|
LB
Keenan Robinson |
2011
SCHEDULE
|
9-3-11 |
RICE |
9-10-11 |
BRIGHAM
YOUNG |
9-17-11 |
at
UCLA |
10-1-11 |
at
Iowa State |
10-8-11 |
Oklahoma
@Dallas, TX |
10-15-11 |
OKLAHOMA
STATE |
10-22-11 |
at
Baylor |
10-29-11 |
KANSAS |
11-5-11 |
TEXAS
TECH |
11-12-11 |
at
Missouri |
11-19-11 |
KANSAS
STATE |
11-26-11 |
at
Texas A&M |
|
Coach:
Mack Brown
133-34,
13 years |
2010
Statistics |
2010
RESULTS: 5-7 |
at
Rice |
WON
34-17 |
WYOMING |
WON
34-7 |
at
Texas Tech |
WON
24-14 |
UCLA |
LOST
12-34 |
vs.
Oklahoma |
LOST
20-28 |
at
Nebraska |
WON
20-13 |
IOWA
STATE |
LOST
21-28 |
BAYLOR |
LOST
22-30 |
at
Kansas State |
LOST
14-39 |
OKLAHOMA
STATE |
LOST
16-33 |
FLORIDA
ATLANTIC |
WON
51-17 |
TEXAS
A&M |
LOST
17-24 |
|
|
ASST.
COACHES
Co-Off.
Coordinator/RB Coach:
Major Applewhite
Previous: Texas RB Coach (2008-10)
Co-Off.
Coordinator/QB Coach:
Bryan Harsin
Previous: Boise State Off. Coor.
Def.
Coordinator/LB Coach:
Manny Diaz
Previous: Mississippi St. Def.
Coor.
Receivers:
Darrell Wyatt
Previous: Kansas Co-Off. Coor/WR
Coach
Tight
Ends: Bruce Chambers
Previous: Texas TE Coach (2003-10)
Offensive
Line: Stacy Searels
Previous: Georgia OL Coach
Defensive
Tackles: Bo Davis
Previous: Alabama DL Coach
Defensive
Ends: Oscar Giles
Previous: Texas DE Coach (2005-10)
Defensive
Backs: Duane Akina
Previous: Texas DB coach (2001-10)
|
|
2010
Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
|
OUTLOOK |
The
Longhorns are coming off
a 5-7 season. For most
schools that may be an
OK concept but with the
expectations Mack Brown
has built, that won't
cut the beef. The not-so-good
news is that many of the
same players that disappointed
a year ago are back again.
And they are the same
players that will be counted
on to boost the efforts
in the win column. If
this 2011 preview looks
like a computer program
stuck in an infinite loop
where the only recourse
is to reboot, then Texas
fans may want to bypass
this year's preseason
analogy. The tolerance
level of coaches and fans
for many of these returning
players is running on
empty. Many of the personal
letdowns a year ago were
accomplished with very
highly touted prep superstars.
Either their egos have
risen above their abilities
or the coaching staff
is not doing their job.
And
so Mack Brown made the
decision to retool much
of his staff. The offensive
coordinator under Brown
for the last 15 years,
Greg Davis, "resigned".
Defensive coordinator
Will Muschamp took over
at Florida while three
other assistants left
the UT fold also. Everyone
was off the mark last
year. Access to the program
has never been more closed
to the media and the public.
There will be no "official
depth chart" and
all that's fine. But don't
expect any handouts coach.
Based on the unranked
egg laid to close 2010,
the over-hyped misinformation
or the over-inflated recruiting
stars Texas is dang lucky
to be getting any Top
25 love.
Ask
any Texas media person
what kind of season they
predict for 2011 and most
every source would be
guessing. This team needs
the entire summer and
then some to get back
a sniff of its lost charm.
These issues start first
with an unsettled quarterback,
a running game built by
committee approach that
still flounders and an
offensive line that is
severely lacking in depth.
