Texas Football: 7 Longhorns Sure to Surprise at Fall Camp

The Texas Longhorns' offseason has gotten pretty boring lately.

Sure, we've had the quarterback battle and the coming of Malik Jefferson, but both of them have been teasers for the real thing.

The big event, other than actual football, is getting the nation's No. 9 recruiting class, per 247Sports—head coach Charlie Strong's first full one at Texas—on campus. So far, its members haven't disappointed, following in Jefferson's footsteps to give this program a new attitude moving forward.

Once fall camp hits, we'll finally get a sense of who's on board and who's content to let the next generation of talent take the reins.

As expected, guys like Johnathan Gray and the rest of the incumbents who were expected to lead this team have responded. That should hardly be a surprise.

But there are still guys, aside from Gray, Jefferson and the other stars of this team, who have been overlooked and deserve your respect. They'll prove that once they put on the pads.

S Jason Hall

Perhaps no Longhorns player gets less respect for his on-field accomplishments than Jason Hall, who was tremendous as a freshman in 2014.

A 3-star recruit, per 247Sports, Hall quickly became a key cog in the Longhorns defense. Taking over in the third game of the season, the physical free safety put up numbers that were on par with LSU's 5-star stud Jamal Adams. And that was while dealing with a nagging knee injury during the second half of the year.

How surprising were Hall's contributions? He's the first true freshman defensive back to start for Texas since 2008, which is even more impressive considering that defensive coordinator Vance Bedford abhors playing freshmen.

"I've never liked freshmen and when I coached in the NFL I didn't like rookies,” Bedford said in April, per 247Sports' Jeff Howe. “It's brand new to them and they don't know anything."

Hall had to earn every snap he played for Bedford, using his physical style to set the tone on the back end. Still, there's speculation from some, such as Howe, that incoming freshman DeShon Elliott will give Hall all he can handle.

Don't buy into that. Elliott has a bright future, but Hall's a more complete safety at this stage. Though he doesn't have the interceptions to show for it, he does a great job of reading passing plays and preventing completions along with delivering bone-crunching hits.

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Jason Hall with a great play. On an island in the end zone and he knocks ball away. Nice job

@ChristianC0rona, 1 Nov 2014

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That's going to show through in fall camp, and he'll end up being one of the defense's best players.

WR John Burt

Somewhat overshadowed by dynamic talents Ryan Newsome and DeAndre McNeal, big receiver John Burt has shown up ready to work during summer workouts. By the time camp rolls around, it will be impossible to count him out of the wide-open receiver battle.

The highest-rated pass-catcher in Texas' recruiting class, Burt's a classic outside receiver. He's big, he's fast and he plays with a recklessness that's fun to watch.

But even after a stellar senior season, per Burnt Orange Nation's Wescott Eberts, Burt looked like he needed a year to get up to speed. There's a learning curve with the every-down "X" role in terms of route-running and blocking assignments, and Burt came in listed at only 180 pounds.

It turns out that there was some development behind that senior campaign. Howe reported that he was told "point blank" that Burt has been the top freshman in summer workouts, setting himself up to compete for work at that outside spot.

The competition has been close between Lorenzo Joe and Dorian Leonard for that outside job, but don't be surprised if Burt beats them out. He's the best athlete of the three, and he's doing all of the right things.

RB Kirk Johnson

Kirk Johnson's a better player than the services gave him credit for, and he's already proving that.

Before long, Johnson's going to be the most complete back on this team. The SPARQ MVP at the Oakland Nike Football Training Camp has 4.5-second speed, runs a 4.0-second shuttle and sports a 35.8-inch vertical leap. All this is from a 6'0", 205-pounder who might be the best receiving back on the team, according to Horns Digest's Chip Brown.

It's shocking that Johnson wasn't more hyped coming out of high school. He backed up those silly numbers at the Nike event with some eye-popping senior tape, showing off the total package as a runner.

