Texas Football: 3 Longhorns Who Have Impressed Us in 2014

It's been a tough start to the season for the 1-2 Texas Longhorns, which just dismissed another player from the team. That's why we should all appreciate the players, such as Malcom Brown, who have done nothing but impress despite the struggles of the collective team.

The Horns went into their bye week ranked in the bottom half of the Big 12 in scoring, rushing offense, passing offense, total offense and rushing defense. Through three games, not a whole lot has gone right.

That is, unless you look at the seasons Tyrone Swoopes, John Harris and the aforementioned Brown have turned in. While many of their teammates are still finding their way in the new system, these three are turning in the best seasons of their careers.

The hope is that their teammates can start matching their production before bowl eligibility slips away.

QB Tyrone Swoopes

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Look for Swoopes to take more and more downfield shots as conference play wears on.

Stepping in for the injured (and now retired) David Ash, sophomore Tyrone Swoopes' steadiness at quarterback has been a pleasant surprise and a godsend for this Longhorn team.

Through two starts, Swoopes has completed just under 68 percent of his passes, throwing three touchdowns against just one interception. For a guy who's still considered a raw talent, his poise and decisiveness have been thoroughly impressive.

With two solid starts in the books for Swoopes, it's time for Texas to turn him loose. Most of his completions have come on quick-hitters, as evidenced by his 5.72 yards per attempt, but he has an arm, which he has shown off when forced to do so.

That ability to drive the ball will have to be put to good use for Texas to be competitive in its Big 12 schedule, which features seven teams that average over 30 points per game. And Strong knows that, discussing the need for more big plays in Monday's presser:

"

Well, we are going to have to squeeze them somehow, because you're right, it's a scoring matchup, and you look to some of the games, and one score, and then the next, follow up with another score. We know we are going to have to score points and know we are going to have to generate some offense and generate some big plays.

"

Those types of plays shouldn't be necessary for Texas to put Kansas away on Saturday, but look for the coaches to dial up a shot or two to bring up Swoopes' confidence. He'll need it with Baylor just around the corner.

WR John Harris

USA TODAY Sports

Harris has made some great plays to kick off his final season.

John Harris has gone from never catching more than five balls in any of his first three seasons to Texas' leading receiver, totaling 247 yards and three touchdowns thus far as a senior. 

The problem is he's being asked to do too much, causing the mistakes to mount for the 6'2" wideout.

Harris and fellow senior Jaxon Shipley are the only Longhorns with more than 10 catches this season. That volume is just fine for Shipley, who is the team's sharpest route-runner with hands that function like a Dyson. On the other hand, Harris is still adjusting to a featured role, struggling with drops even during his breakout game against North Texas.

There's still plenty of room for Harris to be a productive player in this offense, but he's not a No. 1 wideout. He's more suited as a possession receiver, whereas Texas needs to get more involvement from guys who can get yardage after the catch.

Harris is still the biggest wide receiver on the roster, so his spot in the rotation is here to stay. Just look for the Longhorns to spread it around a little bit more.

DT Malcom Brown

USA TODAY Sports

Brown has played like one of the best tackles in the country this season.

We knew Malcom Brown was good, just not that he was All-American good.

As discussed here, Brown turned in one of the most underrated seasons of any tackle in the country as a sophomore, piling up 68 tackles while finishing in the top three on the team in both tackles for loss and pass breakups.

He's only gotten better since, making a name for himself with 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the losing effort against BYU. Through three games, his 1.17 sacks per game are tied for 14th in the nation, while his 2.3 tackles for loss per game rank fourth.

Enjoy this while it lasts, because Brown's chances of turning down the NFL this spring are dwindling by the week.

Honorable Mention: LB Jordan Hicks

Michael Thomas/Associated Press

Hicks remains productive despite his lengthy injury history.

Senior linebacker Jordan Hicks leads the Longhorns with 40 tackles so far this season. That's pretty impressive for a guy who has played 10 games since 2012.

Per usual, a healthy Hicks has been one of Texas' most reliable defenders. He's one of two Texas linebackers who is useful on all three downs, possessing both the size and speed to make one-on-one plays in the open field.

Almost as significant as his on-field production is Hicks' intangible impact on this team as one of the few true leaders of the Texas defense. "Jordan Hicks is another guy who leads by example and he's started to take a vocal role on this football team," said defensive coordinator Vance Bedford at his Wednesday press conference.

However, Hicks is not blameless when you look at the shortcomings of this defense. Like the rest of the back seven, he has had his share of key missed tackles that have allowed BYU and UCLA to average 4.3 yards per carry in Texas' two losses.

"

Nobody took Horns' loss harder than LB Jordan Hicks, who missed a tackle on a 58-yard UCLA run but played great otherwise w/ 12 tackles.

— kbohls (@kbohls) September 14, 2014"

Texas can live with those mistakes, because it's obvious that this linebacking corps would be lost without him.