Not to mention the fact
the tight end position
has been completely ignored.
Notice however that these
issues all rest on the
offensive side, which
is a prime factor as to
why these offensive unit
grades are sub par.
Truth
be told, yes, a massive
array of raw talent exists
on this roster...on both
sides of the ball. And
the incoming recruits
keep piling it on. This
is probably why a 5-7
type of season seems so
impossible. If Texas is
to recover quickly, they
will do it with their
front seven on defense.
Granted there is a shortage
of defensive tackles outside
of Kheeston Randall but
the rest are top-tier
athletes. The young cornerbacks
are a concern and probably
a big reason why new defensive
coordinator Manny Diaz
has kept the new schemes
dialed down. His Fire
Zone
approach seems like the
perfect fit where the
schemes can appear complex
to opponents while keeping
the thought process relatively
basic for his defenders.
Diaz has some talent at
his disposal, but many
of his players are young,
raw, unproven, or all
of the above. There isn't
a Sam Acho or Brian Orakpo
type at first look. By
Diaz own words if the
group that played in the
spring game comes back
at the same level this
summer, Texas would be
in big trouble.
Cutting
back on the turnovers
will do wonders for this
squad. Even so, while
Texas shouldn't prepare
for a repeat of 2010 they
also should not expect
more than an eight win
season. To the naked eye,
this team doesn't look
too much different on
the field that would suggest
the 5-7 season is but
a distant memory. Quarterback
play and how the new coaching
staff develops the wealth
of talent at certain areas
will either quiet the
naysayers or provide them
with more ammunition.
Mack Brown's job isn't
on the line, but he certainly
feels the weight of the
steer.
|
Projected
2011 record: 8-4
|
|
|
LB
Emmanuel Acho |
TEXAS
2010 Statistical Rankings |
OFFENSE |
|
National |
Conf. |
Rushing: |
66 |
7 |
Passing: |
50 |
7 |
Total
Off: |
58 |
8 |
Sacks
Allow: |
35 |
2 |
|
DEFENSE |
|
National |
Conf. |
Rushing: |
44 |
3 |
Passing: |
6 |
2 |
Total
Def: |
6 |
1 |
Sacks: |
31 |
4 |
|
|
RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Garrett Gilbert, 260-441-17,
2744 yds., 10 TD
Rushing: Cody Johnson,
134 att., 592 yds., 6
TD
Receiving: Mike
Davis, 47 rec., 478 yds.,
2 TD
Scoring: Justin
Tucker, 23-27 FG, 27-27
PAT, 96 pts.
Punting: Justin
Tucker, 35 punts, 41.2
avg.
Kicking: Justin
Tucker, 23-27 FG, 27-27
PAT, 96 pts.
Tackles: Keenan
Robinson, 113 tot., 61
solo
Sacks: Emmanuel
Acho, 3 sacks
Interceptions:
Blake Gideon, 2 for 22
yds.; Keenan Robinson,
2 for 0 yds.
Kickoff Returns:
D.J. Monroe, 21 ret.,
20.5 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: Carrington
Byndom, 1 ret., 13.0 avg.,
0 TD
|
|
|
|
|
|
TEXAS
2011
College Football Preview
|
|
|
OFFENSE
- 7 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 7 |
|
KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
John Chiles-WR, James Kirkendoll-WR,
Greg Smith-TE, Tre' Newton-RB,
Kyle Hix-OT, Michael Huey-OG,
Britt Mitchell-OT |
DEFENSE:
Sam
Acho-DE, Eddie Jones-BUCK,
Dustin Earnest-MLB, Chykie
Brown-CB, Curtis Brown-CB,
John Gold-P, Aaron Williams-NB
(NFL) |
|
|
2011
OFFENSE |
QUARTERBACK
Who is the starting quarterback?
Well that depends on who you
ask. In a nutshell, three guys
are fighting to start in the
opener against Rice and the
winner is still undetermined.
