Texas Football: Strengths, Weaknesses and Secret Weapons
Any team with Charlie Strong coaching for it will consider its defense a strength, which we saw in 2014. But for the Longhorns to succeed, he and his staff with have to figure out how to fix the most debilitating weakness of all—the quarterback.
This is a ground-and-pound team. Led by Johnathan Gray and the running backs, the Longhorns will try to control the clock and let their front seven tee off on opposing passers.
Of course, this is the Big 12, where the Horns will inevitably have to air it out to keep pace, especially because they lack cornerback depth. That's where problems will arise as the quarterback situation remains fluid.
Texas has some secret weapons to deploy when times get tough, but that deficiency behind the center will haunt the Longhorns.
Offensive Strength: Running Game
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Regardless of who plays quarterback, the Longhorns are set up well for a three-pronged rushing attack that will carry this offense.
Senior Johnathan Gray will be the centerpiece of this attack. Per 247Sports' Jeff Howe, the coaches believe Gray is a special talent, and he's put in a huge summer in an effort to pick up where he left off late last season.
Gray will handle a majority of the touches, but the coaches will also look at a power complement to keep him fresh. For that role, they'll choose between spring game star D'Onta Foreman and enormous future star Chris Warren.
But the kicker for this team will be the quarterback run game. Jerrod Heard would be the better option here, but Tyrone Swoopes has some playmaking ability as well, as he proved with a 95-yard showing last season. Either player would give defenses something else to think about before every snap, and that should open up a little room for the backs.
Charlie Strong has also encouraged Swoopes to run when necessary, according to Orangebloods.com.
Add in the expected improvement of the offensive line, and the Horns are well-positioned to have a strong rushing attack this season.
Honorable Mention: Receivers
Offensive Weakness: Quarterback
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Quarterback has been the one position the Longhorns just can't seem to nail down, and it remains the team's biggest offensive question mark.
Every position on this Longhorn offense is trending up thanks to guys who are currently on the roster. The running backs are a complete unit, the receiving corps has a ton of young talent and the offensive line returns four starters from last season.
The same can't be said of the quarterback position.
While Swoopes' struggles brought up obvious concerns with his long-term potential, Heard's inability to take the job is just as alarming. Both players have upside this season as runners, but neither has proven he can drop back, make the right decision and deliver an accurate ball.
That's a major concern in the Big 12. This conference is loaded with teams that can pile on points through the air, and there are going to be games in which the Horns will simply have to air it out to keep up.
Unless one of these two proves he can win that style of game, the Longhorns are going to struggle.
Offensive Secret Weapon: WR Ryan Newsome
3 of 6The entire receiving corps has some interesting potential this season, but nobody has more of a chance to make a wide-ranging impact than Ryan Newsome.
Charlie Strong has made it clear he wants to unleash an all-purpose weapon at Texas. He's shown a ton of patience with knucklehead Daje Johnson, even hailing him as one of his best players entering the spring.
Johnson's pretty much blown that up since, leaving the door wide open for Newsome. The true freshman can line up anywhere as a rusher and receiver, possessing the hands and true pass-catching skill set to eventually play every down.
This season, Newsome should flirt with five to seven touches per game along with return duties. Johnson piled up almost 500 yards of offense as a freshman in a similar role, and that would be closer to Newsome's floor should he lock up a role early in the season.
Honorable Mentions: WR John Burt, WR/TE DeAndre McNeal
Defensive Strength: Front Seven
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Texas' front seven has an exciting combination of youth, depth and talent around which the coaches will anchor their 2015 defense.
The Horns lost All-American defensive tackle Malcom Brown to the NFL, but they have the talent to make up for it. Junior Hassan Ridgeway is an all-conference candidate who merely scratched the surface last season, leading a four-man rotation of tackles that, as a group, could be better than last year's.
Texas is just as deep off the edge. Returning starter Naashon Hughes has breakout potential after sneaking into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman, and Strong called Bryce Cottrell the "surprise of the spring."
Linebacker will be a little more interesting. Malik Jefferson, Edwin Freeman and Anthony Wheeler are probably the most talented players at the position, but none of them have ever played a down of college ball.
Back in April, Burnt Orange Nation's Wescott Eberts noted Jefferson's impressive play on the first-team defense, most notably forcing a fumble.
Jefferson's a no-brainer, but the other two will compete with the experienced trio of Peter Jinkens, Dalton Santos and Tim Cole all season. The choice between experience and pure talent will be difficult for the coaches, but they'll appreciate the depth.
Honorable Mention: Safety
Defensive Weakness: Cornerback
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Even without six of last year's starters, Charlie Strong's defense should be just fine in 2015. He has a lot of depth along his defensive front, and he returns a formidable safety duo in Dylan Haines and Jason Hall.
Strong's problem will lie with his cornerbacks, where he lost two of his most versatile defenders and lacks obvious replacements.
Quandre Diggs and Mykkele Thompson each played enormous roles on a defense that surrendered just 5.7 yards per passing attempt, according to CFBStats.com. Diggs was lights-out as both a nickel and outside corner, with Thompson moving all over the defensive backfield.
Replacing what those two brought on a weekly basis will be extremely difficult. John Bonney looked comfortable playing nickel in the spring game, but there's no experienced outside corner beyond Duke Thomas, who has been inconsistent.
Freshmen Holton Hill and Kris Boyd each have the talent to be elite corners, but this is the Big 12—relying on two first-year players could spell disaster.
In the long run, this position looks set with its budding talent. As for this season, Strong will have to find a way to cover its deficiencies.
Defensive Secret Weapon: DE Naashon Hughes
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Naashon Hughes was baptized by fire in 2014, and he'll be much better for it as a redshirt sophomore.
Hughes' elevation to the starting lineup was one of the biggest surprises of the 2014 season. Once a greyshirt offer, Hughes took over the hybrid Fox position at the midpoint of the season, seizing control of the job from both Shiro Davis and Caleb Bluiett.
The numbers were modest for Hughes, but it's obvious what the coaches saw in him. At 6'4", 230 pounds, he has the frame to rush the passer as a defensive end with the range as a former safety to make plays in space.
Hughes has all of the tools to be a force at the position, and it looks like he's starting to put it together, according to 247Sports' Jeff Howe. He was unblockable off the edge in the spring game, breezing his way into the backfield with uncanny speed and quickness.
Now that he's had some time to really digest this defense, Hughes should take off as a sophomore.
Honorable Mention: CB John Bonney
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com and 247Sports.com.
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