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4th and 5

4th and 5 4915

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Will The Herman slay the Ogre?

It starts with a preview of LSU by the Athletic.com, story by Bruce Feldman.

Warning:  it has some triggers with respect to tiny running backs, DBU references, and K’Lavons  

I highly recommend the Athletic subscription, well worth a couple bucks a month  

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Assessing LSU’s 2019 offensive, defensive and special teams personnel

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By Bruce Feldman  2h agocomment-icon@2x.png 1 save-icon@2x.png

An LSU team some experts thought would do no better than 6-6 ended up notching its first 10-win season in five years. Ed Orgeron’s Tigers sputtered at times, but they did go 4-1 against teams ranked in the top 10 and posted a 20-point beatdown of Georgia. The downside was the offense was a complete dud against archrival Alabama, losing 29-0 at home.

Overall, it was a nice step forward for Orgeron in Year 2 for a team that folks inside program had believed was a year away from being a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. Well, that year is now up. The Tigers have a few key areas they must bolster before they can even contemplate toppling the Tide: the offensive line, their red-zone offense, their run game and their pass rush.

Offense

Quarterback

The biggest prospect LSU signed in 2018 actually didn’t count toward its online recruiting rankings, but Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow proved to be a gem. His stats for the season weren’t spectacular — 16 TD passes, five interceptions, 58 percent completion rate and 2,894 yards passing were modest, but his leadership, intelligence and poise were big reasons why LSU finished No. 6 in the country. Burrow is a son of a coach, and his grit earned him the leadership crown on this team.

In the week leading up the ’Bama showdown, Burrow injured his throwing shoulder and didn’t take reps at their Thursday practice — the Tigers already had backup Myles Brennan hampered by back issues. Burrow battled through it and probably wasn’t back close to 100 percent until later in the season when he finished with a bang. In the final three games, he produced a 9-1 TD-INT ratio while connecting on 66 percent of his passes for 971 yards to go with 141 rushing yards and three more touchdowns. His signature moment came in the win against UCF when he responded to throwing a pick-six and taking a brutal hit on the runback by torching the Knights and not missing a snap to rally LSU from a 14-3 hole.

“He’s as fierce a competitor as we’ve had around here in a long time,” says one LSU staffer. “With him setting the tone this offseason, we’re gonna be all right.”

An offseason to get more timing down with a more mature Tigers receiving corps figures to provide a much-needed jolt to a passing attack that has long been listless. Behind Burrow is strong-armed sophomore Brennan, who was able to redshirt and continued to add some weight on his spindly frame. Four-star signee Peter Parrish, who is more suited to some of the RPO stuff the Tigers incorporated for Burrow, arrives in the summer.

Running back

A major concern coming into 2018 was how LSU would replace Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams. Well, senior Nick Brossette, who had been a non-factor, stepped up in a big way, rushing for more than 1,000 yards and 14 TDs. He moves on but rising junior Clyde Edwards Helaire, an elusive 5-foot-7, 205-pounder, is back after providing a good change of pace in rushing for 658 yards and seven touchdowns. The real excitement is that LSU might have compiled the best running back recruiting class in the country, adding five-star John Emery and four-star Tyrion Davis, the nation’s No. 8 running back.

The 5-11, 206-pound Emery reminds some of Guice, with not quite as much strength but even more speed. The 230-pound Davis is a bull with 4.6 speed who reminds the LSU staff in style of former Tigers standout Jeremy Hill. Senior Lanard Fournette isn’t his older brother Leonard talent-wise, but he’s impressed Orgeron as a good all-around back they can count on. Chris Curry, a freshman who redshirted last season, is another bruiser back, and classmate Tae Provens’ wheels might come in handy as a slot receiver.

Wide receiver

Going into the 2018 season, LSU didn’t have a returning wideout who had even caught 15 passes the previous year. Now the Tigers appear to be in the best shape they’ve been on the outside since 2013, when they had Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. scaring defensive backs. Justin Jefferson, who wasn’t even ranked among the top 75 prospects in Louisiana when he signed with LSU, blossomed into a go-to guy, leading the team with 54 catches for 875 yards and six TDs. He’s not the biggest or fastest receiver on the team, but the 6-2, 190-pound junior is very tough and competitive and has developed into a good route runner. 