None of these signal callers
appear good enough to start
if the game were played today.
Garrett Gilbert's first season
as a starter in 2010 left much
to be desired. The Gatorade
and Parade National Player of
the Year coming out of Lake
Travis High School in Austin
tossed 17 interceptions to just
10 touchdown passes. So much
of the Longhorn media and fan
base seem to be jumping on the
Case McCoy bandwagon now. And
why not? His brother Colt is
only the all-time winningest
quarterback in UT history. Case
probably made a better “case”
if the spring game was any indication.
He guided the second-string
offense against the first-string
defense and moved the ball more
consistently than Gilbert, Connor
Wood and David Ash, the others
fighting for this position.
Some even feel that redshirt
freshman Connor Wood out of
Houston may have the best arm
of the bunch. All of them seem
hit-or-miss at this juncture
and will continue to be a work
in progress. Coach Brown has
said, "By the first game
we'll have to have two quarterbacks
that separate from the others.
But I don't know if that'll
be until after (fall) camp."
Basically, there is no starting
quarterback, which certainly
raises a red flag. Again...who
is the starting quarterback?
Wood seems to have the better
arm, McCoy makes better decisions,
but Gilbert has 13 games under
his belt. Go with experience.
RUNNING
BACK
Senior Fozzy Whittaker reportedly
has made the best adjustment
in this new offense after fighting
through injuries much of his
career. He has managed to rush
for 847 yards while appearing
in 29 career games. Whittaker
has received a ton of reps through
the spring. The top two backs
are currently he and fellow
senior Cody Johnson at 250 pounds.
Johnson will still line up at
tailback but continues to see
action at fullback, especially
in short-yardage and goal line
situations. Coaches will take
a long look at youngsters Jeremy
Hill and Traylon Shead, both
of them redshirted last fall.
Hill stands out a bit with his
quickness. Return specialist
D.J. Monroe came back from running
track and pushed for the right
to carry the ball on an occasion.
With the struggles of this Texas
running game being well-documented
during the last several seasons,
much of the hopes for a recovery
revolve around the ballyhooed
Malcolm Brown, a headliner of
the most recent recruiting class
who won't arrive on campus until
summer time. He may not be ready
from a playbook standpoint,
but he will be the best athletic
option available. Veterans Whittaker
and Johnson are the top two
in the clubhouse, serviceable
but not star material. Early
projection ... look for another
year of running back by committee,
especially during the first
half of the season.
RECEIVER
Gone from this group are James
Kirkendoll and John Chiles.
Regardless, based on talent
alone, many feel this year's
class of route runners may be
better from top to bottom. Most
of them however have yet to
prove anything equating to the
fact there is little experience
to choose from. Depth is an
issue. The team's leading returning
pass catcher Mike Davis is a
star in the making. He's the
best receiver and possibly the
best overall offensive performer.
Davis' sure hands, straight-line
speed and athleticism earned
the confidence of the Texas
staff early last season as plays
were designed to get him the
ball in open space. While Davis
may be the best receiver package,
Marquise Goodwin is the best
athlete on the entire roster.
This winter he set the all-time
NCAA long jump record, shattering
a 23-year old record. If he
can translate that ability onto
the field he could easily develop
into a go-to-weapon. Malcolm
Williams has been logging time
at the new H-back position,
which is usually a sign that
his days are numbered at wide
out. His role will be diminished
to a large degree. One player
consistently mentioned to help
out immediately is recent signee
Jaxon Shipley, who chose not
to enroll at UT early this spring
in order to work out with his
older brother Jordan Shipley,
one of the best receivers in
Longhorn history. DeSean Hales
did some nice things this spring.
Darius White can be a real weapon
when his mind is in the game.
John Harris is an emerging force.
While the individual resumes
state there are more than a
half-dozen or so that have a
huge upside, none appear ready
to make a name in the Big 12
yet. Everything is based on
potential only.
