Is 2015 Finally the Year Texas Football Turns It Around?

Head coach Charlie Strong was hired to fix Texas football. What he probably didn't know was that he'd be given a screwdriver to put together an entire engine. Oh, and it was a Phillips-head when he needed a flat-head. 

The results of Strong's first season were understandably mixed, thanks to a combination of injuries, dismissals, suspensions and a lack of talent and experience. The Longhorns finished 6-7 with more brutal losses than quality wins. Perhaps, in hindsight, squeezing six wins out of that team was an accomplishment. 

Is 2015 the year when Strong finally gets things turned around, though? Better hold off on that prediction. 

Few people know the ins and outs of a program better than former players and coaches. In the words ex-Longhorns quarterback and current Bleacher Report analyst Chris Simms, Strong inherited a program in far worse shape than his predecessor, Mack Brown, did in 1998.

"I love Mack, I played for him," said Simms in a previous interview with B/R. "But when Mack arrived in 1998, he had Ricky Williams, Shaun Rogers and Casey Hampton." 

Player	Position	2014 Stats
Malcom Brown	Defensive Tackle	70 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks
Malcolm Brown	Running Back	708 yards, 6 TDs
Quandre Diggs	Cornerback	3 INTs, 5 passes broken up
Cedric Reed	Defensive End	69 tackles, 5.5 sacks
Jordan Hicks	Linebacker	113 tackles
Josh Harris	Wide Receiver	68 catches, 1051 yards, 7 TDs

The best players Strong did inherit—defensive tackle Malcom Brown, cornerback Quandre Diggs, running back Malcolm Brown and defensive end Cedric Reed, among others—are headed to the NFL draft. To put that into context, that's the team's best defensive player, best corner, leading rusher and second-best pass-rusher. 

The question marks on offense, namely at quarterback, remain for now. The Longhorns had the worst passing offense and second-worst scoring offense in the Big 12 in 2014. That's not a combination that tends to produce better results the following year. 

The silver lining is that 2015 is the year Strong can put his stamp on the program. The upcoming class, currently ranked 12th nationally according to 247Sports, is made up of players he and his staff have recruited. In 2014, Strong was trying to hold together a class assembled by the previous regime. 

Among those to commit for next season is linebacker and early enrollee Malik Jefferson, the No. 1 player in Texas. Given the number of departures on defense combined with the need for open competition, Jefferson should have an opportunity to compete for playing time as a freshman. In addition, his potential as a program-changing recruit is high. 

That's the theme for Strong. The first year is in the past, now the real building can begin. Don't be surprised if several members of the 2015 class find their way onto the field in at least a rotational capacity. If Texas is going to get back to a Big 12 championship, let alone a national championship, the players who will make it happen just joined the roster or are yet to join. 

In fact, don't be surprised if Texas dips by a win or two next season. The Longhorns got to six wins because of their defense, which went from a laughable group under Brown to one of the best in the Big 12 under Strong. If the offense struggles to move the chains again, a new-look defense is going to be thrown into a lot of unenviable situations. 

One new hire who could help the offense is former Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Jay Norvell, who was brought on as the Longhorns' wide receivers coach. Norvell has a reputation as a well-liked assistant and great recruiter—something Texas still needs help with—but the knock on him is that he has failed to develop his players. 

"He brings a lot to our staff, is very familiar with the Big 12 and has experience recruiting in Texas," Strong said of Norvell in a statement (via ESPN.com). "We're really excited he's joining us."

As it stands now, though, Texas is not a team that passes the ball 50 times a game with four- and five-wide sets. That doesn't mean Norvell isn't an important hire, but his responsibilities are far more concentrated under Strong. 

On the field and on the sidelines, there are going to be plenty of new faces for Texas in 2015. Eventually, that may be a good thing as the program moves on from the final leftovers of the Brown era. 

The Big 12 is wide open enough that Texas might be able to surprise with a key win or two next season, but this projects as a team that will have to grow up by taking some lumps. Will Texas be back next season? Likely not. Its journey will only be starting. 

There's going to have to be some patience associated with that. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com. All recruiting information courtesy of 247sports.com.