Texas Football: Tom Herman begins Longhorns rebuild on recruiting trail
In a new era of Texas Football, Tom Herman will turn toward the recruiting trail to continue what Charlie Strong started.
When Tom Herman stepped into the role as the head coach for Texas Football, he took over a school that has gone three seasons with a record below .500. It’s uncharacteristic for a prestigious program, which led to Charlie Strong’s firing before he could really get into the plan he had for this team. He couldn’t get four years out of his first recruiting class but did have D’Onta Foreman become one of the best running backs in college football by the third year.
However, with Strong’s classes that started in 2014, he never saw this team take off or have a drastic improvement. They had Foreman and quarterback Shane Buechele breathe some life into the offense last season, but if that could only produce a 5-7 record, how many classes will it take for Herman to do what Strong couldn’t and win?
It all starts with his defense, which has become a notorious weakness for every Big 12 school. Herman hired former Houston defensive coordinator Todd Orlando to the same position at Texas, someone who is known for his rush defenses with the Cougars and at UConn for a handful of years. Houston ranked No. 4 in total rushing yards allowed in 2016.
Freshman Ed Oliver was instrumental in Houston’s rush defense and that’s the type of player Herman needs to bring to Austin. To fit the mold, Texas already has four recruits coming in from the front seven; three of them committed within the past two weeks.
Gary Johnson, the top-ranked JUCO inside linebacker by 247Sports, joined the Longhorns last week and should fill in immediately as the starter. He’s a tackling machine that totaled 215 stops across his two years at Dodge City. However, the special part of Johnson’s game is his speed and quickness to get into the backfield. His Dodge City linebackers coach told Alabama.com in early 2016 that he ran a 4.3 40-yard dash.
The presence Johnson will bring to the linebacker position should be strong. He will not only be an anchor toward rebuilding the defense but allows former five-star recruit Malik Jefferson to slide to the outside. Having two players at their natural positions for a previously poor Texas defense should go a long way.
The one defensive prospect that Herman has as a holdover is Taquon Graham, a speedy defensive lineman who has a knack for getting into the backfield. He should, at least, be in line for third-down blitz packages to get to the pass-heavy Big 12 offenses.
However, the crowning jewel of Herman’s first recruiting class on the defensive side may be four-star defensive end, K’Lavon Chaisson. He’s one of the best weak-side players in the 2017 rankings and could play a role next season. The only issue is he’s listed around the 220-pound range, which may lead to him being redshirted to put on some weight. By 2018, though, he could be a force on the defensive line to make the Longhorns one of the most feared defensive fronts in the Big 12.
Defense is a clear focus so far, but Herman is also an offensive-minded guy and has brought in more on this side of the ball so far. More specifically, his recruiting has focuses on filling the shoes of Foreman.
Running backs Toneil Carter and Daniel Young have already been flipped and committed to Texas. They’ll have to contend with former top recruit Chris Warren III, who is coming off an injury, and Kyle Porter for snaps. However, to lead this running game rebuild, the ball should be expected to go in the hands of Carter. The former Georgia commit not only has the potential to be a special talent, but he’s getting a leg up by already enrolling at UT. It will make him a special player to watch for in spring practice, with the running back competition expected to be a battle. What may be more likely is a running back by committee featuring Carter, Porter, and Warren, if healthy. Young could get stuck behind the others and is a candidate to be redshirted.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the inaugural recruiting class is the quarterback situation. Sam Ehlinger has been a commitment for Texas since the summer of 2015 and one of the top players at his position from the 2017 class. He brings a dual-threat element with him, similar to what was promised with Buechele, who barely crossed 100 yards last year and didn’t get used by Strong often on the ground.
Looking back on Herman’s offense in Houston, led by quarterback Greg Ward Jr., Herman let him run on double-digit attempts in all but two games to spread the offense out. Ward finished with over 1,600 yards in his two seasons with Herman. He did the same at Ohio State when Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett exploited defenses with their running ability.
So how does this relate to Buechele and Ehlinger? Well, if his high school stats are any indication, the latter had 1,360 yards on the ground in 2015. This was along with 3,833 passing yards. A thumb injury took him out of action for most of 2016.
Part of Herman’s rebuild at Texas will be putting his vision into this program, which is evidenced by bringing in Orlando and Tim Beck as his lead assistants. Part of this plan has always been with a dual-threat quarterback under center. If this is going to continue, then could Ehlinger become the guy to lead the charge of this new era? If so, where does that leave Buechele’s future?
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Texas will no doubt have quality pieces returning like Jefferson, Hughes, and Malcolm Roach on defense. They have most of their wide receivers returning as well. There are questions just about everywhere else, though, which will make this year’s recruiting class important toward filling the needs on both sides of the ball. It’s going to be about fitting Herman’s vision, something that we have already seen before National Signing Day.