Former top-100 recruit Ja’Marr Chase is a budding star (23 catches for 313 yards as a freshman). He’s big, strong, physical and has really good hands. Coaches love his upside. Terrace Marshall, a former five-star at 6-4, 210 pounds, came in with even more hype than Chase. He wasn’t as productive, but he’s another one expected to take a big step forward entering his sophomore year. He’s very smooth and a good route runner. 

In Stephen Sullivan and Dee Anderson, LSU has two huge senior wideouts. The 6-7, 230-pound Sullivan is the more reliable and consistent of the two. Derrick Dillon, another senior, might be the fastest of all the receivers. He was good for a spark off the bench with 22 catches for 307 yards.

Former Texas Tech standout Jonathan Giles struggled to stay healthy and never got into a rhythm last season. We’ll see if he can regain his form. Kenan Jones and Racey McMath are core special teams guys who also will push for playing time. An incoming freshman to keep an eye on is four-star Trey Palmer, a 6-1, 177-pounder with big-play potential.

Tight ends/H-backs

The Tigers will miss tight end Foster Moreau, a clutch player and a great influence in the locker room. The Tigers hope they can get two injured players back to replace Moreau in 6-7 Jamal Pettigrew, a big kid who is physical, and Thaddeus Moss, the 6-3, 240-pound son of football legend Randy Moss. The younger Moss, who was hobbled by a foot injury, brings good athleticism to the position. The hope is he’ll be cleared by spring.

T.K. McClendon, a 6-5, 241-pound JUCO transfer, has nice size but is still pretty raw as a receiver. Charles Turner, a smart 6-4, 245-pound early-enrolled freshman who might end up as an offensive lineman, is expected to contribute as a blocking tight end. Tory Carter, a strong blocker, has carved out a nice role in the offense as a fullback/H-back.

Offensive line

A patchwork group held up pretty well at times, most notably at Auburn and against Georgia. The Tigers had lost their best lineman in sophomore guard Ed Ingram (suspended because of sexual assault charges) right before training camp started. Ingram’s case is going through the justice system. Garrett Brumfield emerged as the leader of the line, and he is the only starter who won’t be back in 2019.

Expect heady junior center Lloyd Cushenberry to take over the leadership mantle. He and senior Damien Lewis, a road grader at guard, were the team’s top two guys up front. Chasen Hines, a converted defensive tackle, impressed when he was thrown into action as a true freshman at Auburn. The 6-4, 333-pound Texan has All-SEC talent thanks to his power and nimble feet. Those three should form a strong core.

The big concern is outside. LSU has to get better at tackle. Junior Saahdiq Charles is a two-year starter but needs to be more consistent and hone his technique. Austin Deculus is strong but stiff and struggled quite a bit with quicker edge rushers before picking up his play some late in the season. Badara Traore, touted as the nation’s top junior college lineman, struggled as well as he came to LSU after surgeries on both knees. He’s a capable run blocker but needs to develop as a pass protector. Another year of experience should help him.

Two projects worth remembering: Cameron Wire, a 6-7, 290-pounder who redshirted in 2018 after reporting around 265, is very athletic but probably another year or two away from a strength and technique standpoint, and Dare Rosenthal, who is even bigger and longer at 6-8, 333, and has the potential to be a really good player with his frame and athleticism. If the light comes on with Rosenthal, he could be a big-time right tackle.

Two freshmen who also figure to be in the picture: five-star guard Kardell Thomas, a 6-3, 360-pounder who is physical as heck and strong, and 6-5, 365-pound tackle Anthony Bradford, whose combination of quick feet and good athleticism has the Tigers staff excited. Both probably need to shed 25 pounds this offseason, however.

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(Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

Defense

Defensive line

For the Fiesta Bowl, the Tigers were down to four scholarship D-linemen thanks to a ridiculous run of injuries and the departure of nose tackle Ed Alexander. Fortunately, they did have the leader of their group in Rashard Lawrence, and he dominated, posting four TFLs including two sacks. Lawrence has overcome all sorts of injuries but should be one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC. He’ll hold down one of their three spots up front.

