Post-spring depth chart

[Matt Cotcher]

submitted Today, 12:37 PM in Texas Longhorns Football By Matt Cotcher   

 @mlcotcher
 
“Spring” football started in the winter with conditioning drills early in the mornings. As the weeks progressed and temperatures warmed, the Longhorns went through 15 spring practices, culminating in the Orange-White scrimmage.

The key word on everybody’s lips for the last 90 days has been competition. While players will continue to compete during unsupervised summer workouts, the coaches spent the last few weeks challenging the roster.

By shifting players across multiple positions and utilizing different personnel groupings, the coaches spent the spring assessing the current roster. Now that they possess a solid grasp of the skill levels are available to them at different positions, Texas coaches can plan ahead for the arrival of the rest of 2015’s recruiting class.

Which positions need to be bolstered by incoming players? Are there starting spots up for grabs? How is roster depth at each position?

To answer those questions, the coaches have to honestly assess how the depth chart looks as the team exits spring football. Knowing there will be transfers, injuries, academic casualties, and an injection of freshman talent, attempting to project starters for the game against Notre Dame is folly.

Instead, the coaching staff will take a snap shot of how things stand at the current point in time, and put it in pencil. If Texas played this Saturday, this is the depth chart that would be used:

Offense

QUARTERBACK
1st string: Tyrone Swoopes
2nd string: Jerrod Heard

RUNNING BACK
1st string: Jonathan Gray
2nd string: D’Onta Foreman

OFFENSIVE LINE
1st string:
LT: Marcus Hutchins
LG: Sedrick Flowers
C: Taylor Doyle
RG: Kent Perkins
RT: Tristan Nickelson

2nd string:
LT: Connor Williams
LG: Elijah Rodriguez
C: Jake Raulerson
RG: Brandon Hodges
RT: Camrhon Hughes

TIGHT END
1st string: Andrew Beck
2nd string: Blake Whiteley

RECEIVER (X)
1st string: Dorian Leonard
2nd string: Lorenzo Joe

RECEIVER (Z)
1st string: Marcus Johnson
2nd string: Ty Templin

RECEIVER (H)
1st string: Jacorey Warrick
2nd string: Armanti Foreman


Defense

FOX END
1st string: Naashon Hughes
2nd string: Malik Jefferson

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
1st string: Hassan Ridgeway
2nd string: Paul Boyette

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
1st string: Poona Ford
2nd string: Paul Boyette

DEFENSIVE END
1st string: Bryce Cottrell
2nd string: Shiro Davis

MIDDLE LINEBACKER
1st string: Tim Cole
2nd string: Malik Jefferson

WEAKSIDE LINEBACKER
1st string: Peter Jinkens
2nd string: Edwin Freeman

CORNERBACK
1st string: Duke Thomas
2nd string: Antwuan Davis

NICKEL BACK
1st string: John Bonney
2nd string: Antwuan Davis

SAFETY
1st string: Jason Hall
2nd string: Kevin Vaccaro

SAFETY
1st string: Dylan Haines
2nd string: Adrian Colbert

CORNERBACK
1st string: Bryson Echols
2nd string: Jermaine Roberts

SPECIAL TEAMS
Place-Kicker: Nick Rose
Kickoff Returners: Daje Johnson & Armanti Foreman
Punter: Mitchell Becker
Punt Returner: Jacorey Warrick 

 

[Worster1]

A little bit surprised Hughes is ahead of Jefferson at Fox end. That is all.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I'm surprised Jinkins is still listed ahead of Freeman, too. Dez Jackson will probably be starting this fall at DT, as well.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Dez Jackson will probably be starting this fall at DT, as well.

This isn't intended as a projection for the fall. A lot will change (ex: Jackson at DT), but since Tank didn't play this spring, I didn't include him. There's a lot of rehab between now and August.

 

[java]

Malik being 2nd team at 2 positions gives him a very good chance of being on the field most of the time, except for the first play (or series) of the game.  At least, imo.  If 1st team at one position, it would seem rare to be 2nd team at another.

 

[GBT]

Hughes is probably a better cover man than Jefferson. Hughes is a hell of an athlete.

 

[HornSports Staff]

Based on posts above & a few messages we want to be clear, this is Cotcher's projection, not something produced by UT. 

 

[Aaron Carrara]

I'm surprised Jinkins is still listed ahead of Freeman, too. Dez Jackson will probably be starting this fall at DT, as well.

It's classic senior vs. freshman.  Freeman is a stud and has probably narrowed the gap but Jinkens has experience and a lot of it.

 

[Aaron Carrara]

A little bit surprised Hughes is ahead of Jefferson at Fox end. That is all.

The 'Horns will utilize Jefferson in a variety of looks on defense - he'll have plenty of playing time this season. 

 

[Matt Cotcher]

The two toughest calls at this point in time were:

TE: Beck's performance in the Spring Game wasn't the lasting impression he needed.

DE: Cottrell & Davis would both be starters under the old regime.