Texas Football: Burning Questions Ahead of the Longhorns' Spring Practice
Spring practice is about to begin for the Texas Longhorns, who can hopefully answer some of the burning questions about the status of the team.
For Charlie Strong, this spring is all about discovering an offensive identity and finding out what he has in last year's backups. He has a lot of talented freshmen set to join the program, but fielding a team full of first-year players is hardly the way to improve on a 6-7 campaign.
The Horns need a quarterback, a concrete offensive line and some veterans they can trust. And they need all of them to emerge to some degree before summer workouts.
Who Will Be the Starting Quarterback?
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Settling the quarterback debate will be at the top of everyone's list this offseason. Jerrod Heard and Tyrone Swoopes will battle it out, and the current clubhouse leader might surprise you.
Heard has considerable upside in the uptempo offense Texas is looking to implement. He's a much more explosive athlete than last year's starter, Swoopes, with comparable arm talent.
It would make a lot of sense for Heard to be taking over even before the official start of spring practice. But Scout.com's Chip Brown is reporting the opposite, stating that Swoopes is still way ahead of the redshirt freshman:
"If you put [Heard] on the white board right now and told him to diagram a pass play and why that play is set up the way it is and what to look for from the defense in the way it could/should defend the QB's first and second read, Heard is confused, and is still far behind Tyrone Swoopes.
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Brown, who is as plugged into the Horns as any beat writer for any team in the country, went on to say that Heard is being flat outworked:
"Bottom line is Swoopes is leading the drills in offseason workouts and is working harder than ever to learn the nuances of the offense. Basically, Swoopes is outworking Heard, and if there was a game tomorrow, Swoopes would be the starter - and it wouldn't be close.
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It's great to hear Swoopes has rebounded from his disastrous finish to last season. However, it's far more disappointing to hear that a player like Heard, who was so impressive throughout his high school career, has lacked a sense of urgency.
Texas needs a playmaker and a leader to emerge at this position. Whether Swoopes surprises everyone by bouncing back or Heard gets it in gear, the best possible outcome is that one of them takes control before the summer.
Can the Offensive Line Get It Together?
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The offensive line is by far Texas' biggest concern following a season in which injuries kept this group in perpetual flux. This spring, it should be able to at least nail down a concrete group of starters.
Of everyone competing for as many as three open positions here, only two won't be practicing this spring. Connor Williams, Brandon Hodges, Tristan Nickelson and Garrett Thomas have all enrolled early, leaving only the injured Darius James and incoming freshman Patrick Vahe as potential competition.
So far, it looks like Williams and Hodges will grab the tackle spots. 247Sports' Jeff Howe already has the former manning the left tackle spot as a freshman, while Hodges is a natural fit for the right side at 6'5", 295 pounds.
It's a wide-open competition here with plenty of potential for mixing and matching. The hope is that Joe Wickline finds the magic formula, because the Horns will never develop an offensive identity with the blocking we saw in 2014.
Will a Veteran Defensive Back Emerge?
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Texas stepped up in a big way on the recruiting trail this spring, signing one of the best groups of defensive backs in the country. But the Horns still have a serious need for leadership and experience, meaning some veterans must step up and keep the seat warm for another year.
The Horns are really going to miss seniors Quandre Diggs and Mykkele Thompson, who helped last year's defense hold opponents to an astounding 5.7 yards per attempt, per cfbstats.com. Diggs will be especially missed as the leader of last year's stifling coverage unit.
With these two now graduated, no fewer than three freshmen are going to compete for open spots this summer. Holton Hill leads the pack as a long corner with the potential to smother his man, but elite athlete Kris Boyd and thumper DeShon Elliott will each make their case as well.
In a conference populated by four teams that finished in the top 25 in passes attempted, according to cfbstats.com, trotting out three freshmen could be disastrous.
So who will step up? All-Big 12 honorable mention Duke Thomas and fiery safety Jason Hall are the only real locks. The unspectacular Dylan Haines also piled up valuable experience in 2014, and then the rest of the candidates only bring five combined starts to the table.
As discussed by SB Nation's Wescott Eberts, senior Sheroid Evans sports the most potential of those fighting off the freshmen. Redshirt freshman John Bonney also has the skill set to play in the nickel, and it's anyone's guess from there.
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How Will the Horns Replace Their Top Linebackers?
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It's almost a foregone conclusion that Malik Jefferson will start as an early enrollee. He's one of the best athletes on the team, and he has been practicing like the real deal.
"Hardly a shocking development here, but I'm told that Texas LB Malik Jefferson is tearing it up in team workouts. Dude's a freak. #longhorns
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Glowing reports about Jefferson's abilities will abound as he replaces Jordan Hicks, but he only takes care of half the problem. The Horns also have to replace Steve Edmond, whose heir apparent is far less clear.
Just like at corner, the Horns have an elite freshman coming aboard in Anthony Wheeler. The 6'2", 225-pound linebacker fits the mold, but Texas can't afford to trot out even more freshmen, especially with the unclear situation on the back end.
The best option would probably be Peter Jinkens. Though not a true middle linebacker, the senior has 11 starts under his belt and has the best remaining size-speed combination on the roster.
Unless Dalton Santos has greatly improved his speed (don't count on it), nobody has a stronger case for starter's snaps than Jinkens.
Can Another Receiver Step Up Next to Armanti Foreman?
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With John Harris and Jaxon Shipley gone, the Longhorns have to replace well over half of their receiving production in 2015. The competition is wide open aside from sophomore Armanti Foreman.
Beyond a doubt, Texas' quarterback is going to have to spread the ball around much more next season. Harris, Shipley and Marcus Johnson were the only receivers to catch more than 25 balls, and Harris was the only one to catch more than two touchdowns.
The hope is that Johnson can enjoy the breakout most expected to come last season, but Foreman looks like the superior talent. The speedy wideout stood out in Texas' last two regular-season games, displaying some downfield skill and impressive moves in the open field.
Even if these two enjoy big seasons, they're each under 6'1". Texas really needs a bigger wideout to step up, especially in the red zone, where Harris used his big frame to finish drives.
Once again, a freshman will get a long look here. But 6'3" John Burt doesn't arrive until the summer, and he will take some time to truly develop as a receiver.
In the mean time, rangy talents Lorenzo Joe, Dorian Leonard and maybe even Garrett Gray will vie for that coveted X spot. Whoever eventually wins it will soak up the targets.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com and 247Sports.com.
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