›› With spring football at an end, one last look around the state to see where teams stand.
College football has a couple of mini-offseasons — a few weeks in December and several weeks after a bowl game — but the true offseason is finally upon us with the conclusion of spring practices across the prairies.
With what quotable ex-coach Steve Spurrier long ago labeled the “talking season” full of banquets, braggadocio and oft-empty promises drawing nigh, now is a good time to find out what’s shaking following spring drills from here to Lubbock:
Houston
The University of Houston will have a new-look backfield this season with the departure of the top three contributors from last year.
Duke Catalon, who sat out last season following his transfer from Texas, was held out of the spring game as a precaution and is expected to enter preseason camp as the starter at running back. Incoming freshman Mulbah Car, who won’t arrive at UH until this summer, gets the early nod for the backup job.
The Cougars ended the spring with only three healthy scholarship receivers. Chance Allen and Ra’Shaad Samples missed the final few weeks with concussion-like symptoms, and Steven Dunbar suffered an ankle injury in the spring game that will sideline him four to six weeks. All should be healthy for the start of camp, when a heralded group of incoming freshmen at the position join coach Tom Herman’s second UH team. Joseph Duarte
Rice
Coach David Bailiff is hopeful a solid spring practice means last year’s 102nd-ranked defense will be much improved in 2016. The defensive line impressed in the spring game. Junior defensive end Brian Womac nabbed two sacks.
Sophomore defensive end Brady Wright, freshman defensive tackle Roe Wilkins and sophomore defensive tackle Zach Abercrumbia had one sack apiece. Sophomore defensive back Christian Bertrand also forced and recovered a fumble in the spring game.
Offensively, there shouldn’t be as many worries. The Owls are experienced and athletic at every position, with the lone question coming at quarterback. Redshirt freshman J.T. Granato was impressive behind center in the spring game and there is another talented option in redshirt freshman Jackson Tyner. Senior Tyler Stehling has the experience, playing in five games last year. Adam Coleman
Texas A&M
Kevin Sumlin broke one of his Aggie traditions in his fifth season at A&M by naming senior Trevor Knight starting quarterback over junior Jake Hubenak following spring drills. In years past, Sumlin was willing to let a quarterback battle play out, including last summer between five-star recruits Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray. Both have since transferred, and Sumlin wanted to establish a clear-cut leader on the offensive side of the ball during the “talking season.”
No one questions the leader on defense. It’s junior end Myles Garrett, who turned in a strong spring leading to what’s likely his last season at Kyle Field. Garrett projects as a top-five NFL draft selection — if not No. 1 or 2 overall — in a year. The Aggies still have plenty of questions to answer at their most questionable position last season: linebacker.
Texas
Quarterback Shane Buechele’s early enrollment in Austin paid off — at least in terms of the Longhorns’ spring game.
Buechele, son of former Texas Rangers third baseman Steve Buechele, completed 22 of 41 passes for 299 yards and led his side to three of the four touchdowns scored in the scrimmage shortened because of severe weather.
Coach Charlie Strong prefers to let the currently touted Buechele and the formerly touted Tyrone Swoopes battle it out well into August camp, but it’s also clear fans are eager to see the offense finally get into gear in Strong’s third season.
With Swoopes and Jerrod Heard already having been given their shots at glory, Buechele likely will get every chance to win the starting job as a freshman.
Baylor
Speaking of quarterback battles, the Bears’ job is expected to go to Seth Russell, who spent much of spring drills recovering from neck surgery following an injury during last season. But Jarrett Stidham looked sharp in taking over for Russell before suffering his own injury late in Baylor’s 10-3 campaign.
Stidham completed 21 of 27 passes for 176 yards in the Bears’ spring game, while Russell sat out with a pulled chest muscle. Chances are Baylor will keep on rolling offensively no matter who is behind center, based on the Bears’ longtime success on that side of the ball under coach Art Briles.
Defensively, Baylor loses four starting linemen, but the Bears have built up depth over the past couple of years under defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, and linebacker play should be a strength.
TCU
The biggest event around Horned Frogs football this spring was the unveiling of a statue of coach Gary Patterson, along with statues of TCU legends Dutch Meyer and Davey O’Brien. The Frogs haven’t won any national titles under Patterson, but they have finished in the top 10 in five of the last eight years. They should be right back in the mix this season after returning 11 starters on defense and seven on offense from an 11-2 season.
Their biggest question wasn’t answered in spring drills: Who will take over for Trevone Boykin at quarterback: Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill or Foster Sawyer? It’s a battle expected to play out well into the summer.
Texas Tech
The Red Raiders canceled their spring game because of weather concerns, and coach Kliff Kingsbury instead opened up Tech’s final practice to fans. This is one Big 12 program that shouldn’t have any questions at quarterback, with junior Patrick Mahomes returning as starter.
The Red Raiders spent much of the spring trying to shore up a defense that finished 126th out of 127 FBS squads. Former UH defensive coordinator David Gibbs is back for a second season in Lubbock, and his unit really can only get better from here (or at least Tech fans hope).
Meanwhile, Derrick Willies lived up to his hype as the nation’s top juniorcollege receiver, in enrolling at Tech in January and then starring during spring drills.
Unlike Briles and Patterson but much like Strong, the heat is on Kingsbury for the Red Raiders to compete for a Big 12 title this season.