Texas Football: 5 Reasons to Be Optimistic About the Longhorns' Spring Game

No matter the difference Texas head coach Charlie Strong has made on this Longhorn team since his arrival, it's tough to be optimistic about the team's outlook this season.

The Longhorns have lost 10 starters from a 6-7 team, lost even more experience to injuries this spring and, you know, still have no idea who their quarterback will be.

However, none of that should keep Longhorn fans from being excited to watch this team take the field in Saturday's spring game. Strong still has this group working hard to get back to the upper echelon of college football, drawing healthy competition from every position in the process.

Yes, that includes the troublesome quarterback position.

The fire Strong pulls from his guys alone will make this an entertaining scrimmage. Even if this team proves far from a polished product, at least everyone gets that long-awaited look at Malik Jefferson.

1. There's a Healthy Quarterback Competition

Considering their constant woes at the position, the Longhorns' current quarterback competition doesn't inspire much confidence. The difference this season is that both players have some talent, making for a healthy competition that should better the eventual winner next season.

As we near the end of spring practice, two themes are following Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard. First off, Swoopes is universally considered an improved player in every way, as echoed by 247Sports' Jeff Howe. On the other hand, Heard is really pushing him with some nice play over the past few weeks.

Growing more comfortable by the day, Heard has been taking first-team reps, impressing with some deep throws to Dorian Leonard and Daje Johnson along with some gliding runs for big gains.

It's that latter ability that makes Inside Texas' Bill Frisbie a believer in the redshirt freshman. "There is one area where Heard has a decided edge: he can improvise, he can ad-lib, he can make something out of nothing when the play breaks down," stated Frisbie.

That's nothing new for Heard. But in combination with some nice plays through the air, he's going to make it difficult for Swoopes to hold his ground. In an uptempo offense, Heard's athleticism could make up for whatever narrow gap is left in the passing department come the fall.

Whoever ends up with the job in the end will be better for having to work to earn it.

2. We Finally Get to See Malik Jefferson

Malik Jefferson has had the look of a college player since he was a high school junior. Texas fans finally get to see him be one on Saturday.

Even by NFL standards, Jefferson is a freak of an athlete. Per SB Nation's Jason Kirk, Jefferson's 4.39-second 40-yard dash last summer would have been the fastest of any linebacker at the NFL combine since 2006. He also weighs 217 pounds and has a 40-inch vertical.

So far, the coaches are enjoying the versatility Jefferson brings to the table. Just three weeks into real football practice, he's seen time at the hybrid Fox position, and Charlie Strong told the media that the early enrollee has also gotten a look inside.

As someone who can cover, drill ball-carriers and rush the passer, Jefferson should see a lot of work in Saturday's game as the coaches continue to figure out his best role on the team. Before long, he's going to be one of the best players in the country.

3. The Offensive Line Is Better

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

If he wins the job, Swoopes will enjoy much better protection in 2015.

The Texas offensive line might not be quite as good as senior left guard Sedrick Flowers hopes, but it should be miles better than it was last season.

A year after it was the definition of "patchwork," the Texas front now has the benefit of both continuity and depth. The Horns had neither in 2014 and were forced to start three probable backups en route to some abysmal blocking performances.

All five of last year's starters return this season, and the unit has added five newcomers capable of providing immediate depth. Those differences have Flowers looking forward to a bounce-back campaign, per TexasSports.com:

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The sky is the limit. I feel that as far as o-line wise, right now we're looking 10 times better than last year. We're getting better every day. Coach [Joe] Wickline, he actually gave us a compliment and that's rare. He gave us a compliment. He normally doesn't give anybody compliments, but he said, "Y'all are doing good but y'all still suck." [laughs] We're getting better every day.

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Hyperbole aside, Texas should at least be able to decrease the pressure on their eventual quarterback and open up some running room for its stable of backs. The difference will be night and day starting with Saturday's game.

4. The Receivers Are Killing It

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Johnson's personal turnaround is coming just in time for him to be featured in the up-tempo offense.

Even with their two best receivers off to the NFL, Texas' receiving corps looks vastly improved from a year ago.

Last season, John Harris and Jaxon Shipley accounted for 63 percent of Texas' receiving yardage, 52 percent of its receptions and 57 percent of its receiving touchdowns. There's predictable and then there's telegraphed—opposing defenses knew exactly who was getting the ball when Swoopes dropped back to pass.

There will be growing pains with those two receivers gone, but there will also be plenty of viable targets. Dorian Leonard has already made his case for Harris' role as a big receiver with explosive ability, while Jacorey Warrick and Marcus Johnson are doing their best to make good on the breakouts they missed out on last season.

One of the most exciting developments has been with Daje Johnson. The multitalented senior has his head on straight, and he even has teammates like Johnathan Gray excited to see what he can do with a featured role:

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Daje has grown up a lot. I'm impressed with that guy after coming in his freshman year and what he had to go through to where he is now. He knows he has to get this team ready. He knows he has to get the wideouts ready. He has to be a team leader. He has grown up tremendously. This is his last year, he knows that, and he's trying to do everything in his power to put this team back to where it needs to be.

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The smart money would be on Leonard and Marcus Johnson to lead this team in receiving, but it won't be nearly as lopsided as it was with the top two receivers last year. It should be fun to see who has made the biggest improvement.

5. Guys Are Stepping Up

Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Jinkens is one of several Longhorns taking full advantage of the opportunity at hand, and therefore showing the fight within this team.

When you lose as much as the Horns have lost since the end of last season, the best possible outcome is that those left of the team step up. To this point, Strong's team seems to have responded to its own needs.

Take the linebackers and the secondary. Texas lost a combined four starters from those spots, then saw seniors Dalton Santos and Sheroid Evans succumb to injury in spring practice. Those openings have allowed Edwin Freeman and Antwuan Davis to make names for themselves, while Peter Jinkens has reasserted himself as a leader, per Howe.

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Charlie Strong continues to rave about Dorian Leonard. Pleased with Bryson Echols and Antwuan Davis' progress since Sheroid Evans went down

@WVWilkerson, 6 Apr 2015

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This "next man up" mentality has worked its way into the other positions that have needed the help. We've seen freshmen push incumbent starters, unknown talents make splash plays and last season's scapegoats become leaders.

What we're seeing is some pride from a team that got blistered in its last two games of the year. We won't know if it'll make any difference in win column, because this is still a very inexperienced team, but the team's personality gives it the potential to overachieve.

Right now, we just know these Longhorns will play hard, which will make for an entertaining spring game.

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