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This has traditionally been the time of year when Texas Longhorn football fans convince themselves there is a reason for optimism. That positivity was rarely based on results from the previous season. Most Longhorn fans were like Charlie Brown approaching that kick and hoping Lucy would finally hold the ball in place.
Generating sincere excitement about Longhorn spring football has been hard for numerous years. There have been three times when we have approached spring football after a 5-7 season. Texas fans were looking for optimism after the Alamo Bowl or Texas Bowl in other years. There was only one recent season when Texas was coming off double-digit wins and a Sugar Bowl victory when fans had a reason to believe that Texas was “back.” Other than that, Longhorn fans have been forced to manufacture optimism at this point of the offseason.
Finally, there is a sincere reason to be excited about Texas Longhorn spring football.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian has the program pointed in the right direction. We can safely put the first two seasons in the rearview mirror and focus on what occurred last season. Texas finished 12-2, advanced to the college football playoffs, had a realistic shot to appear in the championship game, and Sarkisian was rewarded with a contract extension. In addition, the Longhorns are expected to compete for an SEC title in year one.
Man, you deserve this life.
We need to talk about the key players who must be developed this spring.
There are players you do not need to worry about.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is entering his third season as a starter. He is currently in the 2024 Heisman Trophy conversation. Ewers led Texas to its first college football playoff appearance and could repeat that achievement this year. Texas will arguably have the quarterback advantage in every game this season. I am not worried about Ewers entering this season.
Longhorn left tackle Kelvin Banks is one season away from becoming a first-round draft pick. Banks hit the ground running as a freshman and never looked back. Honestly, I am not worried about this Longhorn offensive line.
When was the last time you did not worry about the starting Longhorn quarterback or offensive line?
It had to be before that dad bod, right?
When spring football practice begins on Tuesday, several players will need to develop to ensure the success of the 2024 Texas Longhorns.
Let us take a look at these select players.
QB Arch Manning
Photo via University of Texas
I was officially able to retire my signature “How many 5-star players does it take to beat TCU?” last season. After enduring years of hearing the need for Texas to sign more 5-star players to win a Big 12 Championship, Sarkisian and his staff developed their athletes and enjoyed a successful season. I no longer must question why Texas cannot beat teams with less talent on paper.
That saying will be replaced by another sentiment throughout this offseason.
The backup quarterback at Texas must be ready to play at any moment.
Clearly, that saying lacks wittiness.
I will work on it.
Arch Manning needs to develop into a No.1 quarterback this spring. Manning is not going to beat Ewers in a quarterback competition. There is no competition for the top spot.
Unfortunately, I will consistently point out that quarterbacks at Texas have struggled to stay healthy, and Ewers has battled injuries since high school.
Once again, here is that dreadful list:
2009 – Colt McCoy sustains an injury during the national championship game against Alabama.
2013 – "AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas medical staff says junior quarterback Davis Ash won't play Thursday night against Iowa State because of a head injury. Senior Case McCoy will start for the Longhorns (2-2) against the Cyclones (1-2).
Ash has missed part or all of Texas' previous three games after being injured in the second half of a loss at BYU on Sept. 7. He missed Texas' loss to Mississippi the next week with concussion-like symptoms and was told to stay away that night to avoid the crowds and lights of the stadium."
2014 – Ash sustains another brain injury and Swoopes emerges as the starter.
2015 – Jerrod Heard sustains a concussion in the first half of a loss against Texas Tech and is replaced by Swoopes. Swoopes, a junior, started most of 2014 and the first game of this season, but was
replaced by Heard after a blowout loss at Notre Dame in the season opener.
2017 – Sam Ehlinger had a concussion and Shane Buechele sustained a bruised shoulder.
2018 – Ehlinger left a game against Baylor early in the first quarter with an injury to his throwing shoulder and did not return. He was replaced with Buechele.
2019 – Ehlinger was forced to play through a rib injury.
2020 – Ehlinger sustained a shoulder injury in the first half against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. Casey Thompson took over as the quarterback at the start of the third quarter.
