Top-10 player spring update: Texas Longhorns
Over the next two weeks, we'll be unveiling our lists of the 10 best players on every Big 12 roster. We won't include junior college or freshman signees who have yet to arrive on campus; we're looking only at players who are with their teams this spring. These lists are sure to change, but this is how we see them now.
We continue the series with the Texas Longhorns:
Texas left tackle Connor Williams was an All-American in 2016 as a true sophomore. John Rivera/Icon Sportswire
1. OT Connor Williams: No doubt who the No. 1 spot goes to here. Williams was an All-American in 2016 as a true sophomore and has rapidly developed into an elite left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams allowed only one sack and five pressures last season. He’s a dominant run blocker, too, who has started every game of his career.
2. LB Malik Jefferson: His performance as a sophomore didn’t live up to high expectations, but Jefferson is still a freaky talent who could be poised for a big breakthrough under new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. He’s playing weakside linebacker now and being pushed to play more physical and aggressive. When put in the right role, Jefferson has proven he can be a game-changer.
3. DE Malcolm Roach: The lowest-rated recruit of Texas' 2016 recruiting class is already looking like one of the best players on this team. Roach had 33 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks as a freshman pass-rushing fiend at the "Fox" hybrid linebacker spot. Now he’s playing defensive end full-time and looks like a star in the making.
4. P Michael Dickson: Yep, a punter in the top five. But this punter deserves it. The Aussie import was the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year last season and ended up being one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter. Dickson averaged a school-record 47.4 yards per punt in 2016, and he was only a sophomore.
5. RB Chris Warren III: Hard to know where to rank Warren now that he’s out for the rest of the spring with a hamstring injury. When he’s been healthy, he’s been impressive. Warren has rushed for 748 yards and seven touchdowns over his past six games, but missed Texas' final eight games of 2016 with a PCL injury. He could put up monster numbers this fall if he can stay on the field.
6. WR Collin Johnson: The previous Texas staff believed Johnson has All-America potential, but the monster 6-foot-6, 215-pound wideout was brought along slowly last season as a true freshman. He showed flashes in a few games late in the season and ended with 315 yards and three touchdowns on 28 catches. Expect a lot more than that from Johnson in 2017.
7. DB P.J. Locke: Head coach Tom Herman says he called Locke’s parents this winter to thank them for the way they raised their son. So Locke must be doing something right. Locke has won over the new staff with his leadership and work ethic and quietly had a sneaky good sophomore season. Having a playmaker at the nickleback spot is crucial in this conference.
8. QB Shane Buechele: He led all true freshman quarterbacks in FBS with 2,958 passing yards and finished with 21 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions over 12 starts. He endured some late-season struggles while playing through injuries and still has a lot of room to grow his game. But Buechele will keep improving and appears to have a solid hold on the starting quarterback job right now.
9. DE Breckyn Hager: He plays like a wild man and he sure did get results as a sophomore, leading the Longhorns in tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (six). How Hager transitions from playing "Fox" with Roach to playing middle linebacker this offseason will be interesting to follow, but the enthusiasm he brings to hitting makes him a fun dude to watch.
10. WR Devin Duvernay: Several other players were considered for the last spot, but it goes to Duvernay based on his home-run potential. He hit them against Oklahoma (63 yards), Iowa State (75) and Kansas State (80) for touchdowns, but still didn’t get the ball enough the rest of his freshman season with just 20 receptions for 412 yards. He’s a gifted talent who will make an impact in a variety of ways for this new Texas staff.
http://www.espn.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/119506/top-10-player-spring-update-texas-longhorns-2
