Season Preview: Is Texas Football Under Tom Herman … Back?

Another season, another chance for Texas football to be back.

The Oklahoma State vs. Texas game was a wild one a year ago, finishing with only 23 total points and ending with a questionable throw to Ramon Richards.

Perhaps Texas most hyped game of 2018 will be its return to Lawrence to try to redeem one of the more embarrassing losses in UT history two seasons ago. That’ll happen Nov. 23, a Friday, if you want to mark your calendar.

The Longhorns enter year two of the Tom Herman era with the third-ranked recruiting class, setting them up for future success, but it’ll be interesting to see how that helps them in 2018.

Defensive Reload

The Longhorn offense might have disappointed at times last season (a lot of times), but Texas finished the year second in the Big 12 in total defense.

The Longhorns gave up a league-low 1,389 rushing yards and allowed only 31 touchdowns, half of the amount Kansas gave up, for reference.

Texas will be without its leading tackler from 2017, third-round pick Malik Jefferson. The Longhorns will also be without DeShon Elliott, who had a Big 12-leading six interceptions in 2017.

Texas does return defensive backs Kris Boyd and Brandon Jones. Boyd, a preseason All-Big 12 selection, had two interceptions last season and 15 pass breakups. Jones is the team’s leading returner in tackles, with 61 in 2017.

The Longhorns brought in the third ranked recruiting class in the nation this year, led by safety Caden Sterns, brother of former Cowboy Jordan Sterns. Sterns was a fiver-star prospect and was the highest ranked safety in the 2018 class. B.J. Foster joins Sterns as the Longhorns’ other five-star recruit of the 2018 class. Foster is also a safety and was the ranked third at the position, nationally.

Losing Elliott will hurt Texas’ secondary group, but it seems to recover with the big-time recruits.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Longhorns try to fill the void Jefferson left, especially with all of the highly touted running attacks in the league this year, including the four guys the Cowboys will throw at them.

QB Sam Ehlinger

I’m not too high on the Sam Ehlinger stock.

Ehlinger split time with Shane Buechele in 2017, and both return this season, but Ehlinger has, for now, won the starting job.

In nine games last season, Ehlinger threw for 1,915 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a whole, quarterback play should take a step back in the Big 12 in 2018, but Ehlinger didn’t even place in the top 10 in average passing yards per game in the conference in 2017 (Kansas had two quarterbacks in the top 10).

One thing Ehlinger was able to bring was his running game. Somehow, he led the Longhorns in rushing, with 381 yards. How no one on the team had more than that? I don’t know.

Ehlinger should be better in 2018, no doubt, but with how hyped the Longhorns are, I don’t see him tearing up the conference.

Outlook

It’s going to be a no from me on Texas football being back. I think they’ll take a step in the right direction and if Tom Herman keeps getting the recruits he’s been able to drag in, I think in a few years, Texas can return to form. This season is just a bit too early, though.

I think Texas will probably be 3-4 when they meet Oklahoma State in Stillwater. After that, the Longhorns will probably play OSU and West Virginia tight before winning they win their final three.

This season will probably be a baby step toward wherever “back” is, but I wouldn’t buy too much into this season’s hype.