TIGHT
END / H-BACK
The production from the tight
end position has been slim the
last three seasons. While the
skill level seems to be better
for 2011 across the board here,
NFL talents won't be found.
Dominique Jones will likely
continue to split time with
Barrett Matthews at the top
of the depth chart. Jones saw
action in six games last fall
recording one start while highly
regarded prep tight end Matthews
has logged an appearance in
25 career opportunities including
five starts last fall. Blaine
Irby, who missed nearly three
years with a knee injury, has
practiced this spring albeit
in a very careful fashion. Irby
was once considered the future
for Texas before the devastating
injury. Getting him back to
pre-injury form would be huge,
but the odds of that happening
are not realistic. Returning
starter Malcolm Williams has
moved from receiver to the new
H-back position as coaches try
to find a way to fit the senior
into this scheme. If these tight
ends can avoid the bad luck
that's plagued the position
over the past few years, this
group has a chance to make a
difference. Bryan Harsin's new
offense will call on this position
to make more plays.
OFFENSIVE
LINE
This unit demands the most scrutinized
and agonized debates this off-season.
Last year there was few holes
for the ball carriers, short-yardage
situations seemed desperate
and false starts doomed many
drives. New line coach Stacy
Searels, who held the same job
creating solid fronts at Georgia
the past four seasons, is trying
to size up his new faces. Trey
Hopkins appears to have had
the best spring for this group.
The rising sophomore is an upgrade
at either guard or tackle and
can play both. He's a perfectionist
who has earned the respect of
his teammates. Fellow sophomore
Mason Walters has a chance to
be special and returning starter
David Snow is a staple at center.
Snow is a freak when it comes
to measuring strength. He has
NFL qualities and the time is
now for him to take over the
leadership role. Tackle is somewhat
iffy. Paden Kelly demonstrated
some potential last fall filling
in for injured Kyle Hix. Senior
Tray Allen, who has yet to start
a game for Texas, finally needs
to live up to his billing as
a Parade All-American coming
out of high school. His development
would help out immensely. Allen
missed all of last season with
a broken foot suffered in the
weight room. If Hopkins, Kelley,
Snow and Walters can stay healthy
while someone else steps up
to provide some quality time,
then this line could be better
than people think. However depth
is extremely thin with a huge
drop-off after these bulls.
Any sign of an injury bug could
prove devastating. The bottom
line is that this group has
underachieved in a major way.
Maybe the talent is there and
Searels is the answer in the
form of better coaching. An
offensive lineman from Texas
has not been drafted to the
NFL since Tony Hills became
a Steeler in 2008. Coach Searels
thinks this can be a good year.
Just believing could be the
first step.
|
|
WR
Mike Davis
|
|
|
TEXAS
2011 DEPTH CHART
Returning
Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Garrett
Gilbert-Jr (6-4, 218) |
Case
McCoy-So (6-2, 200)
Connor Wood-RFr (6-4,
220) |
FB |
Cody
Johnson-Sr (5-11,
250) (TB) |
Ryan
Roberson-Jr (5-10,
235) |
TB |
Fozzy
Whittaker-Sr (5-10,
198) |
D.J.
