Texas Football: Holiday Wish List for the Longhorns
The holiday season is here, and that's about all Texas Longhorn football fans have to look forward to. That is, until they see whether or not they get everything on their wish list for 2016.
One part of Texas' wish list has already been checked off. To start off the holiday season, Charlie Strong went and hired Sterlin Gilbert from the Art Briles coaching tree, a move that will bring the fast-paced spread offense back to Texas.
With that item handled, Strong and his staff can move on to recruiting, which needs immediate attention. The Longhorns are currently ranked below the likes of Pittsburgh and Minnesota, among others. The Horns especially need to address some glaring needs along the line of scrimmage.
Of course, it would also be nice if the Horns could find a starting quarterback and get back to having a winning record.
A Quarterback
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Make no mistake. If Texas suffers another losing season, it will be due to the team's lack of consistent quarterback play.
It's now been six years since Colt McCoy played his last snap as a Texas Longhorn. The program has started five different quarterbacks over that span, including four that were true freshmen. In the meantime, four quarterbacks with ties to the state and/or expressed interest in the program have won the Heisman Trophy.
To no one's surprise, one of college football's biggest running jokes has gone 41-35, contributing to the termination of 15-year head coach Mack Brown. Two years into his tenure, Strong could suffer the same fate if he doesn't solve the problem in 2016.
The goods news is, the situation at the position is as good as it's been since McCoy left.
Talent is still a question, but the Longhorns won't lack for bodies this offseason. Junior Tyrone Swoopes and sophomore Jerrod Heard return with starting experience, while redshirt freshmen Kai Locksley and Matthew Merrick are each ready to enter the mix. With 2016 early enrollee Shane Buechele also coming aboard, the Horns will have at least five scholarship quarterbacks for the entire spring. It's also too early to rule out a transfer joining the program as well.
Texas might also have finally found the right offense to find some success at the game's most crucial position. After trying to shove square pegs into round holes for the better part of this brutal six-year stretch, the Longhorns have brought Briles' disciple Gilbert on as their offensive coordinator.
Under Gilbert, the Horns expect to field a quarterback-friendly attack that should also unleash their athletic-skill players. If the plan can turn around 2015's 118th-ranked passing offense, Longhorn fans will be ecstatic.
A Top-25 Recruiting Class
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A year after an epic finish on the trail in 2015, the Longhorns barely sit in the top 50 of 247 Sports' Composite Rankings. Heading into a crucial season, the fans and coaches desperately need to see the 2016 class creep back into respectable territory.
Whether it's due to speculation about Strong's future, concerns about the state of the program or both, it's been tough for the third-year head coach to secure commits. Only two of the state's top 50 talents (including Buechele) have committed to the Horns, and only 13 remain undecided.
It's been a brutal cycle, but there's room for optimism over these final three months.
First, as many as seven of those uncommitted prospects could end up in Austin, and it'd be surprising to see less than four of them join the class by signing day. The Horns are also in good shape with some lesser-known talents, including tackle D'Andre Christmas-Giles.
Secondly, the in-state competition just got weaker. The departures of quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray from Texas A&M have taken some of the luster off the state's trendiest program and already cost the Aggies receiver Quartney Davis. Eight current Aggies commits hold offers from the Horns, and the two teams are directly competing for several of the state's top uncommitted prospects.
Finally, when it comes to recruiting, Strong is all about the finish. He stays after his targets right up until the bitter end and pulled in 12 recruits between December 18 and signing day last season.
"Charlie Strong ended up adding six players within a week of signing day. From 2006-'11, Mack Brown added a total of four.
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He's got time to get this right.
Some Help in the Trenches
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Whether it be through recruiting or developing the talent that's already on the roster, Texas desperately needs some help in the trenches.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Horns have only had two defensive tackle signees since 2012. If they lose Hassan Ridgeway to the NFL draft, they'll only have five scholarship players at the position. That's a big problem with all five of the state's top talents committed elsewhere.
It's not much better on offense. While the Longhorns do get Connor Williams, Patrick Vahe and Kent Perkins all back up front, Jake Raulerson becomes the fourth offensive lineman from the 2013 class to transfer from the program, leaving little depth there as well. The Longhorns have also missed on their top targets that can help out here, including JP Urquidez and Chris Owens.
Fixing these depth chart holes will be the primary goal of what's left of the recruiting cycle. Urquidez, Jean Delance and Zach Shackelford should fill the full-court press from new offensive line coach Matt Mattox. Defensively, Christmas-Giles is one of the most important recruits left on Texas' board, while the Horns are certain to stay up on both Jordan Elliott and Kendell Jones.
Any of these players could potentially contribute immediately, and everyone should pay attention to the JUCO market.
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A 9-Win Season
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Nine wins isn't good enough at Texas, especially after more than a half decade of similar mediocrity. But for this team, that many victories would show some obvious progress.
As SB Nation's Wescott Eberts points out, the situation has become pretty precarious for Strong in Austin. The hire hasn't produced immediate results, and the powers that be appear to be losing their patience with the third-year coach due to the offensive issues. (Keep in mind that the Texas boosters put up with Brown cycling through three offensive and three defensive coordinators over his last five years.)
That said, eight or nine wins would be an impressive showing by this team. Brown left this program in total disarray, which is why four true freshmen started every game in 2015 and seven started the final game against Baylor. In all, 11 different redshirt or true freshmen started for Texas in 2015, while 21 members of the 2015 class saw the field.
"OG Patrick Vahe, LB Malik Jefferson, OT Connor Williams named http://ESPN.com True Freshman All-America
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There's no doubt Strong did a great job with his first full class at Texas, but it's ridiculous that the Horns had to lean on that many young players.
And in spite of that shocking lack of depth, the Longhorns were seven points away from beating three bowl teams en route to an 8-4 regular season. That's bad luck—what SB Nation's Bill Connelly would call "second order" losses.
In short, even in a season filled with some embarrassing defeats, the Horns were still good enough to win some big games. With all of those talented freshmen a year older and what should be a capable offense under Gilbert, nine wins is absolutely doable for this team.
If that happens, Strong should get the chance to keep building a program he doesn't get enough credit for keeping afloat.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com, with recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.com.
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