Texas Football: What You Should and Shouldn't Be Concerned About After Week 3

It's been a wild first three weeks for the Texas Longhorns.

At the beginning of September, Charlie Strong's team had become a full-blown disaster. In getting blown out 38-3 by Notre Dame, his offense was the laughing stock of the college football world, and there was no relief in sight.

So, with no lower point to sink to, Strong made his move. Texas' head coach demoted play-caller and longtime assistant Shawn Watson, replacing him with newly hired Jay Norvell while expanding the role of new special teams coordinator Jeff Traylor.

The results have been nothing short of shocking. With dual-threat quarterback Jerrod Heard inserted as the starting quarterback, the Longhorns have put up 42 and 44 points in Norvell's two games calling plays, including a furious fourth-quarter comeback that should have taken Cal into overtime.

Texas lost the game on a missed extra point, but the progress on that side of the ball is obvious. Now the concern rests with the schedule that lies ahead and a defense that can't quite get it done.

Either way, the arrow is pointing up with a newfound offensive identity. And as long as Texas continues to compete, the future looks bright.

Should Be Concerned: The Defensive Line

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Through three games, Texas' defensive line has been a complete disappointment.

Through three weeks, the defensive line has been among the most disconcerting aspects of this Longhorns team.

Back in the fall, Texas' front four were not just talked up as one of this team's strengths, Charlie Strong talked about them belonging in an elite category.

"We have a good mix at the defensive front," Strong said. "I was teasing [DL coach] Brick [Haley] the other day. I said, my God, we have 12 or 13 guys that can go in the game and play and be effective playing where they run out there. You don't say, 'Oh, who are we putting in?'"

Thus far, none of that supposed depth or talent has come forth. Per CFBStats.com, the Longhorns rank 92nd in the nation with just four sacks and 99th in rushing yards allowed per carry, with opposing runners gaining 4.78 yards a pop.

Right now, neither the ends nor the tackles are doing their job. On the inside, Desmond Jackson and Poona Ford are struggling to hold up, and Hassan Ridgeway's health, according to 247Sports' Jeff Howe, remains a major concern. As for the pass-rushers, Shiro Davis, Naashon Hughes and Bryce Cottrell have combined for one sack, and Derick Roberson has been a non-factor.

The hope is that a healthy Ridgeway can make a difference. But until now, the struggles of this group have added stress to the young back seven, especially on freshman Malik Jefferson's responsibility as a pass-rusher.

Texas' entire defense buckled down to make the fourth-quarter comeback possible against Cal. Maybe that will provide a foundation for this group to stop hemorrhaging yards.

Shouldn't Be Concerned: Jerrod Heard and the Offense

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Heard's emergence has completely changed the narrative surrounding Texas' offense.

It took six years, but Texas has itself a playmaker at quarterback. And he's completely changed the direction of the Longhorns offense.

Texas' offense has been humming with Heard at the helm. Through the redshirt freshman's two starts, the Horns are averaging 43 points per game and 7.66 yards per play. By comparison, this team averaged 21.4 points and 4.9 yards per play in 2014 with Tyrone Swoopes running the show for all but one game.

Without any sort of doubt, Heard's play has been the driving force of this extreme reversal of course. Per CFBStats.com, his 12.7 yards per attempt would lead the nation by a mile, while he's only 40 yards off the Big 12 rushing lead despite playing only two full games.

It hasn't just been Heard's play that's making a difference. The redshirt freshman plays with an assuredness we haven't seen since the days of Colt McCoy and Vince Young. He talks a big game, and he backs it up when he steps on the field.

"I got it. I'm going to get you a touchdown," Heard told Strong before the final offensive drive against Cal, as reported by Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman.

Following Heard's lead, the rest of the offense has really stepped up. Daje Johnson, Armanti Foreman and John Burt—or the "Animals" as Heard calls them, per 247Sports' Howe—have become a three-headed receiving monster. Also, Johnathan Gray cranked out 135 yards of offense against Cal, while the offensive line just played its best game, per SB Nation's Wes Crochet.

This is just two weeks of running essentially a brand-new offense. The ceiling's sky-high for Heard and the rest of this group.

Should Be Concerned: Gray's Chance at 1,000 Yards

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He's no 1,000-yard runner, but Gray has found other ways to contribute out of the backfield.

Healthy and the lead dog of a run-first offense, Gray looked like a lock for a 1,000-yard senior campaign. Unfortunately, it's just not going to happen.

