Texas Will Start QB Tyrone Swoopes vs. Notre Dame, But Can He Keep the Job?

The Texas Longhorns have named their starting quarterback for Saturday's opener at Notre Dame, going with junior Tyrone Swoopes over redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard. How long it remains that way will depend on Swoopes' ability to handle the Longhorns' new offense and avoid the mistakes and tentative play that have plagued his career to this point.

Coach Charlie Strong made the move official on Monday, but also said that Heard will be in the mix against the Fighting Irish. Swoopes will be making his 13th career start, while for Heard, when he sets foot on the turf at Notre Dame Stadium it will mark his collegiate debut.

The 6'4", 244-pound Swoopes started the last 12 games of the 2014 season after David Ash's career came to an end because of concussion issues. He threw for 2,409 yards and 13 touchdowns but completed only 58.9 percent of his passes and was intercepted 11 times. Texas ranked 90th in FBS in passing offense last year at 199.9 yards per game.

The 6'2", 195-pound Heard is a former 4-star prospect and the No. 2-rated dual-threat passer in the 2014 recruiting class (per 247Sports) who spent his entire prep career running the spread offense that Texas switched to this offseason. However, both Swoopes and Heard fared well running the scheme during spring practice, which kept Swoopes out in front in the competition.

Swoopes ran for a TD in Texas' spring game while also throwing for 159 yards on 17-of-31 passing. Heard was 20-of-29 for 177 yards with an interception and a rushing score.

Michael Thomas/Associated Press/Associated Press

Swoopes might not have won the competition over Heard so much as not lose it, because Strong seemed at times unwilling to pull the plug on the junior and go with his younger quarterback despite a higher upside.

"I hope I don't have to go in there (to Notre Dame) and start a redshirt freshman," Strong said after Texas' spring game (h/t Associated Press). "I don't want to turn this into a quarterback controversy...I don't know if Heard has done anything yet to unseat him as the starter."

Strong said Monday the player who would get the starting job would do so because, among other reasons, he had to "win over the team" (h/t Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News). "He's won over the team." That bodes well for Texas, as last year there were many times that Swoopes did not look confident.

We could be seeing a far different player on Saturday, according to senior cornerback Duke Thomas.

"Before he calls a snap he's calling out cash money trash to me," Thomas told Chris Hummer of Horns247.com. "He's really brought the offense an edge. I'm talking trash, and he's getting into it with me. He's really bringing that approach to the game we need on offense."

That extra swagger could come in handy since the official depth chart (h/t Finger) lists five true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen in starting roles. That includes two on the offensive line, left tackle Connor Williams and right guard Patrick Vahe.

But confidence alone won't ensure Swoopes can hold onto the starting job and keep Heard as just a complimentary player. With the offense more wide open than a year ago, Swoopes will need to show his ability to run more frequently and not just as a last resort.

In 2014, he averaged just 2.43 yards per carry with four TDs on 108 rushes, including 27 sacks.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Additionally, Swoopes has to be more accurate with his throws and not force them, as he did several times in 2014. He completed no better than 52 percent of his passes in four of his last six starts, including an 11-of-29 performance against West Virginia and the Texas Bowl outing against Arkansas when he was 13-of-25 for just 57 yards.

A strong mix of his arm and legs will be the best recipe for Swoopes' success, since that's exactly what Heard figures to do when he gets into the game. And as long as his blend doesn't spoil the offensive recipe, Swoopes should remain in the starting role beyond the first game.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.