Texas Football: The Longhorns' Biggest Position Battles Heading into Fall Camp

Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard headline a laundry list of position battles that will provide the intrigue for the Longhorns' fall camp. The winners will get a chance to define the direction of Charlie Strong's program.

Replacing 10 starters, the Longhorns have plenty of sorting to do this fall. Almost all 30 members of the nation's No. 9 recruiting class, per 247Sports, have now arrived, putting all of the necessary pieces in play to determine who will lead the program.

Now, it's finally time to see who's ready to go right away and compete with the whittled-down version of the roster we saw in the spring.

The quarterback battle will get all of the attention, but every one of these position battles in crucial to the program's success both this season and moving forward.

Quarterback

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Heard has to be ready to lead if he's going to put his dual-threat ability to good use.

Contenders: Tyrone Swoopes, Jerrod Heard

The battle between Heard and Swoopes will continue through fall camp as Texas tries to find some stability at the position. A case can be made for both, but this one will come down to who can produce big plays.

Texas needs a quarterback that's going to put up points and pick up chunks of yardage. As noted by 247Sports' Jeff Howe, the Horns have struggled to generate explosive plays on offense, which cost them big in several losses last season.

With a young receiving corps and a defense that lost a lot of experienced talent, a lot of those plays will have to be created via the quarterback running game. The new offense calls for these designed runs, and Swoopes' two best games of 2014 came when he had over 50 rushing yards.

Based on Swoopes' work this offseason, he'll keep his job if he can rediscover his dual-threat game. But he looked uncomfortable in read-option scenarios, so there's no guarantee he's ready to be that player.

On the other hand, Heard will run whenever he gets a chance. He's got blazing speed for the position, possessing the ability to run away from defenders in the open field.

The question with Heard is whether he'll take command of the job. He obviously has the most upside in the up-tempo scheme, but quarterbacking is more than just playing the game. He has to step up and lead, or Swoopes will get one last chance to prove he can get it done.

Heard will probably take over at some point during the season, but Swoopes will be the guy that emerges from fall camp.

Winner: Swoopes

Wide Receiver

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Lorenzo Joe (pictured) will make a strong case for John Harris' old role as the primary outside receiver.

Contenders: Marcus Johnson, Armanti Foreman, Lorenzo Joe, Dorian Leonard, Jacorey Warrick, John Burt, Ryan Newsome, DeAndre McNeal, Daje Johnson

There's a slew of young receivers vying for every-down work this fall in a total changing of the guard at the position. The possibilities seem endless, and this one will be a must-watch throughout camp.

One guy whose role seems safe is Armanti Foreman. He came into his own late in the season and can pick up yardage in a variety of ways. He's can consistently scare defenses from anywhere on the field, and the Horns absolutely must have a productive guy like that.

Everyone else better be prepared for a dogfight. Marcus Johnson busted last season due to inconsistent hands and route-running, Dorian Leonard struggled in the Spring Game, Jacorey Warrick never seems to translate his work in practice to the field and Daje Johnson just won't happen.

Either Leonard and technician Lorenzo Joe is guaranteed work as they battle on the outside. Both have the physical requirements to take over John Harris' old role, which leaves the other three to fight for work in the slot or at the Z-spot.

Don't count out the freshmen either. Ryan Newsome can do whatever he wants with the ball in his hands, and John Burt has been tearing up summer workouts according to 247Sports' Howe. You also have to keep an eye on multi-talented DeAndre McNeal, who is surprisingly versatile for a bigger pass-catcher.

The favorites here will change every week.

Winners: Foreman, Joe, M. Johnson

Cornerback

Contenders: Holton Hill, Bryson Echols, Kris Boyd, Antwuan Davis

A starting job is Holton Hill's to lose, and he really only needs to fend off Echols for cornerback work opposite Duke Thomas.

Strong wants big, long-armed athletes in coverage. He likes guys who can disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage, then body up receivers down the field.

Measuring at 6'2" with 4.5 speed, Hill's a spitting image of that ideal. So long as he can physically handle collegiate receivers, he's going to trot out with the first-team from the very beginning of the season.

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Kris Boyd, Holton Hill have talent to join guys like Jerry Gray, Nathan Vasher, Michael Huff, Earl Thomas on the Money Wall. #hookem

@SBN_Wescott, 30 Jan 2015

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Bryson Echols can cover, but he's too small to contend with Hill. 

Winner: Hill

Linebacker

Contenders: Malik Jefferson, Dalton Santos, Peter Jinkens, Edwin Freeman, Tim Cole, Anthony Wheeler, Cecil Cherry

Until Malik Jefferson settles into a position, it's difficult to project who the Longhorn coaches will pair with him at the linebacker spot. For now, everyone has a chance to claim a starting role.

Recruited as an outside linebacker, Jefferson can play just about anywhere. He's big, fast, can rush the passer and he's got a great understanding of the game. Because of those traits, he might be a perfect fit to play the middle, as noted by SB Nation's Ian Boyd.

