Texas football surged under coach Tom Herman and quarterback Sam Ehlinger in 2018 so what should fans expect out of the Longhorns this spring?
From 2010-2017, the Texas football program did not win double-digit games. The glory and fame of the burnt orange dimmed, and an unproductive run from Charlie Strong’s tenure as head coach brought program adversity. It took one year to overcome it, but Tom Herman has the Longhorns in a positive direction, after a 10-4 season which featured a Sugar Bowl win.
Expectations will remain high, and the road to greater success begins with the spring preparation.
2018 record: 10-4
Spring game date: Saturday, April 13 — 6:30 p.m.
Biggest spring storyline
With Sam Ehlinger back for his junior season, keeping him healthy is important. Injuries have consumed his first two years at Texas, whether due to taking sacks or frequently leaving the backfield (164 rushing attempts in 2018). So keeping him upright and pressure-free as often as possible is ideal for Herman’s staff to focus on this spring.
That leads to the offensive line, which lost Calvin Anderson, Patrick Vahe and Elijah Rodriguez to graduation or the NFL Draft. Returning is guard Zach Schackelford, but the rest of the group remains unknown and has months to form. With that, however, will come inexperience from the starters that play in front of Ehlinger, continuing his health concern. Basically, backup quarterback, Casey Thompson must stay ready for his opportunity, because it can happen at any point.
The biggest reason for optimism
At long last, Texas has a stable quarterback in place. Ehlinger, who assumed the full-time starting job as a sophomore, will return as the unquestioned man this spring. Gone, for now, are the days of in-season signal-caller battles and year-around questions around who will play this position, so barring an injury, this is the guy.
Ehlinger, with Shane Buechele behind him, had 3,292 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He even added 492 rushing yards and was fewer than 250 behind the team’s leading rushers, Tre Watson and Keaontay Ingram.
Expectations will rise for Ehlinger, now that he owns a full starting season. The 2019 team is on his shoulders, and crisper play in the spring will only ensure excitement around Texas for the fall.
Biggest question mark
While the front seven found some success, the secondary struggled last season. Experienced players handled these positions, however, and they must encounter the losses of Kris Boyd, PJ Locke III and Davante Davis — a group that combined for 173 tackles, two interceptions and 26 pass deflections. That pushes bigger roles on BJ Foster, Cade Sterns and Brandon Jones this spring, with a potential battle to decide the depth chart.
The Big 12 is not held in great regard for its secondary play, anyway, with the elite offenses overwhelming suspect defenses. Texas ranked 67th in defense in 2018, so they were not as bad as other conference teams, but owning a capable defense kept them in games. If it suffers, so might their overall record, except if the offense takes strides.
Biggest offseason addition
Texas acquired a stellar recruiting class for the 2019 season and arguably the best group since Mack Brown’s run. Per 247Sports, it ranked third in the nation and first in the Big 12. Wide receivers Bru McCoy and Jordan Whittington lead the way and will add to a group that lost Lil’Jordan Humphrey but returned senior Collin Johnson. They will line up around Ehlinger and an offense that eyes improvement.
Johnson and Devin Duvernay are the only returning receivers with 300-plus yards, so McCoy, Whittington and others have to step up to deepen this offense and match the upside the defense possesses.
Biggest game to look forward to
The Red River Rivalry Game usually makes or breaks Texas’ season, or pushes one team’s momentum in a positive direction. While that game is, as always, important, an even earlier contest — a non-conference matchup — will influence the Longhorns record, for better or worse.
The LSU Tigers arrive on Sept. 7 and is not only their grandest non-Big 12 game but arguably their most pressure-packed matchup, since it could end the chances of a perfect record before conference play transpires weeks later. One or two losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, West Virginia is possible, if not highly likely, so staying clean prior to that is imperative.