When it comes time to talk about Texas football and the prospects of 2014, the storyline that most are fixated on is David Ash’s health. Ash’s injury concerns are most definitely problematic, but when fans preface season predictions with “Depending on Ash’s health…â€, that is a disservice to the rest of the team.
In Part IV of the Texas team preview, HornSports will take an in-depth look at quarterbacks and offensive linemen, and examine just how important David Ash is this Fall.
Before looking at the signal callers and the guys up front, it’s important to reiterate that this team will play a ball control, defense-first style that is offensively based in a power run game. The importance of running backs, defense and special teams cannot be overstated when projecting how the Longhorns will fare this Fall.
Having said that, there is good reason that everyone focuses on quarterback play: especially in the college game, football has become quarterback-centric. Analysts far and wide are quick to point out how critical quarterback play is to championship football.
With such an emphasis on one player, the quarterback depth chart in Austin is lacking – and that might be too generous. Beyond Ash, there is a pair of raw athletes, neither with significant playing experience.
In fact, one player, Jerrod Heard, is a true freshman that has only been on campus for a month. When discussing Texas quarterbacks, whether or not Heard should redshirt is an extremely close 2nd to comments about Ash’s health, in terms of how frequently fans mention it.
In projecting the Texas signal callers, it’s appropriate first to talk about the offensive line. After all, David Ash touches the ball on every single play, but not until Dominic Espinosa snaps it to him.
Espinosa is the key to the o-line. As a Senior, Espinosa has improved steadily throughout his career. In a new offense (with a new OL coach), having a veteran presence to coordinate blocking schemes and make calls is invaluable. From that perspective, Espinosa is central to everything this offense is hoping to accomplish.
Even though he weighs in over 300 pounds, Espinosa has historically had difficulty handling powerful defensive tackles. At offensive guard, Kent Perkins and Sedrick Flowers will be charged with helping Espinosa handle the interior of the line.
For the Longhorns to be a successful downhill running team, Flowers, Espinosa and Perkins must prevent opposing teams from penetrating into the backfield. Texas running backs need to be making their first cut into a lane as opposed to being forced to make a cut around a defensive tackle. That half-second difference for a running back, for the offensive line, and for the defensive front 7, can make or break a play.
At tackle, Desmond Harrison and Kennedy Estelle are charged with keeping Ash’s uniform clean and to keep defensive ends from crashing the party on the running attack. Harrison is a player that is being counted on for the line to be it’s best – Harrison’s size and athleticism make him a prototypical left tackle. Since coming to Austin from Contra Costa C.C., fans have been waiting for Harrison to emerge as the NFL prospect that the Texas line has been missing in recent years.
After playing as a reserve in 2013, Harrison has improved under Joe Wickline’s tutelage and is now slated to start at right tackle. If Harrison’s trajectory continues it’s trend, expect Wickline to move him to the left side of the line.
For all those positives and his potential, Harrison is currently suspended for the team’s first game and possibly longer. His absence provides valuable experience for Darius James, but for this team to execute their preferred style of offense, Harrison needs to be in the game and developing chemistry with the other starters along the line.
The impact of Co-offensive coordinator and OL coach Joe Wickline remains to be seen, but his presence is cause for optimism. While at Oklahoma State, Wickline developed a reputation as one of the nation’s best teachers of line play and he developed several highly regarded NFL draft picks. How readily Wickline is able to transform the existing roster from a team weakness to a strength can improve the entire offensive outlook for this Fall.
Wickline prefers versatility in linemen and does not typically platoon an entire 2nd unit at one time, both of which should be beneficial this season since depth on the line is a significant concern. Darius James and Jake Raulerson will both contribute heavily in rotation because of their ability to play multiple positions.
While the offensive line is entrenched in the success of the new Texas offense, there will be several points during the season when the Horns need their quarterback to step up and make a play. Whether it’s converting a third down pass to keep a drive alive, or throwing a touchdown that puts six on the board instead of a field goal, just like the other 10 positions on offense, there are specific things that Texas must get from quarterback play to be successful.
At the top of the depth chart is David Ash. Despite several years of experience, Texas fans are still unsure of what Ash can deliver on the field. From inconsistent play to debilitating injuries, Ash’s career, thus far, should only be labeled as “incompleteâ€.
Nevertheless, Ash enters the season 100% healthy and is unquestionably the best option on the depth chart. Ash has talked about mastering the complexities of Watson and Wickline’s pro-style offense and he represents the lone quarterback on the roster that provides the offensive staff with the ability to execute the entire playbook.
With underrated athleticism, Ash brings diversity to the offense with his ability to gain yards on the ground or to roll the pocket and throw on the run. Watson jokingly talked about reinforcing the importance of sliding rather than taking unnecessary hits to Ash; but it should be noted that neither he or Wickline have mentioned removing designed quarterback runs from the offense.
Head Coach Charlie Strong confirmed that Tyrone Swoopes will be David Ash’s backup. The burnt orange faithful have debated all Summer whether Swoopes or true freshman Jerrod Heard should be second string.
While Swoopes brings more athleticism to designed quarterback runs, he is not as developed as Ash is in terms of passing or his grasp of the offense. From a passing standpoint, Swoopes’ strong suit is the deep ball.
If Swoopes is forced into action, the Texas offense will depend even more on the running game and supplement it with deep passes to prevent the defense from crowding the line of scrimmage. Swoopes would also need to execute in the short, controlled passing game while most of the intermediate throws would be de-emphasized.
Behind Swoopes on the depth chart is Jerrod Heard. Much has been made of Heard’s vast potential, but the truth of the matter is that the Texas offense would be very limited with Heard at the helm.
While Heard adds even more explosion to the rushing attack, he’s even more inconsistent in the passing game than Swoopes. Whereas Swoopes can be depended on to throw consistently catch-able downfield passes and execute the short range attack, Heard’s inconsistency across all ranges of throws restricts playcalling, thereby giving advantage to the opposing defense.
While Ash remains healthy, redshirting Heard is a distinct possibility. Should Swoopes be thrust into service, how the coaches choose to provide Heard with meaningful experience will become a significant storyline.
Although there is no arguing the importance of Ash’s health, fans should think of progressing down the quarterback depth chart as an inversely proportional exercise to offensive line and running back play. In other words, if Swoopes sees the field, expect the line and backs to become even more central to the offense. That relationship multiplies exponentially when switching from Swoopes to Heard.
After years of quick strike offense and explosive plays, the 2014 offense is going to be less potent. However, less potent does not automatically equate to less effective.
Rather than needing to score 35 points to win a game, this offense is going to focus on possessing the football, keeping the defense off the field, limiting turnovers, and a power running game. Stylistically-speaking, it might not be fan friendly, but it complements the foundations of what the coaching staff is building.
From a positional standpoint, Texas is poised to execute the offense very well with it’s first string team. Depth, both at quarterback and on the offensive line would be significant hurdles to this team reaching goals on offense.
Just like every other team, the Longhorns will trot out eleven young men for their first offensive series of the season. Those players will be more than capable of executing the style of offense needed for this team’s success.
Regardless of that, fans throughout DKR will rehash concerns over David Ash’s health. After all, he’s the key to the season.