Monroe-Jr (5-9, 175)
Malcolm Brown-Fr (6-0,
215) |
WR |
Darius
White-So (6-3, 200) |
John
Harris-RFr (6-3, 206) |
WR |
Marquise
Goodwin-Jr (5-9, 177) |
DeSean
Hales-Jr (5-11, 175) |
WR |
Mike
Davis-So (6-2, 186) |
Jaxon
Shipley-Fr (6-1, 183) |
HB |
Malcolm
Williams-Sr (6-3,
228) |
Blaine
Irby-Sr (6-3, 237) |
TE |
Barrett
Matthews-Jr (6-2,
235) |
Dominique
Jones-So (6-3, 240) |
OT |
Tray
Allen-Sr (6-4, 310) |
Josh
Cochran-Fr (6-6, 275) |
OG |
Trey
Hopkins-So (6-4, 290) |
Thomas
Ashcraft-So (6-5,
310) |
C |
David
Snow-Sr (6-4, 295) |
Dominic
Espinosa-RFr (6-4,
295) |
OG |
Mason
Walters-So (6-6, 305) |
Garrett
Porter-So (6-6, 305) |
OT |
Paden
Kelley-So (6-7, 305) |
Luke
Poehlmann-Jr (6-7,
285) |
K |
Justin
Tucker-Sr (6-1, 185) |
William
Russ-RFr (6-4, 193) |
|
|
|
2011
DEFENSE |
DEFENSIVE
LINE
Defensive end may be the best-manned
position on the team. That might
sound surprising knowing that
the departed Sam Acho was an
All-American presence on the
field and in the locker room.
Combined with the loss of Eddie
Jones, the thought was that
this could be a major position
of need. This is one question
that has been answered in a
major way. Between Jackson Jeffcoat
and Alex Okafor, the Longhorns
have two potential game-changers.
Jeffcoat has been a monster
and represents a possible All-Big
12 performer on the outside.
Okafor has been moved to end
from tackle where he predominately
played last fall, a spot that
he was not best suited for.
Defensive Coordinator Manny
Diaz called Okafor the barometer
of the defense, delivering a
clear message that he will need
to be accounted for on every
snap. Kheeston Randall is a
fixture at tackle. He is another
possible All-Big 12 player on
this DL. The big concern is
who will play next to him. Texas
had the identical issue a year
ago. The Longhorns never resolved
it and were gashed up the middle
fairly consistently as a result.
Sophomores Ashton Dorsey and
Calvin Howell have looked promising
but neither has been able to
capitalize on the chance to
start full time. Redshirt freshman
Greg Daniels, who has grown
to about 280 pounds is another
option. No one is quite sure
if this team has a true No.
2 defensive tackle. The good
news is that the starting ends
appear to be world-beaters.
LINEBACKER
Linebackers Keenan Robinson,
Emmanuel Acho and Jordan Hicks
join defensive ends Alex Okafor
and Jackson Jeffcoat to form
the guts of the Diaz defense.
These are the two best-equipped
units on the entire team. The
Ohio five-star linebacker Hicks
was awarded the HS Butkus Award,
given to the nation's top high
school linebacker in 2009 and
was the coupe of his recruiting
class for Mack Brown. Hicks
was emerging as the talk of
spring before a broken foot
cut short his availability.
In his absence Demarco Cobbs,
who is making the transition
from safety to linebacker, saw
even more action, which could
prove extremely beneficial for
the exceptional speedy 210-pound
newcomer. While Hicks and Cobbs
have helped secure this unit,
coach Diaz has stressed the
key to the defense's success
next season revolves around
senior linebackers Emmanuel
Acho and Keenan Robinson. Both
are coming off great junior
campaigns and have been honored
as All-Big 12 selections. Robinson
will be a three-year starter
and was the team's leading tackler
last fall. The NationalChamps.net
2011 Preseason All-American
is a two-time All-Conference
linebacker. Emmanuel Acho, who
is the brother of 2010 defensive
star Sam, has been a disruptive
force thus far in his collegiate
career posting 147 tackles (93
solo), 22 TFL, five sacks, six
forced fumbles, three fumble
recoveries, two INTs, seven
PBU and eight pressures for
his career. And just to demonstrate
that Mack Brown has not lost
his recruiting touch, look for
incoming prep All-Americans
Steve Edmond and Kendall Thompson
to provide immediate depth.
