled – especially offensively. Texas ranked 90th in the nation in passing (199.9 yards per game), 101st in rushing (137.4 yards per game) and 109th in scoring offense (21.4 points per game).
They’ll be shorthanded again in 2015. Unlike other most of the teams on this list of five college football programs on the rise, the Texas Longhorns won’t be especially experienced next season compared to other teams in the Big 12. Texas returns just 13 starters total, which is the third fewest in the league and middle of the pack nationally. Only five defensive starters are expected to be back in 2015, which is second fewest only to Kansas in the league.
RELATED: The Best Defensive Coaches in College Football
The team has eight starters returning on offense, but that doesn’t mean any of them are guaranteed to start in 2015. For example, quarterback Tyrone Swoopes (who started 11 games in 2014 after David Ash suffered a career-ending concussion in Week 1) is in the midst of a position battle with redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard.
However, the future is bright. Strong has not only shown he can coach and recruit talented players, especially on defense, but that he can also develop them. You only have to look at the two most recent NFL Drafts for proof.
Of the 22 players that signed with the Cardinals as part of the 2011 recruiting class, 11 have been drafted. Louisville had ten players drafted in 2015 alone, which was double the program’s previous best performance (five players were drafted in 2008). In the past two drafts combined, the Cards have had 14 players drafted, which is the best two-year stint in school history.
Strong has already infused the Texas roster with talent, having landed the Big 12’s highest rated recruiting class and the tenth ranked class in America according to 247Sports. With 29 highly touted newcomers competing for playing time this fall, the Longhorns won’t have to worry too much about their lack of experience.
Of course, there’s no time to waste getting those players up to speed. Texas opens the 2015 season at Notre Dame, hosts Rice in Week 2, Cal on September 19 and faces Oklahoma State, TCU, Oklahoma and Kansas State all before October 24.
Next: Pac-12: Cal