2021 – Thompson played with a severe thumb injury. Later that season, Thompson was helped off the field against West Virginia, and Hudson Card, who got rolled up on a possible late hit, left the game but had to limp back onto the field. Charles Wright was a play away from playing.
2022 – Ewers starts as a redshirt freshman and the Longhorns finished 8-5. However, Card started when Ewers missed three games due to a clavicle sprain.
2023 – Ewers missed two games due to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. Maalik Murphy started and struggled in wins against BYU and Kansas State.
Manning must be ready to play – if necessary – in 2024.
DT Alfred Collins
Do you remember that exciting Alfred Collins we saw as a freshman who seemed destined for greatness?
Let me refresh your memory:
After that season, Collins became a forgotten man. Many people inside the building did not believe Collins would live up to expectations. He was a tremendous athlete but criticized for his lack of dedication to football.
We began to see glimpses of what Collins could be last season.
It will be his show in 2024.
Here is what I reported in early February:
“This will be a big offseason for defensive lineman Alfred Collins. One person told me they believe Collins could be the best player in college football if he continues to progress. I was told, “When you look at this man, you sit there and say, here's a guy that's that big, but he’s still young. When you think about it, as we grow as men, things change with us. How we look at things, how we perceive things. But when we're young, it's kind of like I messed this up. You take notes of what you’re doing. I think that's the thing with Alfred. He’s taking the positive of things that he's doing, and making him better and building off of it.”
Memo to Texas defensive line coach Kenny Baker.
Make it happen.
Oh, and throw in Vernon Broughton, too.
LB Anthony Hill
Photo via University of Texas
Every Longhorn observer is anticipating a breakout season for Hill. We saw him shine in several games last season, including that win against Alabama.
More importantly, Hill is poised to replace Jaylan Ford as a Mike linebacker, according to Alex Dunlap.
Here is what Dunlap had in the War Room:
“* This dichotomy between "Mike" and "Will" has sorta changed under new co-DC and LBs coach Johnny Nansen, whose mike linebackers don't operate in the same way that we might be used to thinking of the position (downhill thumpers and tackle accumulators). Nansen has reportedly said since getting to meet the players that he wants Anthony Hill to be in the mike role, the one that Jacob Manu played for him at Arizona in 2023. Of course, Manu was the star of a very good Arizona defense last season, and a first-team AP and coaches selection for All Pac-12, leading the conference in tackles (116) while also being second-best on the team in TFLs (9.5) as well as second in sacks (6.5).
“* "He's going to move around a lot still," the source said of Hill's role in Nansen's new scheme. "(Manu) is a great player, but physically, he's nowhere near the athlete (that Hill is)," he said. The sentiment is that if an undersized and scrappy player like Manu can be put in position to be so uber-productive in this role, then just imagine what Hill could do, being put in similar situations. David Gbenda will, according to this source, start the spring as the starting will LB. The staff has apparently been happy with Gbenda and he is one of the early leaders on defense.”
Here are other key players:
DE Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke – They have been very productive but Texas needs a consistent pass rush
CB Malik Muhammad – After seeing the Texas secondary struggle last season, I want this man on the field as much as possible.
S Derek Williams – Everything I said about Muhammad applies to Williams.
TE Gunnar Helm – I know Amari Niblack is here, but I refuse to sleep on Helm as Ja’Tavion Sanders’ replacement.
RB CJ Baxter – Maybe he was not at 100 percent last season, but Jonathon Brooks and Jaydon Blue were more explosive than Baxter. He must develop into a clear RB1.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
This is for the married men (make sure your wife is in a good mood before sharing)
Almost landed it
Great improv by comedian Sam Morril
Sports On A Dime
1. The start of spring football will be huge for Texas defensive backs coach Terry Joseph. As a recruiter, Joseph has landed several premier cornerbacks since arriving at Texas. Nevertheless, Joseph’s official job title is “Defensive Passing Game Coordinator and Secondary” and this team’s passing defense was ranked 116th in the country last year (133 teams overall). I am not suggesting Joseph is in the hot seat. Instead, it is fair to say he must develop a secondary that plays better than what we witnessed in 2023.