DEFENSIVE
BACK
Not too many teams across the
country exist at this level
that could lose three NFL caliber
talents and not take a step
back. Longhorn fans need to
take note and maintain some
degree of patience with this
secondary. The young starting
cornerbacks consisting of sophomores
Carrington Byndom and converted
safety Adrian Phillips have
been predictably spotty. Coach
Diaz has stated however that
Philips has established himself
as one of the most dependable
players on the team. But the
lack of experience with these
corners is still pretty frightening.
The top back ups have no experience
either. But talent is another
story. Quandre Diggs who was
ranked by ESPNU as the No. 1
cornerback prospect nationally
in the recruiting class of 2011
enrolled early and has begun
to provide glimpses of why he
just may earn time as a starter
in just his first season. The
experience factor at safety
is much better with Blake Gideon,
Christian Scott and Kenny Vaccarro.
But Gideon and Scott, though
capable, did not always excel
last season. This time last
year, everyone was calling Christian
Scott a future superstar at
safety. Now, it's Kenny Vaccaro
being called maybe the best
player in the Longhorn secondary.
He is the headhunter with a
vicious hitting ability. Coaches
have stated that one could "flip
a coin" to determine the
starters among this trio. While
the talent scale looks good,
expecting a unit comprised of
several unproven players to
perform much better than its
more experienced predecessor
is a stretch.
|
|
DB
Blake Gideon
|
|
|
TEXAS
2011 DEPTH CHART
Returning
Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Jackson
Jeffcoat-So (6-5,
253) |
Dravannti
Johnson-Jr (6-2, 235) |
DT |
Ashton
Dorsey-So (6-2, 295) |
Greg
Daniels-RFr (6-5,
270) |
DT |
Kheeston
Randall-Sr (6-5, 295) |
Calvin
Howell-So (6-4, 290) |
DE |
Alex
Okafor-Jr (6-5, 260) |
Reggie
Wilson-So (6-3, 252) |
SLB |
Jordan
Hicks-So (6-2, 228) |
Demarco
Cobbs-So (6-2, 210) |
MLB |
Keenan
Robinson-Sr (6-3,
235) |
Steve
Edmond-Fr (6-3, 235) |
WLB |
Emmanuel
Acho-Sr (6-2, 240) |
Kendall
Thompson-Fr (6-3,
230) |
CB |
Carrington
Byndom-So (6-0, 175) |
Quandre
Diggs-Fr (5-10, 192) |
CB |
Adrian
Phillips-So (5-11,
199) |
A.J.
White-So (6-0, 175) |
S |
Kenny
Vaccaro-Jr (6-1, 214) |
Christian
Scott-Sr (6-1, 217) |
S |
Blake
Gideon-Sr (6-1, 205) |
Nolan
Brewster-Jr (6-2,
205) |
P |
Justin
Tucker-Sr (6-1, 185) |
William
Russ-RFr (6-4, 193) |
|
|
|
|
2011
SPECIAL TEAMS |
While
the return game for Texas needs an
uplift, the kicking and punting duties
appear to be in good hands (or feet
as the case may be) with senior Justin
Tucker coming back. His 85% field
goal accuracy earned him honorable
mention All-Big 12 status last fall
and ranks second on the UT single-season
list. He was also good on all his
extra point attempts. In his career
he has kicked off 258 times and racked
up 52 touchbacks. If that were not
enough he also doubles as the team's
starting punter after sharing time
at this position with the departed
Jon Gold last fall. Expect Tucker
to continue to play a big role next
season on special teams where he also
could get a few looks from NFL scouts.
Decorated prep kicker Will Russ will
be a back up to Tucker but could wind
up taking over one of the jobs depending
on the coaches view of whether they
want Tucker to concentrate on one
area. The return game was one of the
more surprising collapses for Texas
last year. No reason exists why the
Longhorns should not have some of
the country's best return units with
guys like D.J. Monroe and Marquise
Goodwin leading the way. Also watch
out for high profile true freshman
Quandre Diggs, who is a natural punt
returner that has opened the eyes
of Coach Brown.
|
|
|