Strongman Breiden Fehoko started eight games before suffering a season-ending biceps injury. He’s solid and versatile as he can also slide over to play the nose, but he’ll have to hold off Glen Logan, the team’s most improved D-lineman in 2018. The 6-4, 290-pound junior had 46 tackles and four sacks. The other guy pushing for a starting spot is former five-star Tyler Shelvin, a 6-3, 350-pound sophomore who finished the season with a flourish. Shelvin has good feet and is explosive but still battles weight issues. That said, the staff is very optimistic because his confidence has really seemed to surge after turning heads in practice and the bowl game.

Rising junior Neil Farrell also will be in the mix for more playing time. He was productive in 2018 and expected to play a big role in the Fiesta Bowl before he went down with a shin injury, Justin Thomas, the fourth D-lineman who played in the win against UCF, is probably the most athletic guy in the defensive line room. He’s long, lean and fast but needs to mature more and get stronger.

There’s also more beef coming: Siaki “Apu” Ika, is a powerful, tough 6-2, 360-pound early-enrolled freshman regarded as one of the two best defensive tackles on the West Coast, and LSU is battling to land 335-pound five-star in-state DT Ishmael Sopsher, who has terrific get-off for a man that size. Another option is 6-3, 382-pound redshirt freshman Dominic Livingston, a hard worker with quick feet who needs to drop another 30 pounds.

Linebackers

The bad news: Devin White, perhaps the best linebacker LSU has ever had, is expected to be gone. The good news: K’Lavon Chaisson, by far the best pass rusher in the program, is back after tearing his ACL in the season opener. Word is last spring Chaisson, a sophomore, was actually the most impressive player in the program — even more so than White, Greedy Williams or Grant Delpit. He’s explosive and smart and a near-4.0 student. He doesn’t have as much length as Arden Key, but he’s more consistent. His weight is close to 245 pounds, and he’ll be a difference-maker for a team that was just No. 7 in the SEC in sacks.

Without Chaisson, Michael Divinity emerged, making 10.5 TFLs and a team-high five sacks. Jarell Cherry, another former top-100 recruit, might be ready to make an impact. The redshirt freshman has packed on about 30 pounds since arriving to get to about 250 and has impressed with his strength and his smarts.

Sophomore Damone Clark is long and pretty fast and could help inside or on the outside. Orgeron says he’s a good rusher and one of the most talented guys they have in the linebackers room. Junior college transfer Travez Moore has potential, but it remains to be seen if he can put it together to contribute as a situational pass rusher. Ray Thornton and Andre Anthony likely will provide depth unless they can hold off some of the talented younger players.

Junior Jacob Phillips is primed for a big season in the middle of the defense. He was second on the team with 87 tackles, trailing only White. He’s smart and talented but probably doesn’t have the same wheels to be the playmaker that White was. Speedy Patrick Queen, a junior, is faster and comes in as the favorite to nab the other starting spot. He had 40 tackles and five TFLs last season. Sophomore Micah Baskerville started the game at Florida when Phillips was sidelined and has the intelligence and instincts to help him compete for the job. Two incoming freshmen to know: top-100 recruit Donte Starks and Kendall McCallum, a 6-3, 245-pounder from Alabama who seems to have the physicality to compete for a spot right away if he can pick up the scheme.

Defensive backfield

Greedy Williams is leaving early for the NFL, but DBU should still be loaded on the back end. Kristian Fulton, who had sat out an NCAA drug test suspension for a season, shook off the rust and played very well opposite Williams at the other corner before an ankle injury ended his season with three games to go. Fulton isn’t as long as Williams, but he’s more physical. He drew a second-round grade evaluation from the NFL and opted to return to LSU.

Don’t be surprised if early-enrolled five-star freshman Derek Stingley snatches Williams’ old spot. At 6-2, 200 pounds, he’s bigger than Williams and wowed coaches in bowl practices, adding to the lofty hype that he’s the most talented DB to come to LSU since Patrick Peterson. 

