Sixteen.
The surest sign that I might be using too many Rogue's products is watching myself come up with 16 names from the 2022 Texas Longhorns that you believe could.... could... make the two-deep for the greatest football team the 40 Acres has ever known - the 2005 national champions.
It sounds crazy, but I think it speaks to the talent that is on campus that the Texas coaching staff has to work with. It's not a roster with many difference-makers, but there's capable talent to work with.
I know you think I'm crazy at this point, but let's count them.
1. Quarterback Quinn Ewers
With all due respect to former Texas quarterback Matt Nordgren, I'm comfortable putting Ewers as the back-up quarterback on this imagined two-deep behind Vince Young. If you're willing to argue with me on this point, you're really going to flinch at the rest of the article.
2. Bijan Robinson
There aren't many players from the 2022 team that would start for the 2005 team, but the junior version of Robinson absolutely makes the cut. At worst, we're flipping a coin between Robinson and the freshman version of Jamaal Charles.
3. Xavier Worthy
Can you imagine VY having this dude to work with? Holy hell. Whether it's a young version of Limas Sweed or an older Brian Carter, I don't have any issues making Worthy's name the first on the team sheet at the wide receiver position.
4. Isaiah Neyor
I think a case can be made that Neyor has proven throughout his college career that he would also be able to push a modest producer like Carter out of the way. At worst, he's on the two-deep without even blinking.
5. Jordan Whittington
I've spent way too much time thinking about who was the better player/more talented player between Whittington and Billy Pittman, but regardless of who you think wins that discussion, the other is going to make the two-deep in the slot.
6. Jahleel Billingsley
David Thomas is the unquestioned starter at tight end in a combined two-deep, but Billingsley probably jumps ahead of Neale Tweedie for the No.2 spot on the depth chart. Frankly, I think you could potentially put several of the 2022 tight ends in front of Tweedie, who was a very solid blocker/role player, but at the moment the young guys are all supremely more unproven than Tweedie.
7. Junior Angilau
There's no chance he would be the starter at guard over Kasey Studdard or Will Allen, but Angilau makes the two-deep over Mike Garcia.
8. Jake Majors
Majors will serve as the back-up at center behind Lyle Sendlein, ahead of a young Dallas Griffin.
9. Alfred Collins
Collins has virtually proven very little at this point in his career, but I'd prefer him as the No.4 defensive end on the roster, but he's more physically talented and better than the freshman version of Aaron Lewis, who played in only eight games as a true freshman in 2005.
10. Byron Murphy
11. T'Vondre Sweat
12. Keondre Coburn
As I mentioned in 10 Thoughts From The Weekend, a strong case can be made that the best football by each of these three players is good enough to get in front of Thomas Marshall. If someone wants to make the case that a very young Roy Miller (played in 10 games and made 10 tackles) from the 2005 team was flat out better than all three of these 2022 players... I won't really push back. I'll just saw that Murphy was more productive as a true freshman than Miller was and the other two guys have played a lot of football by comparison.
13. DeMarvion Overshown
I think he'd start ahead of Robert Killebrew at weakside linebacker. Thoughts?
14. D'Shawn Jamison
Jamison at his very best makes a combined two-deep over Brandon Foster and Ryan Palmer, both of whom were completely unproven in 2005.
15. Jahdae Barron
See above. I'd rank Barron over the Foster/Lamer combo if Jamison isn't in the mix. Hell, he finished last season much stronger than Jamison.
16. Anthony Cook
I'd prefer Cook, who could also be Michael Huff's back-up in the nickel, over Marcus Griffin or Matthew Melton. I'd listen to an argument that Griffin should be ranked ahead of Cook, but not Melton.
There you have it. Two quick thoughts about all of this.
a. Obviously, two of the top 5 players in this discussion are from 2022, but if we extended the player rankings to 15, you might still only have two players from 2022 represented.
b. Texas has capable players on this 2022 team, too many capable players that it absolutely should not have gone 5-7 last season.
Discuss.
