Texas Football: Longhorns Who Need to Be More Involved in Offense

Charlie Strong and his staff have come under fire for a Texas Longhorns offense that laid a proverbial egg in 2014. Feeding the ball to players like Armanti Foreman and Johnathan Gray will help their fortunes in their second season.

Due to the graduations of John Harris, Jaxon Shipley and Malcolm Brown, the Horns will have to replace their top two receivers and leading rusher from last season.

As if that wasn't enough, this staff will also have a serious quarterback competition on its hands after Tyrone Swoopes bombed at the end of the season. In all likelihood, the end result of that process will be yet another quarterback taking the snaps.

To ease that process, the Longhorns need to feed their most explosive players and involve a position that has been uninvolved for the past seven seasons.

WR Armanti Foreman

Maybe it was Armanti Foreman's lack of size, experience or some combination of the two that kept him from being a consistent part of the offense last season. Whatever the case, there's no reason for the same thing to happen in 2015. 

Whenever Foreman got opportunities last season, he capitalized. The 6'0" receiver turned just 10 catches into 188 yards and two touchdowns, also converting his two rushing attempts into 41 yards. 

Though those two touchdowns totaled 118 yards, Foreman is more than just a deep threat. This is a legitimately polished receiver with good awareness on downfield routes along with the quickness to turn short-gainers into big plays. 

As Strong said this past offseason, the Longhorns really need a player who can do the latter.

"Need a playmaker at wide receiver," Texas' head coach said at Big 12 media days. "Need someone that can catch a five-yard hitch and turn it into just a big play where you go yards after a catch with YAC yardage."

Well, he had that playmaker last season, and his offensive coordinator, Joe Wickline, only gave him 12 touches. Now he's down to Foreman and just six other guys who have ever caught a ball in college, and it couldn't be more obvious that Foreman is the most talented of the bunch.

RB Johnathan Gray

John Weast/Getty Images

A healthy Gray has the ability to turn in a huge senior year running the ball.

Assuming Jerrod Heard takes the reins as Texas' starting quarterback, the zone read would become a big part of the offense as a means to showcase his athletic ability. In that scenario, a player like Johnathan Gray would really shine.

Gray's recovery from his 2013 Achilles tear took a while, but he rediscovered his burst late in the season, carrying the ball 43 times for 259 yards and five touchdowns during the Horns' crucial three-game winning streak.

That shifty, explosive runner is the Gray that Longhorn fans remember from the 2013 season when he was pacing toward a 1,000-yard season. At full strength, he's set up for a big season as Texas' most experienced back.

Should Heard emerge as the starter, a big season could be a potentially huge one for the senior. As Oregon shows us year after year, the usage of a mobile quarterback like Heard opens up a lot of running room for running backs because the defense must always account for the keeper.

For a player with Gray's snappy burst, that extra split-second is all that's required to reach the second level of the defense.

Last season, Gray saw about 12 total touches a game. Look for that number to increase to 15 per outing as he works in tandem with whatever freshman power back the Horns end up pulling in their 2015 class.

RB/WR Daje Johnson

John Weast/Getty Images

Provided he sticks around, the Longhorns need to find a way to get the ball in Daje Johnson's hands.

Since they recruited him, the Longhorns couldn't get the ball to Daje Johnson and his 4.34 speed (per 247Sports) fast enough. They're still figuring out the best way to do that, and they need to, provided he sticks around through the reported incoming exodus.

Johnson's career began with a splash, as he turned his 46 freshman touches into 490 yards and two touchdowns. His production has dipped since, with off-field issues and injuries limiting him to just 15 games over the past two years.

Still, there's no doubting his ability to churn out big plays, posting a rush, reception and return of over 70 yards during his career. 

With the uncertainty surrounding the entire offense, this is a player through which assistant head coach for offense Shawn Watson can manufacture positive yardage. That is, as long as he's distanced himself from the half-dozen Longhorns expected to transfer this spring.

"

Source: #Texas TE M.J. McFarland one of roughly half dozen #Longhorns expected to transfer out of UT program ($). http://t.co/w82szgXNWD

— Chip Brown (@ChipBrownHD) January 14, 2015"

Should Johnson decide to bolt, Donald Catalon would be the next logical choice to assume the all-purpose role this offense needs.

WR Lorenzo Joe

While we wait on John Burt's final decision, Lorenzo Joe sits as Texas' best true outside receiver. Getting him ready for that role should be one of the main goals of spring football for the Longhorn coaching staff.

A long, fluid athlete at 6'2", Joe caught three balls last season for 36 yards as a distant backup to leading receiver John Harris. Considering Harris enjoyed a 1,000-yard season, that's far from an indictment of Joe.

Though the above tape shows the rising sophomore playing quarterback, he was an excellent high school receiver when called upon. As noted by InsideTexas, he's a smooth route-runner with natural hands and deceptive speed in the open field.

The Longhorns need size on the outside, and Joe provides it with the physical attributes to make plays at all three levels of the field. Even if Burt ends up recommitting to Texas, Joe should have a role in this offense and is a player to look for in the spring game.

Honorable Mention: TE Devonaire Clarington

Tight end Devonaire Clarington has never played a down for the Longhorns or any other collegiate program, but he's Texas' best option at a position that has woefully underachieved for too long.

Since 2007, no Longhorn tight end has caught more than 16 passes in a season. By that standard, M.J. McFarland's position-best 11 receptions were actually a decent showing.

Except McFarland has elected to transfer, leaving Blake Whiteley and Andrew Beck as the program's only options for the spring.

Luckily, the Horns have Clarington, the nation's No. 4 tight end per 247Sports.com, heading their way in the summer. A matchup nightmare at 6'5" and 238 pounds, Clarington is an advanced receiver and can immediately step in as a red-zone option in 2015, per Sporting News' TJ Gaynor.

It's time for the tight end position to have an actual offensive role that involves moving the chains in the middle of the field and providing a big target near the goal line. Clarington has the potential to do just that, and he needs a role from the moment he steps on campus.

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