“His daddy’s a coach, and he’s got great technique,” Orgeron says. “In those bowl practices, he was covering our No. 1 offense receivers like a glove. He’s got a 43-inch vertical, probably runs sub-4.4 and is also great with the ball in his hands. He’s really advanced.”

Junior Kary Vincent is small but fast and is the favorite to win the nickel spot. Kelvin Joseph, a top-50 recruit, played pretty well at times as a true freshman at corner but might get shifted to safety, which could be a more natural spot. Mannie Netherly is another exceptionally long corner at 6-3, 200, but he’s still pretty raw. Stingley was one of three corners LSU signed last month. One other name to remember is Raydarious Jones, a lanky 6-2, 165-pound former QB who reminds the staff of Williams.

Delpit became a star in 2018 making plays all over the field at safety. The rising junior earned All-America honors, making 74 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, five sacks and five INTs. Coordinator Dave Aranda has plenty of interesting options for the safety spot next to Delpit. Former five-star recruit JaCoby Stevens made big strides after struggling in his rookie year. Orgeron, who says the 6-2, 220-pounder might be pound-for-pound the most explosive player on the team, gives a lot of credit to safeties coach Bill Busch for Stevens’ development. The junior had a great performance in the bowl win and finished the season with 6.5 TFLs. Joseph is in the mix, as are junior Todd Harris, who doesn’t have great size but is very instinctive, and incoming freshman Marcel Brooks, the star of the All-American Bowl. He has good length and ferocious closing speed.

Special teams

Cole Tracy, a Lou Groza Award finalist, was a revelation coming from tiny Assumption College in Massachusetts to become a difference-maker in the SEC, but now he’s gone. Cade York, an incoming freshman, boosted Tigers fans’ confidence when he nailed a 59-yarder on national TV in the Under Armour All-America Game. Junior Connor Culp, the team’s kicker in 2017 before Tracy, will need to show he’s a lot more reliable after going 20-of-23 on PATs in 2017.

Zach Von Rosenberg, a 28-year-old former minor league baseball player, averaged almost 46 yards per punt, and he’s back. The return game was middling, but look for Stingley to try to provide a spark.

(Top photo of Justin Jefferson by Scott Clause / The Advertiser via USA TODAY Network)

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BlueFalcon
BlueFalcon

LSU is going to beat Texas pretty convincingly. While you shouldn't let this game get you down on the rest of your season you're definitely wearing orange tinted glasses if you think Texas is going to

sushihorn
sushihorn

LSU plays in a conference full of primitive offenses that make an opposing D look good.  Things look a lot different when they run into competent, modern offenses. Georgia was averaging 18.5 PPG

closetojumping
closetojumping

LSU is a mortal enemy for UT at this point. We are competing with these cheating, stupid motherfuckers for every recruit we want - yard, by hard fucking yard. ATM opened the door for the SEC to come i

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Valmy77

Valmy77 13265

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1 minute ago, A’Dam Psycho said:

I think it’s ridiculous that the media has pretty much given LSU this “DBU” title but whatever. Our DBs have had way more success in the pros and we’ve been doing it for atleast the past 20 years but to each thier own

Well that and when I think of LSU I think of huge lines and dominant running backs. Little dudes running around in coverage is not really on brand...at least I don't think so. That would seem more a Big 12 team's thing. Like maybe ours.

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gmr548

gmr548 16591

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LSU is bringing back a lot on both lines, including some pretty talented guys on the DL, while Texas will be breaking in a lot of new starters on both lines. How Texas fares in that battle will define the game. It is a great early season litmus test.

If Texas holds its own on the LOS, Sam, Ingram, and the WR corps can absolutely get it done. We've seen that. On D, we know Orlando and crew typically perform well against slower, more conventional offenses. Burrow is pretty good and is the best QB LSU has had for a while, but if Texas contains the ground game well enough that LSU has to throw to win, I like those odds.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

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joeycovers

joeycovers 391

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CBS Settled this a few years ago. Numbers have changed in the past couple years im sure. Fact is we need Earl, Vaccaro, Phillips and Diggs to hold it down until this new wave of guys get in the league. 

 

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/the-real-dbu-florida-lsu-miami-ohio-state-south-carolina-or-texas/

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Valmy77

Valmy77 13265

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, bigcigar said:

I hear Joe Burrow is as good or better than Ehlinger.

