Texas football 2019: Depth chart and starting lineup projections

Texas football is rising under Tom Herman and Sam Ehlinger is the best player on the Texas depth chart as we analyze the Longhorns roster.

Following a seven-win season in 2017, the Texas Longhorns took quite a big step in their second full year under head coach Tom Herman, winning three more games than the previous season en route to a second-place finish in the Big 12 conference. The rival Oklahoma Sooners managed to take the title in a head-to-head win, but the ‘Horns did best Kyler Murray and Co. earlier on in the Cotton Bowl.

Ultimately, a 10-4 record was good enough for a Sugar Bowl appearance, which the squad turned into an impressive 28-21 win over the higher-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger totaled 233 yards and contributed three scores via the run, while an opportunistic defense produced three turnovers and held the Georgia rushing attack to just 72 yards.

Since then, Texas has seen 15 players move on to the next level, with defensive end Charles Omenihu and cornerback Kris Boyd the most notable among them. Both were four-year contributors in their college careers, so it will hard to replace their experience and production.

At the same time, Herman fielded Rivals’ fourth-best recruiting class, which consists of one five-star and 15 four-star players joining the program. Some could be asked to step up and start immediately, so let’s dive into where those players might fill in gaps as we project the starters and depth chart for each of the three units.