With 3 games of the season complete and coming off a near upset of #4 USC in Los Angeles, the Longhorns enjoy a bye week before hitting the road to play Iowa State in a Thursday night ESPN prime-time matchup.
It’s time to take a look at the Week 3 Player Stock Report to see which of Tom Herman’s players are on the rise and which ones have some work to do:
Stock Up
WR Collin Johnson
I listed Johnson on the week 1 stock report as trending up, and his stock is still moving that way. He saved the best game of his career for USC, and performed like an NFL receiver. Despite all the attention given to him by defenses and the constant double coverage, the sophomore continues to find ways to make plays. Texas is moving him all over the field, and Tim Beck is beginning to realize how much of the field opens up when Johnson is double-covered. On the 4th and 10 play late in the 4th quarter, USC bracketed Johnson, which freed up Armanti Foreman over the middle for a first down. With Connor Williams now out with injury, no player on the Texas offense is more important than Johnson.
S DeShon Elliott
The Texas secondary was embarrassed in Week 1 against Maryland. Missed tackles, poor angles and the inability to stop the pass in obvious pass situations reminded fans of the defenses the past few years. The past 2 games have been a completely different story, and one of the most improved players has been Elliott. The junior had 2 interceptions of USC quarterback Sam Darnold, with one being returned for a touchdown. The interceptions do not tell the whole story though, as Elliott has been all over the field making plays. He made a huge pass breakup on the first 4th down USC faced, played the run strong and displayed a confidence I haven’t seen out of him in the 3 years he’s been on campus. Elliott has the potential to be an all-conference safety, and as he becomes more comfortable with his role in Todd Orlando’s defense, he will continue to shine.
CB Holton Hill
On the week 1 stock report, Hill was mentioned as an honorable mention player who was seeing his stock rise, but the past 2 weeks have cemented his place on the list of players who have seen their stock skyrocket. Texas felt they had the shutdown corner they needed at the beginning of the year in Kris Boyd, but it has been Hill who has filled that role. The junior had a pick-6 against San Jose State and played another excellent game against USC. As with Elliott, Hill is playing with a confidence that he simply did not have last year. His open field tackle on a key 4th down against USC shows how he is more than just a cover corner. With Boyd still trying to find some consistency and not much depth at the corner position, Hill has quickly become one of the most important players on the Texas defense.
WR Armanti Foreman
Entering 2017, I wondered to myself how much of Foreman we would see on the field. Texas was loaded at the WR position and he seemed to be falling down the depth chart. Through the first 3 games, Foreman has established himself as one of the most consistent receivers along with Collin Johnson. This past Saturday, Sam Ehlinger targeted Foreman twice when he needed big plays, and Foreman delivered both times. The first play came on a 4th and 10 where Foreman jumped up to haul in a pass over the middle of field knowing he was about to hit. The play kept Texas’ comeback hopes alive. A few plays later, he caught a touchdown pass to give Texas the lead by dragging his toes in the endzone. Tom Herman was quick to point out that the reason Foreman has seen an increase in playing time has been how well he has practiced. Texas will continue to need him to deliver during games to keep pressure off of Collin Johnson.
Stock Down
The Offensive Line
The offensive line was listed on the week 1 stock report as trending down, and that may be an understatement after week 3. After Connor Williams exited the game, Texas was forced to leave running backs and tight ends to help out in pass protection. Tristan Nickelson and Denzel Okafor settled down slightly in the second half, but allowed constant pressure in the first half. Texas fans clamored for more carries for Chris Warren, but the offensive line was simply overwhelmed by the USC defensive front for pretty much the entire game. Center Zach Shackelford struggled getting the ball back to the QB, snapping the ball twice when Ehlinger was not ready to go along with constant low snaps during the first half. Tom Herman said they have 5 lineman they feel comfortable with right now, and that is a huge problem. Freshman Derek Kerstetter and redshirt freshman J.P. Urquidez will spend much of the next week getting ready for emergency duty in case they are needed. The preseason transfers of Brandon Hodges and Jean Delance, coupled with the injuries to Patrick Hudson, Terrell Cuney, and Elijah Rodriguez, have left Texas with virtually no depth on the offensive line.
WR Devin Duvernay
After recording 20 catches for 420 yards his freshman year, Duvernay has caught 1 pass for 15 yards through 3 games. His stock being down has to do some with performance and some to do with the inability to find a role for him in the offense. Duvernay may be the fastest player on the team, and he was a perfect fit for what Sterlin Gilbert was trying to do with the offense last year. Tim Beck utilizes different passing concepts and Duvernay has been unable to make an impact so far. He was one of the return men on kickoffs early in the year, but was not on the return team against USC, giving way to Armanti Foreman and Lil’ Jordan Humphrey. Duvernay possesses a special skillset that Tom Herman and Tim Beck need to find a way to utilize.