2. When I interviewed Longhorn receivers coach Chris Jackson before the Sugar Bowl, he told me it took a while for him to catch up in recruiting after being hired in February. The programs he was recruiting against had established relationships with receivers he pursued. Texas did land Ryan Wingo but Jackson’s ability to help Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Jordan Whittington play on a high level was his biggest accomplishment.
That is what we should expect from first-year defensive line coach Kenny Baker.
It is unfair to expect Baker to recruit at a high level in year one, but his main task is to help everyone on the defensive line to hit another level this year. Ultimately, he will be judged for his coaching ability for than his recruiting ability in 2024.
3. USA TODAY Sports provided a fascinating revelation this past week. Reporter Brent Schrotenboer examined the number of off-campus visits college football coaches made since 2022. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh led with 145 off-campus visits, followed by Steve Sarkisian’s 128 off-campus recruiting contacts since Dec. 1, 2022.
However, former UCLA coach Chip Kelly had 55 of his own during that time, including seven home visits.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders has made no off-campus contacts with recruiting prospects since he was hired there in early December 2022. Sanders has not stepped foot into the home of a recruit since being hired.
“According to several metrics, it’s a style that’s worked for him. He upgraded the talent on the roster from 2022, when the Buffaloes finished 1-11. Sanders’ class of transfer recruits last year ranked No. 1 in the nation. His overall recruiting class for 2024 also ranks No. 22, including 24 transfer players and only seven high school players, according to 247Sports.
“Virtually all of them were lured by his fame and football history as a Pro Football Hall of Famer. They came to him, visiting him on recruiting trips to Boulder.
"I ain’t hard 2 find" is even one of his recruiting mottos, currently for sale on Colorado T-shirts.
“In the meantime, Sanders’ assistant coaches have put in legwork for him on the road and had more than 90 off-campus, face-to-face conversations with recruits or their family members during this time period, according to records from CU.”
4. Somebody needs to check on Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark
5. If the college football playoffs expand to 14 teams, advancing to the postseason will be the minimal requirement for Texas. A successful season will be determined by how far Texas advances in the playoffs.
Here is a portion of ESPN’s story:
“All nine FBS conferences and Notre Dame have agreed to the next College Football Playoff contract, which will begin in 2026 and bring the sport's postseason much closer to an expected 14-team field with guarantees for conference champions.
The memorandum of understanding guarantees that the field will have at least 12 teams in 2026 and beyond, but sources indicate there is a strong preference for a 14-team field that includes the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next nine highest-ranked teams. Sources caution that the exact format is not finalized, and the Big Ten and SEC will have the bulk of control over that, but others will be protected by parameters that have been put in place and can't be altered.
"Anything else regarding format is to be determined," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said Friday. "This is a very important next step for CFP, of course, and we do still have details to be finalized regarding the format, but I want to stress that the really good news is that football fans will continue to see the best teams in the country competing for the national championship on the playing field. This arrangement will also ensure the expanded access will continue to be in place. We firmly believe this, about the importance of a competitive opportunity for more programs and more players and more fans. We're pleased to be in the position we're in, while we know there's still more work to be done."
“The commissioners and Notre Dame agreed that the conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 and the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion would earn playoff berths, and Notre Dame will have protections that will survive regardless of the ultimate format.”
6. Here is another video of Johntay Cook II working out with receivers trainer Margin Hooks that should get you excited about spring football
7. We know time flies, but here is a reminder. Former Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown was recently named the head football coach at St. Dominic Savio High School in Austin. Brown is currently 30 years old and played in the NFL for seven years. Life comes at you fast.
8. Anyone who has ever attended a football game at Kansas knows the stadium needs an upgrade. However, I think the bigger quandary for donors in the future is whether should they invest more in NIL or salaries for coaches.
9. Jake Paul asked for it …
10. Well, at least my kids have enjoyed attending games in back-to-back weeks. One day I will be proficient in soccer to know why this team is off to a slow start (it has to be deeper than Sebastian Druissi’s absence before Saturday).
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