Texas Football: Week 1 Fall Camp Stock Report for the Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns commenced fall camp on Friday, providing an early look at who's rising and falling in the push toward the regular season.

Thus far, everything's going pretty much as expected. Tyrone Swoopes has been dominating first-team reps at quarterback, distancing himself from the competition as a passer, according to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News:

The real competition here won't begin until Jerrod Heard's running comes into play.

Elsewhere, the freshmen are really making their move, especially at receiver and in the defensive backfield. But the biggest surprise has been an old, frustrating name who is once again teasing us with his dynamic ability.

Stock Up: CB Kris Boyd

The freshman defensive backs are sure to make a lot of noise this fall, and Kris Boyd is leading the way so far.

At 6'0", Boyd isn't quite the ideal specimen that Holton Hill (6'2") is. But with Horns Digest's Chip Brown reporting that Texas' top DB recruit hasn't been on the field, Boyd has been taking full advantage of the opportunity, using his physicality to win some tough matchups early in camp.

According to the Express-News' Mike Finger, Boyd has yet to take first-team reps away from Bryson Echols and Antwuan Davis, but it's coming. Boyd was one of the best athletes in the 2015 recruiting class, and it'll be fun to watch him fight Hill for early playing time.

Michael Thomas/Associated Press

Stock Down: WR Dorian Leonard and WR Lorenzo Joe

For much of the offseason, it looked like Dorian Leonard and Lorenzo Joe were in a two-man race for the starting "X" job. Now they've both let a freshman take their reps.

Per 247Sports' Jeff Howe, drops have been a major problem for the receivers early in camp, and these two have committed their fair share of offenses. Leonard had an especially tough day on Sunday, and 247Sports' Chris Hummer has Joe running with the third team.

After the springs these two had, their early struggles are extremely disappointing, according to Dustin McComas of OrangeBloods.com:

Emerging from this fray has been John Burt. The true freshman has really settled in since Friday, displaying reliable hands and an ability to stretch the field. Unless one of the veterans responds, he's going to grab John Harris' old role on the outside.

Stock Up: WR Daje Johnson

Don't get your hopes up just yet, but we may have a Daje Johnson sighting in fall camp.

Just when you thought you were out on Johnson, he pulls you back in. 247Sports' Howe called the enigmatic senior "the most consistent" receiver he's seen, while Hummer has been impressed by his hands and route running.

This is a pleasant surprise from one of Texas' most maddening players. There's no doubt he's a special talent with blazing speed—ESPN.com indicates he ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash—but his numbers have dipped in each of the past two years due to some off-field issues.

On the field, he's struggled with everything he's been praised for thus far in camp.

If Johnson can figure it out, he'll be one of the best weapons the Longhorns have. We'll have to see what he looks like once we get closer to the season, but he looks like a stud through three great days of practice.

Stock Down: OL Terrell Cuney

Terrell Cuney put his status with the team in serious jeopardy, with 247Sports' Hummer reporting on Wednesday that he was arrested for shoplifting. For now, his mistake has simply opened the door for a younger talent.

More than anything else, Cuney's arrest is significant because of depth problems. Camrhon Hughes has officially left the program, making it five offensive linemen who have left the program in the past year. 

Because the Horns simply need bodies, Cuney will more than likely remain with the team. But he'll be guaranteed nothing, especially with true freshman Patrick Vahe making an impression early on in camp. Horns Digest's William Wilkerson tweeted:

Vahe's a better prospect with a possible NFL future, but the Longhorns can't afford to lose any more linemen.

Stock Up: TE DeAndre McNeal

The hype continues to build for freshman DeAndre McNeal, who's working toward becoming a multipurpose tight end for the Longhorns.

Initially a receiver, McNeal has officially made the move to tight end. It's hardly a surprise given the freshman's thick, 236-pound frame and ability to make moves in space. As Strong told reporters on Friday, the transition made a lot of sense:

"

The thing you like about DeAndre is that he came in as a receiver, gained some weight, and came to us and said he doesn't mind moving to another position. He's one of those guys we can move around and put in the tight end position, but he has enough speed where he can go vertical and get open.

"

The exciting thing about McNeal is his versatility. He can box out for a catch underneath, get upfield for a deep ball and even run the ball between the tackles if called upon. He's a total matchup nightmare, and he can line up virtually anywhere.

Per 247Sports' Hummer, the newly minted tight end is now working overtime to become a better blocker.

If Texas thinks he can hold his own in that department, he's going to see a ton of work as a unique weapon for Shawn Watson's offense.

Michael Thomas/Associated Press

Stock Down: LB Tim Cole and LB Dalton Santos

It looks like senior linebackers Tim Cole and Dalton Santos are the odd men out in Texas' linebacking corps.

Through three days of camp, the starters in the middle of Texas' defense have been Malik Jefferson, Peter Jinkens and Edwin Freeman, with the first two holding it down in 3-3-5 sets. Jefferson's manning the middle, and 247Sports' Howe reports that Jinkens looks as good as he's ever seen.

Meanwhile, both Cole and Santos are working back from injuries.

Santos already can't match Jefferson's athleticism and is far too slow for an outside job, so his time off the field will really set him back. On the other hand, Cole always seems to get chances that never amount to anything.

Both players will be part of the rotation, but the coaches seem to trust Jefferson and Freeman after strong springs. This is only our first example of freshmen beating out the upperclassmen.

Stock Up: DE Derick Roberson

Derick Roberson's healthy, and he's showing exactly why he was the Longhorns' highest-rated recruit of the 2014 class, per 247Sports.

247Sports' Howe reports that Roberson is now in "outstanding" shape at almost 240 pounds. That's translated to some splashy plays from the redshirt freshman, namely a ridiculous interception of Heard and a one-on-one drill in which he simply tossed 296-pound Alex Anderson out of his way (per Horns Digest's William Wilkerson).

The team is probably a year away from having Roberson as a regular contributor, but the potential is obvious. He can really explode into the backfield, and he's working on the physical strength to play both end positions, according to Andrew King of The Football Brainiacs:

Anyone who was worried that Roberson wouldn't live up to his potential can now sleep easy.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com.