It is not a good sign when the hype article spins "his production is pedestrian" with "his intangibles are off the charts though!" and "his greatest moment was not sucking after his pick six put his team into a deep hole"

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bigcigar

bigcigar 1164

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5 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

It is not a good sign when the hype article spins "his production is pedestrian" with "his intangibles are off the charts though!" and "his greatest moment was not sucking after his pick six put his team into a deep hole"

He’s a coach’s son though and sec. advantage aggy

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Hooky Hornstein

Hooky Hornstein 35

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Since Tom Herman has often stated that our offensive philosophy is to be one point better than the opposition, I suspect he and Tim Beck will have plenty of scripted 3 and outs planned for the third and fourth quarter so the Bayou Bengals can close the gap, but in the end the Horns will prevail.  I'm going to say 21-20.

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sushihorn

sushihorn 3233

Posted
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53 minutes ago, A’Dam Psycho said:

I think it’s ridiculous that the media has pretty much given LSU this “DBU” title but whatever. Our DBs have had way more success in the pros and we’ve been doing it for atleast the past 20 years but to each thier own

DBU goes back at least 40 years to Collin's dad - Johnnie Johnson who was a consensus AA and NFL HOFer.  Maybe some of you can remember stuff from before that.  Texas produced AA and Thorpe finalists seemingly every year under Mack.  The bad years from 2010-2016 give LSU an edge recently but they are way behind in overall program history.

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NowThis

NowThis 931

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when i was on campus we had NFL DBs like John Hagy (had 3 pick 6's in one Texas game), Stephen Braggs, Van Malone, Lance Gunn, Stanley Richard and I'm forgetting a few certainly. Before had Jerry Gray, Mossy Cade and more from the early 80s. 90s had Cris Carter, Bryant Westbrook etc. There were some down periods but not much.  I'd say UT puts 1 db to the nfl pretty much every year on average for the last 45 years. 

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sushihorn

sushihorn 3233

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1 hour ago, Machinator said:

From a coaching standpoint, I like Herman (the head coach) vs. Orgeron and Orlando vs. Ensminger's dinosaur offense. Our offensive "committee" vs. Aranda is a wash.

Looking forward to digging into this matchup.

I hesitated at this statement but then realized that while LSU has a better defensive scheme than Georgia, the committee embarrassed that scheme so even is probably about right.

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Hooky Hornstein

Hooky Hornstein 35

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Texas was producing stellar DB talent even in the ‘40s, ‘50s & ‘60s.  Here’s a few:

Super Bill Bradley, the QB replaced by James Street. All-pro DB for the Eagles.

Bobby Dillon - the Packers all-time interception leader and he last played about 65 years ago.

Tom Landry - DB for the Giants, ledgendary coach of the Cowboys.

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sushihorn

sushihorn 3233

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Took a while to wade through the entire OP.  All I can say is that it's clickbait for an LSU fan site and everything is views through purple-colored glasses.  In many cases it's worse than that.  The most entertaining one:

Quote

...the Tigers appear to be in the best shape they’ve been on the outside since 2013, when they had Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. scaring defensive backs.

LSU lost their only proven TE and has ONE WR returning with significant production.  I suppose it's possible they had complete dog crap running routes the last 5-6 years.  Barring that, this statement looks insane.  I get homerism but it's possible to be optimistic in a rational way.  This ain't it.

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Yuk

Yuk 1554

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1 hour ago, Tex Pete said:

Fuck that. Why would we change our traditions for some third-rate university with a second-rate football program?

Because the administration has discussed doing it before for home games.  Otherwise we wear home jerseys two years in a row.

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4th and 5

4th and 5 4915

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and Max Olson of the Athletic just weighed in on Texas...........

 

 

First Look: Projecting the Texas Longhorns’ 2019 offensive, defensive and special teams depth charts

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By Max Olson 6h agocomment-icon.png 14 save-icon.png

Texas is getting top-10 hype for 2019 thanks to its Sugar Bowl upset of Georgia and its 10-win breakthrough in Tom Herman’s second season. In playing for a Big 12 title and winning a New Year’s Six bowl, the Longhorns football program finally seems ready to play up to the hype.

