Garrett Gilbert Named Starting Quarterback of Texas Longhorns

Last season was one to forget for the Texas Longhorns. Seven losses and no bowl game was a first during the Mack Brown era. Coach Brown made it clear there would be changes, and the quarterback position was up for grabs.

That is until Monday, when Brown named junior Garrett Gilbert the starter for opening day against Rice.

A four-man race for the starting quarterback job began in the spring. Gilbert, sophomore Case McCoy, redshirt freshman Connor Wood and true freshman David Ash battled for the spot. Gilbert started all 12 games last year for Texas, struggling through the majority of the season.

Gilbert finished the season with 10 touchdowns and 17 interceptions—five interceptions in one game against Kansas State. That came two weeks after the Iowa State game, where he tossed three interceptions, helping the Cyclones to their first ever win against the Longhorns. He completed just 59 percent of his passes, far less than Colt McCoy's completion percentage of 70.

But Gilbert was the right choice, even on paper. Texas struggled to run the football after Coach Brown ditched the spread-style offense for a power-run offense. When the Longhorns couldn't run the ball, they looked to Gilbert, who faced constant pressure from an underachieving offensive line. An underachieving defense also played its part in Texas' dismal 2009 campaign, forcing the offense to look down field more often.

Texas' leading receiver last year, James Kirkendoll, now in the Tennessee Titans' training camp, called Gilbert a leader, even when things weren't going well.

"No matter what was happening on the field, you could go in that huddle and you knew you were with a winner," Kirkendoll said.

Gilbert will need to prove he is a winner often and early. Last year, Texas struggled to run and pass the ball against a 4-8 Rice team. If Gilbert is unable to produce points, Case McCoy will get the opportunity to follow in his brother's footsteps.