Through three games, Gray is averaging nine carries for just over 31 yards, both of which are well below expectations. The usage hasn't been there, but neither has his trademark explosiveness. Gray's long run of the season went for 15 yards, and he's been going down easy, as noted by 247Sports' Howe.

Thanks to Heard's excellent production, Gray's slow start has been merely a bump in the road. Backup D'Onta Foreman also chugged for a 27-yard touchdown against Cal, while freshman Chris Warren has sprinkled in to keep everyone fresh.

The good news for Gray is that he's become a factor as a receiver. With the Animals now attracting so much attention downfield, the senior was able to leak into the flat for 71 yards on four catches against Cal. In all, his 135 yards of offense were his most since 2013.

Unless Gray's merely having trust issues with his Achilles, the big rushing season is out of his reach. But if he can remain a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield, he can still put up some big numbers.

Shouldn't Be Concerned: The Back Seven

Through three games, Texas' young linebackers and defensive backs are well on their way to becoming some of the nation's elites. It's just taking some time.

Whereas the defensive line brought back some proven talent, the slate was pretty much wiped clean behind it. Jordan Hicks, Quandre Diggs, Mykkele Thompson and Steve Edmond were four of the most pivotal members of last season's top-notch back seven, and all are now off pursuing their NFL dreams.

In their stead, it's been up to freshmen to fill the void. Middle linebacker Malik Jefferson wasted little time in asserting himself as an immediate starter, now leading the team in tackles, tackles for loss and quarterback hurries. Redshirt freshman Edwin Freeman was also asserting himself before injuring his shoulder.

The defensive backs have been a little slower to come around, but they've made splashes when they've gotten their chances. Kris Boyd forced the fumble that Jefferson took to the house against Rice, Holton Hill looked good against the Owls and P.J. Locke stepped in for the injured Jason Hall against Cal. 

This group will cause headaches, especially early on, but anyone can see the talent that's chomping at the bit. As the season wears on, these guys will improve by leaps and bounds as they get their feet wet.

By the end of the year, Jefferson's classmates will be living up to the standard he's set.

Should Be Concerned: Possible 1-5 Start

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Oklahoma St. begins a stretch of three games that could easily cause a 1-5 start for the Longhorns.

Four of Texas' first six games come against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25. That's why losing to barely unranked Cal hurt so bad in Week 3.

Sure, there's a lot to like from what we saw against the Bears. Heard was spectacular, the crowd was energized and, for the first time in his tenure, Strong felt like the team had fully invested in the result of the game.

"For the first time I saw a team that really actually took a loss the way they should take it," Texas' head coach said on Monday. "It hurt a lot of the players."

That hurt has to be turned into a burning desire to win games, or else this young season will be over before these kids can get it started. The Horns host No. 24 Oklahoma State this Saturday, travel to No. 3 TCU the following week and then finish up the first half of the season against No. 15 Oklahoma.

Mathematically, the Longhorns would still be in play for a bowl at 1-5, but that would allow a loss only to No. 5 Baylor. It's time to steal a game, and that's all there is to it.

Shouldn't Be Concerned: The Future

Sure, we're three weeks in, and whatever good we've seen hasn't come against exactly elite competition. But Texas is finding something, and you no longer need a telescope to see the rise of this program.

As we've seen across all levels of football, having a quarterback covers up a lot of deficiencies. Texas has one now in Heard, who ranks just outside the top 10 in ESPN.com's Total QBR metric. And he's only a redshirt freshman.

Heard isn't the only young star emerging for the Longhorns. Pro Football Focus just named true freshman left tackle Connor Williams as one of the eight best freshmen in all of college football, a list that doesn't even include UCLA's Josh Rosen.

Williams falls under the radar as an offensive lineman, which is just the opposite of Jefferson through three weeks. Texas' best defensive player through a quarter of the season has lived up to every expectation thrown on him when he committed last winter.

The list goes on for Texas' young talent. Burt, the true freshman receiver, has been a big-play machine, Boyd is working his way toward a starting corner job and Breckyn Hager already pulled down a game-ending interception. Keep in mind, this is completely ignoring sophomores like the Foreman twins.

The point is, this team is going to be fine. Its best players are young, and they fit Strong's vision for a football team. 

Sure, we can criticize Texas' head coach for giving Shawn Watson too long of a leash and not letting Heard take over sooner. We also have to give him credit for demoting his longtime assistant, quickly determining that Norvell and Traylor were the right men for the job and putting his faith in Heard.

Those decisions have put Texas ahead of schedule offensively, giving this team a chance to steal some big games this season. When next year rolls around, this slow start will be a thing of the past.

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