With size, speed and hands, Johnson checks off all the boxes. He's going to light up fall camp, then force his way into a role before the end of the season.

LB Anthony Wheeler

As expected, Jefferson arrived on campus and looked every bit the generational talent he was talked up to be. It's more than OK to be excited about his talent, but be sure not to overlook Anthony Wheeler.

The second-highest rated recruit in Texas' class, Wheeler has looked the part in summer workouts. The 225-pound linebacker has been described to Horns Digest's William Wilkerson as a "demolisher" who is physically way ahead of the curve.

That doesn't necessarily mean that Wheeler will garner immediate playing time. Even with doubts surrounding senior Dalton Santos, there's a ton of experience that's fighting to play next to Jefferson, which will make it tough for any freshman to crack the lineup.

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#Longhorns#Hookem coach Charlie Strong said LB Dalton Santos should be ready to hit the field by training camp

@AnwarRichardson, 21 Jul 2015

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Still, Wheeler has college-ready size and 4.5-second speed that he's primed to unleash when he puts the pads on. He'll be a fan favorite in no time.

DE Derick Roberson

Is Derick Roberson finally ready to get after it? If so, the Longhorns might have a secret weapon on their hands.

With his freshman season derailed by a shoulder injury, it's easy to forget about Roberson's talent. Rated as a high-end 4-star talent by 247Sports, Roberson possesses elite pass-rushing upside, per Eberts:

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As a pass rusher, Roberson has a few different moves and can get off the ball so quickly that opposing offensive linemen can sometimes struggle just to get a hand on him, at other times using a little hesitation move or shoulder dip to turn the corner and get to the quarterback. There's also evidence of a spin move and a club move that can keep offensive linemen from getting their hands into his body, as well as an outside-inside move that would make Von Miller proud.

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Unfortunately, Roberson's had almost no chance to show what he can do. He arrived on campus at 219 pounds, and an ill-timed shoulder injury did its worst to keep him there.

Now tweeting that he's healthy and cleared, Roberson's up to 245 and will be as interesting as it gets this fall. As noted above, he's a pure pass-rushing talent off the edge, and the Longhorns could put that to good use.

Naashon Hughes has a stranglehold on the "Fox" position thanks to his range, but Roberson could carve out a passing-down role with a strong camp. If he's healthy and at a good weight, that's easily attainable for a talent like him.

WR DeAndre McNeal

If you haven't done so by now, it's time to get on the DeAndre McNeal hype train.

As noted by Wilkerson, the freshman has shined in summer workouts thanks to his wide variety of talents. He can catch, he can make people miss and he's a willing blocker, prompting Duke Thomas to refer to him as a matchup nightmare during Big 12 media days, per 247Sports.

All of this has earned McNeal designation as an offensive weapon who will line up all over the field. For a guy who is reportedly 6'1", 236 pounds to earn that distinction is incredibly rare and indicates that McNeal will have a significant role.

He might exceed some already-high expectations as a freshman.

DT Poona Ford

Courtesy of 247Sports

Ford's quick hands and feet make him a tough assignment for opposing offensive linemen.

If you've been paying attention, you already know that defensive tackle Poona Ford is becoming one of Texas' best players on either side of the ball. In any case, you'll be hearing his name a lot this fall.

Ford looked like an obvious redshirt candidate last season. Not only is he undersized at 5'11", but he was also playing at arguably the most talented position on the team.

But Ford still found his way to the field and was sure to make an impact when he did.

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In all, through Big 12 play, True FR Poona Ford played 131 snaps and created line disruption on 9.16% of snaps. That's sick. #HookEm

@AlexDunlapNFL, 10 Dec 2014

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Ford built on that unsung debut in a big way this spring. Bedford raved about him prior to the spring game, referring to him as a "technician" and even comparing him to All-American Malcom Brown. Ford made him look smart with seven tackles and two sacks in the spring game.

Once the pads go on this fall, expect the sophomore to remain just as unblockable as he plows his way to a major role.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com and 247Sports.