Texas Football: 4 Longhorn Starters on the Hot Seat in 2015

Charlie Strong addressed the media Monday, using one last formality to update the status of the team following winter workouts. The quarterback battle keeps the headline, but far more stands to be settled before the summer.

With the teaming having to replace 10 starters, not many incumbents stand to lose their jobs. More so than anything, the team needs the next guy to step and take over for those who have moved on.

For the most part, it sounds like that's happening. Strong was complimentary of running back Johnathan Gray, receiver Daje Johnson and his linebacking corps. That's great news in three areas that will be relied upon heavily.

But coming off a 6-7 season, there must be casualties. The quarterback battle is fully on between junior Tyrone Swoopes and redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard, and it sounds like Strong is especially fond of his new offensive linemen. 

Before too long, he might feel the same way about another redshirt freshman on the opposite side of the ball.

QB Tyrone Swoopes

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Heard's athleticism will allow him to keep pressure on Swoopes throughout the offseason.

Considering the circumstances, Swoopes has made a real statement to start this offseason. Still, the odds are against him keeping his job as the starting quarterback.

You can't be on much thinner ice than Swoopes was at the end of last season. He regressed against both TCU and Arkansas, throwing for a combined 4.4 yards per attempt and five interceptions. 

Since then, all signs point to him bouncing back. Strong said Swoopes led the skill position players through workouts, substantiating a report from Scout.com that he has outshined Heard to this point.

However, that has not kept the staff from giving Heard every chance to win the job. Strong told the media the two would get an even split, and 247Sports' Jeff Howe claims the redshirt freshman was superb playing as Trevone Boykin for the scout team. If Texas moves toward an uptempo attack, it's hard to imagine Swoopes being the better fit.

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Strong: Swoopes and Heard will get equal reps this spring.

@mikefinger, 23 Mar 2015

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It will be an interesting battle between these two, and the Spring game will tell us a lot about who will take the snaps next year.

DE/LB Naashon Hughes

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Hughes' pursuit of the quarterback will determine whether he keeps his starting role in 2015.

Ridiculously fluid at 6'4" and 232 pounds, Naashon Hughes has as much athletic potential as any player on this team. However, his lack of pass rushing might be his undoing.

Texas saw 12 sacks walk out the door along with Malcom Brown and Cedric Reed. After piling up 40 in 2014, the Horns are going to miss that production, and they don't return a defensive end who has more than 4.5 career sacks, with Hughes only recording half a sack.

Hassan Ridgeway and Tank Jackson will pull their weight, but the Horns need somebody who can get to the quarterback. In fact, it might be even more important this time around given the youth movement on the back end.

Unless Hughes shows improvement, redshirt freshman Derick Roberson may jump him the same way Hughes jumped Shiro Davis and Caleb Bluiett last season. As SB Nation's Wescott Eberts notes, Roberson is a pure pass-rusher who can absolutely explode off the ball. Unfortunately, he arrived at only 219 pounds, requiring him to redshirt his first season.

Now up to almost 240, it's about time for the top recruit of the 2014 Texas class (per 247Sports) to bust out. Hughes looks like he'll be a casualty of that.

OT Marcus Hutchins

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Hutchins (far right) struggled in his first season moving from the defensive line to left tackle.

Converted defensive tackle Marcus Hutchins was in over his head for most of 2014 and will probably lose his starting job to a newcomer.

Touted all summer as being ahead of schedule, 3-star early enrollee Connor Williams looks like the steal of the class. The nimble freshman is already up to 291 pounds and looks every bit like a future starter at left tackle.

Whether that's this season remains to be seen, but it sure sounds like Williams and fellow freshman Garrett Thomas are making big impressions, per Strong:

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Yes, we do expect to play those linemen. And you can't be afraid to play them. Because you look at it, you just have to go play the best players and not be afraid of it. And they just come in and compete, because you look at guys, Garrett Thomas and Connor Williams, two freshmen that have come in that work really hard, and it's amazing just to watch them work because they don't even say anything. They go about their business and do what you ask them to do.

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That's pretty effusive praise for any player, much less a freshman. Bet on him being out there, and Hutchins would be the one to suffer for it.

OT Jake Raulerson

Whatever goes for Hutchins and Williams at left tackle goes for Jake Raulerson and Brandon Hodges on the opposite side. The difference is Williams is found money, while Hodges was brought in to play immediately.

"I'm not big on junior colleges," Strong told the media Monday. "But I think that when you need a need there are guys that come in and you feel like they can help you out at that position."

In other words, Strong recruited junior college transfers like Hodges, a true tackle, because he didn't think what he had was good enough. In Hodges' case, he was brought in to replace one of last year's starters up front.

It was a revolving door at the right tackle spot last season, where the Horns started four different players. Raulerson was just the last one, and the offense's performance in that debacle tells you it didn't go well.

The hope is that Hodges can bring some stability to that position.

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