If Jefferson plays the middle, this competition really heats up. Seniors Peter Jinkens and Dalton Santos each have their strengths, but their weaknesses have kept them from turning into consistently productive players. That leaves the door open for the freshmen, led by redshirt Edwin Freeman and another freak athlete in Anthony Wheeler.

Should the coaches decide Jefferson's better unleashed on the outside or in a multiple role, then Santos' experience makes the most sense. He's a true middle linebacker, which Texas will need if Jefferson's moving all over the place.

Trusting that Strong won't start two freshmen at one position, the big senior will get the nod.

Winners: Jefferson, Santos

Defensive End

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Cottrell (91) laid his claim to the starting job with a huge spring performance.

Contenders: Bryce Cottrell, Shiro Davis, Quincy Vasser

On the heels of a breakout spring, Bryce Cottrell looks like the favorite to be Texas' new strongside defensive end.

Charlie Strong wasn't kidding when he called Cottrell the "surprise of the spring." The junior with one career sack exploded with two in the Spring Game, adding another five tackles in a borderline-dominant performance.

That showing put Cottrell ahead of both Davis and Vasser, two highly-regarded recruits, per 247Sports. It's disappointing for Davis, who was an absolute freak coming out of high school but speaks to the work Cottrell has put in to realize his potential. 

Davis will provide depth as a senior, but Cottrell's ability to get in the backfield gives him a clear edge.

Winner: Cottrell

Right Tackle

Contenders: Connor Williams, Brandon Hodges, Tristan Nickelson

Connor Williams started the Spring Game at Texas' open right tackle spot, where he'll have to hold off two talented transfers in the fall.

Williams already looks like the steal of the 2015 class. He made his presence felt the moment he arrived on campus, prompting some effusive praise from Strong on signing day:

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You look at Connor [Williams], a big body that's very athletic that's played tight end. We're going to look at him at the tackle position. He's going to put on some weight. Right now, he's at 285 and doesn't even look it. With an offensive lineman, if you get a tight end or defensive lineman, you know they have a lot of skill and are very athletic.

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With Williams looking like a legit NFL prospect, JUCO transfers Brandon Hodges and Tristan Nickelson look like they'll provide quality depth. Hodges can play almost anywhere, as teammate Sedrick Flowers told the media, while Nickelson brings some elite size to the position.

This spot was a disaster last season, so the coaches will be grateful to have some quality options to evaluate.

Winner: Williams

Tight End

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Though not much of a receiver, De La Torre's versatility as a blocker makes him the favorite to be Texas' starting tight end.

Contenders: Alex De La Torre, Andrew Beck, Blake Whiteley, DeAndre McNeal

For the past couple of seasons, the tight end has basically served as Texas' sixth offensive lineman. Changing that will be a major goal of fall camp.

Of this group, Whiteley has some of the most exciting potential. Per SB Nation's Wescott Eberts, he was a highly productive high school receiver before going the JUCO route, learning how to block from an in-line position to become a more complete player.

The problem is we've never seen Whiteley translate his prototypical build and skill set into anything substantial. He redshirted last season and caught one pass running behind De La Torre with the ones in the Spring Game.

Whiteley's inability to seize the moment has left the door open for De La Torre and Andrew Beck, who have made this a real competition per position coach Jeff Traylor:

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You hope your receiver can be a guy who can play [all three spots] so you can be in a spread set, to a tight end set to a fullback set. That means the kid has to be very athletic, very coachable, very smart, and can catch and block … we've got that guy, we just have to get him better. We've got three or four guys that are working their tails off. We have some work to do, there's no doubt about it. But, [sophomore tight end]Andrew Beck is a great kid who works his tail off, [sophomore tight end] Blake Whiteley and [senior fullback] Alex De La Torre have been fantastic for me so far, and we'll see which one of them plays the best and they'll line up against Notre Dame and get going.

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Either way, neither of these guys brings much potential in the stat column. That makes McNeal, a sturdily built receiver, an interesting name to watch because of his versatility. For now, De La Torre's the favorite after making the spring game start.

Winner: De La Torre

Running Back

Contenders: D'Onta Foreman, Chris Warren

Texas needs a power back to complement senior Johnathan Gray, who thrives when he can carve up a tired defense. The Longhorns will get to pick from two very interesting young talents.

While Gray saved himself from abuse, D'Onta Foreman went wild in the Spring Game. The 241-pound sophomore showed impressive burst and decisiveness, shredding the defense for 84 yards on 12 carries.

Normally, that would be enough for a guy to have a stranglehold on the job, but freshman Chris Warren is something special. The 6'2", 240-pounder moves like a freight train, powering through would-be tacklers then gliding away with surprising speed.

Both of these players have every-down skill sets, but they're so similar that it'll be difficult for both to get reps. This will be a great battle, and the winner will be in line for 10 touches per game.

247Sports' Howe states that the staff is "gung-ho" about giving Warren some work this season, so expect to see him grab this role before the end of camp.

Winner: Warren

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