It won't sway your view. Texas lost 7 starters from 2015. The 2014 season going back are irrelivent to me if a player was displaced by play or injury...you don't know what you're getting back at the position without a doubt should they reassert themselves into a starting role.
So you define it as starters from 2015, and nothing else.
That's fine
I think that's foolish, as it presents the possibly to ignore multiple years of previous starts from extremely talented players (as you're doing with guys like Jarron Jones and Tarean Folston)
As far the "you don't know what you're getting without a doubt", that's true of every single player...returning starter or no....especially if they weren't true All-Conference or All-American level players the previous year (meaning you're counting on improvement, that you can't verify)
But again, as long as you define what you're talking about, acknowledge it's limitations, and are consistent about it........it's fine