Starting quarterback among Longhorns’ question marks
The Tom Herman era takes another step when spring football practice opens Tuesday. Here are five things to watch for the Longhorns:
1
Buechele’s job to lose: A year ago, Shane Buechele was the midterm enrollee who made a mark at quarterback in spring football. Buechele earned the starting job and passed for just under 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns as a freshman. He was bothered during the season by an undisclosed thumb injury. This season, Buechele will be pushed by Sam Ehlinger, another hot-shot midterm enrollee whom Herman describes as “an alpha male.”
2
New 1-2 combo at RB: D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren were supposed to be a 1-2 punch at running back last season. After Warren got hurt in Week 5, it was all Foreman, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards and won the Doak Walker Award. This will be a chance to see how Warren runs after knee injury and if Toneil Carter, another midterm enrollee from Langham Creek, is ready to contribute.
3
New role for Jefferson: Malik Jefferson, the first big recruit in the Charlie Strong era, will get a chance to see if he can find a home in defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s scheme. Jefferson, who played middle linebacker for Strong and was third on the team in tackles, is projected as a “rover” for Orlando.
4
Secondary watch: This unit was another mystery under Strong. Will Herman and Orlando find the secret to cornerbacks Holton Hill and Davante Davis, who combined for only two pass breakups last season? New safeties coach Craig Naivar said: “It may not have been scheme, it may have been communication … there are a million factors.”
5
What’s the rush?: Defensive line is another of the team’s question marks. The pass rush from the line faded as the season wore on, and at least right now, it doesn’t look like there’s an Ed Oliver-type on the Texas roster.