But the team that pulled off that run was led by a bunch of seniors who are now gone. Lil’Jordan Humphrey, the team’s best player, just left a year early for the NFL Draft. For Herman, his staff and their players, there’s a nice, long to-do list of things they must figure out before it’s time to play up to those big expectations.

The Longhorns need to replace the majority of their starters on defense. They need to reload on the offensive line. They need a lot to go right. The good news is they’re set to bring back their entire coaching staff for a third consecutive year. That stability enables them to keep building upon their progress. But what is the staff now working with heading into 2019?

Here is an early look at Texas’ depth chart for 2019. Keep in mind these are best guesses for now and certainly subject to change over the course of winter workouts, spring practice and summer drills.

Offense

Quarterback

Starter: Sam Ehlinger
Backup: Shane Buechele

Overview: Texas has spent the duration of this decade searching for a program changer at quarterback and has finally developed one in Ehlinger. What he did for this team as a true sophomore, as a passer and rusher and tone-setting leader, expedited Herman’s rebuild and established Texas’ offensive identity as a physical, dangerous outfit. The 3,778 total yards of offense he put up in his second year ranks fourth best nationally among QBs who are returning in 2019. More remarkable was Ehlinger’s ability to avoid turnovers, throwing just five interceptions on his run to 41 total TDs.

For now, it’s tough to make a good prediction on how the rest of Texas’ quarterbacks room shakes out. Buechele still has not declared whether he’ll pursue a graduate transfer or return, so let’s list him as the backup for now. Because he only played in two games this season, Buechele can count 2018 as his redshirt year and have two seasons of remaining eligibility. Freshmen Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson put their names in the NCAA transfer portal, but neither are officially gone yet.

So the big question is which of them will be persuaded to stay? If all three were to leave, it would be down to just Ehlinger and Roschon Johnson, a true freshman early enrollee, which is certainly less than ideal.

Running back

Starter: Keontay Ingram
Backup: Daniel Young

Overview: Ingram showed a ton of potential as a true freshman in rushing for 708 yards. He figures to become more of an every-down back moving forward for a Texas rushing attack that ranked eighth in the Big 12 in yards per game and yards per carry. Cal grad transfer Tre Watson was a critical piece for this offense and a quality one-year rental. Who takes over for him as the change-of-pace threat?

After missing on top targets Noah Cain and Trey Sanders in December, the Longhorns could try to find one more back, or they could take freaky freshman Jordan Whittington and craft a hybrid running back/receiver role that suits his talents. Whittington put up 377 total yards and six TDs in his state championship game. If Kirk Johnson can stay healthy, perhaps the senior can finally have his breakout and give this run game some pop along with incoming freshman Derrian Brown.

Wide receiver

Starters: Collin Johnson, Devin Duvernay, Joshua Moore
Backups: John Burt, Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith

Overview: Johnson returning for his senior season was a big win for Texas’ staff. He’ll be coming back with big goals, aiming to establish himself as one of college football’s best wideouts in 2019. Duvernay took a nice step forward as a junior, and Burt is coming back for a fifth year. They’ve proved over the years they can stretch the field.

This receivers group will have impressive depth as soon as its second-year wideouts make a leap. That group of Moore, Eagles, D’Shawn Jamison, Malcolm Epps and Al’Vonte Woodard looks promising. Which of them is ready to shine? Watch out for Smith, who earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors after putting up monster numbers at Notre Dame Prep in Arizona. Smith and Whittington can make an immediate impact in the slot and help mitigate the departure of Humphrey.

Tight end

Starter: Cade Brewer
Backup: Reese Leitao

Overview: Andrew Beck brought a lot to the table for this team, not just as a senior captain but as a chess piece in Herman’s offense who caught 28 passes. Finding that long-term answer to replace him at tight end will be important. Brewer and Leitao have had two years to develop and need to take the lead this spring. Texas signed one of the nation’s top tight end recruits in four-star Brayden Liebrock out of Arizona, and he should push for playing time early on. Epps, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound pass catcher, could end up here as well, and incoming freshman Jared Wiley is getting a head start by enrolling early.

