College Football 2011: Who Is the Texas Longhorns' Next Star on Offense?

The University of Texas has been able to produce a lot of nice football talent on the defensive side of the ball, but they haven’t been as consistent on the offensive side. 

Quarterback Colt McCoy was their last big offensive star, and he is going to see success as a pro. In the 2011 NFL Draft, the Longhorns didn’t have a single offensive player drafted, but did well on defense. 

Is it high time then that the Longhorns are due to have another offensive star on the team? Who could it be, and will we see one this season?

We won’t be seeing that offensive star this year if the Longhorns play like they did last season. There are three players though who have a shot at being that star in 2011:

Garrett Gilbert, QB: Gilbert’s first season as a starter was a rough one filled with ineffective play and mistakes. All quarterbacks typically improve in their second seasons, and Gilbert should be able to do just that. He didn’t look too bad in the spring game last month, and with the help of his offense, he could creep up and have a strong season in 2011.

Fozwhitt Whitaker, RB: “Fozzy” Whitaker hasn’t had a strong career with the Longhorns, and this is his final season with the team. Could he turn things around and have a break-out year? It’s possible, and if he can stay healthy and get some help from his offensive line (and his offensive coordinator), Whitaker may easily be the star for the Longhorns on offense in 2011.

Malcolm Williams, WR: The only way Williams will succeed this year is if Gilbert and the rest of the offense succeed. Williams has the skill to be a solid No. 1 wideout in college, but he lived in the shadow of Jordan Shipley during the Colt McCoy era and suffered from problems at the quarterback position in 2010.

If the Longhorns can get things going on offense this season, all three of these guys should see greater success in 2011. With new offensive coordinators Major Applewhite and Bryan Harsin, there may be some struggles, but this new system should make them all better.

You can expect at least one of these three guys to step up in 2011 to be the next offensive star at Texas.