Offensive tackle

Starters: Samuel Cosmi, Derek Kerstetter
Backups: Denzel Okafor, Tyler Johnson

Overview: It’s fairly futile to start making projections about Texas’ offensive line this early in the offseason. Offensive line coach Herb Hand must replace three starters and will do a lot of cross-training and tinkering with the lineup until the right combination emerges. It’s a safe bet, too, that Hand is not done recruiting and will try to find a grad transfer who can bolster the starting lineup the way Calvin Anderson did in 2018.

Cosmi and Kerstetter as the bookend tackles seem like a lock for now, though. Cosmi flashed big-time potential as a redshirt freshman, and Kerstetter is capable of playing several positions on this line. Johnson, a top-50 recruit in the 2019 class, was the Longhorns’ highest-rated signee and is enrolling early this spring. Christian Jones is an intriguing developmental prospect who also could emerge.

Offensive guard

Starter: Denzel Okafor, Tope Imade
Backups: Patrick Hudson, Junior Angilau

Overview: Okafor can be a tackle or a guard on this line, and the fact Hand was able to redshirt him in 2018 was huge. Now he’ll be a fourth-year junior who’s better prepared to embrace a significant role. The vacancy at left guard after four-year starter Patrick Vahe graduates is a real question mark and one that could require a grad transfer to come in as a short-term fix. Imade backed up Vahe for most of last season and gets to prove himself this spring.

Hudson sat out the season after dealing with a scary heat-related illness in September. If Texas can get him back in the lineup, he could be the answer. The interior depth will depend on whether second-year guys like Angilau and Rafiti Ghirmai are ready to play.

Center

Starter: Zach Shackelford
Backup: Derek Kerstetter

Overview: Shackelford should be a lock to hold down the center job in his senior year, and his 27 career starts are most among all returning Longhorns players. He was probably their best offensive lineman in 2018. If he were to go down, Texas presumably would slide a starter over to center and reshuffle the rest of the lineup.

One underappreciated ingredient for Texas’ rise in 2018: The senior starters on the way out — Anderson, Vahe and Elijah Rodriguez — missed a combined six plays over the entire season. That’s incredibly good fortune and certainly aided Ehlinger’s improvement. The line’s stability also meant Hand did not have to plug in linemen who weren’t ready. Now it’s time for Okafor, Imade and the rest of those reserves to step up and play up to the offense’s physical standard.

Texas_Depth_Defense-1024x757.jpg
 
(Jay Biggerstaff / USA TODAY Sports)

Defense

Defensive end

Starters: Malcolm Roach, Ta’Quon Graham
Backups: Marqez Bimage, Moro Ojomo

Overview: Texas is replacing all three members of its starting defensive line. Roach and Graham need to live up to expectations in 2019 and be trusted leaders for this defense. They bring a lot of toughness but also valuable versatility as pass rushers capable of lining up inside if needed. Roach, who missed five games with a broken foot last season, has tried playing pretty much every role in a front seven during his time at Texas, and the hope is he’s now found his fit up front. Bimage needs to come back strong from the shoulder injury that ended his season early. Junior college transfer Jacoby Jones is another guy who can play multiple spots, and incoming freshman T’Vondre Sweat is a big dude (6-4, 285 pounds) who could find a place in the rotation.

Nose tackle

Starter: Gerald Wilbon
Backup: Keondre Coburn

Overview: Who takes over for Chris Nelson up the middle? That’s a pretty important question. Wilbon, a senior-to-be who’s played in 33 games, would figure to have the edge going into the offseason, but clearly competition will dictate the rotation here. Coburn was able to get reps in three late-season games as a true freshman while still using his redshirt. If he can keep progressing, he can push Wilbon for this job. Veterans D’Andre Christmas-Giles and Jamari Chisholm will get in the mix here, too.

Outside linebacker

Starters: Jeffrey McCulloch, Joseph Ossai
Backups: DeMarvion Overshown, Byron Hobbs

Overview: Todd Orlando faces an interesting challenge with this group of linebackers. They’ve been thin on numbers there for a couple years now, and Gary Johnson and Anthony Wheeler graduating creates a real need for dependable leaders. It’s tough to project how these spots play out as Orlando tries to get the best 11 players on the field. McCulloch has experience (35 games played) and Ossai made two starts late in the year as a true freshman, putting up a team-best eight stops against Georgia. Overshown came in as a safety and could be a nice fit at Rover. Marcus Tillman Jr. is enrolling early this spring to help provide depth.

Inside linebacker

Starter: Caleb Johnson
Backup: Ayodele Adeoye

Overview: This is purely a guess for now, honestly. Johnson is one of the nation’s top junior college linebacker recruits out of Fullerton College, but he’ll be rehabbing a shoulder injury when he enrolls. Herman said on signing day the hope is he’ll be available midway through their spring practice slate.

The Mac spot was already going to be a wide-open battle no matter what. Adeoye played limited snaps in four games this season and used his redshirt. Incoming freshman De’Gabriel Floyd, a top-100 recruit from California, also is enrolling this spring and will get a chance to prove himself. David Gbenda was the top inside linebacker recruit in the state of Texas this year and can push for early reps, too. Texas is still in the mix for junior college linebacker Lakia Henry, who recently decommitted from Tennessee, but he’s a summer enrollee.

Cornerback

Starters: Anthony Cook, Jalen Green
Backups: Kobe Boyce, Kenyatta Watson

Overview: Another spot where Texas is having to replace proven senior starters with inexperienced underclassmen. Rolling with two young cornerbacks is challenging. Rolling with two young cornerbacks in the Big 12 can be downright painful. Cook and Green were the state’s top two cornerback recruits in the 2018 class and will have to grow up quickly as sophomores. Now is the time for Boyce to make a big jump, too, if he hopes to start. Their two corner signees in this class, Watson and Marques Caldwell, are long and athletic. They’ll need to come in ready for the possibility of early playing time.

Safety

Starters: Brandon Jones, Caden Sterns, Josh Thompson
Backups: B.J. Foster, Chris Brown

Overview: Saved the best for last. The duo of Jones and Sterns is excellent. Sterns was the Big 12’s defensive freshman of the year, and rightfully so. Jones elected to return for his senior season after playing up to his big-time potential in 2018. Their play on the back end will help make up for the inexperience at corner. Thompson looks like he’d be the replacement for P.J. Locke at nickel heading into spring ball.

But the big issue is this: How does Texas get Foster on the field as much as possible? He can play safety, he can play nickel and he can definitely play near the line of scrimmage and blitz. He’s a devastating hitter and one of Texas’ most exciting defenders, and how Orlando deploys him can help resolve some of these lineup questions. There’s more help on the way, too, with freshmen Tyler Owens and Chris Adimora coming in. A year ago, the trio of Sterns, Foster and Cook wowed this staff with their maturity from Day 1. We’ll see who can make a similar impression in this class of newcomers.

Specialists

Kicker: Cameron Dicker
Punter: Ryan Bujcevski
Returners: D’Shawn Jamison, Brandon Jones

Overview: Texas is set at kicker and punter for the long term thanks to Dicker and Bujcevski faring well as true freshmen. Dicker hit 18 of his 25 field-goal attempts, including a fairly important one to beat Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Bujcevski had his ups and downs on his way to averaging 40.3 yards per punt. It’s worth noting that his cousin, Michael Dickson, enjoyed his greatest improvement in his sophomore season, after an offseason of becoming more comfortable booting the ball at the college football level.

There’s no shortage of options for returning kicks. Jamison took a kickoff to the house against Kansas State as a true freshman, and Jones has been reliable on punt returns, but several others could step into those roles.

(Top photo by Ken Murray / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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gmr548

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On 1/14/2019 at 11:17 AM, Brisketexan said:

The main thing I know about this game is that 1) we're gonna have some LSU buddies join us, so 2) our tailgate is gonna be fucking epic.  I may fast for a week beforehand to prepare my body for the onslaught of badness that I will ingest.

Same, we've got friends coming in. Been waiting for this series for a long time. The alcohol will flow like a river and it will be a damn good time regardless. I am thinking we will get Game Day as well. This could be an all time atmosphere at DKR.

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