For perhaps the first time since he took over the Texas football program prior to the 2021 season, head coach Steve Sarkisian has a big issue befitting a top-10 program.
What blue-chip, highly talented players will have to watch from the sideline as someone else starts in his spot?
It’s an enviable problem, sure. But it’s also one that will have to be solved before the Longhorns kick off the season Aug. 31 against visiting Colorado State. Texas had 11 players drafted by the NFL in April, the most for the Longhorns in a single draft since the NFL cut the draft to seven rounds in 1994. That means competition looks stiff in the summer at certain spots, especially with several proven veterans arriving in the portal.
“For us to sit here and say this is the deepest team we’ve had, probably the most talented team we’ve had in my four years here, I can unequivocally say that,” Sarkisian said. “We lost some really good players from a year ago, but we’ve got a very deep football team, one that we’re excited about. (We) are looking forward to watching them compete this fall.”
That competition within the team itself begins with the first practice Wednesday. Let’s take a look at five key position battles.
More: Texas, Oklahoma: Differences between SEC and Big 12 football start with talent
Freshman wide receiver Ryan Wingo sprints downfield during the Texas spring game in April. Wingo, a five-star recruit who is part of a deep receiving corps, is one of the candidates to start at receiver for the Longhorns, who open fall camp Wednesday.
Left guard: Is Hayden Conner still the starter?
Hayden Conner, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound senior, gives the Longhorns one of the most proven interior linemen in the nation who has started all 27 games over the past two seasons. But former four-star recruit Neto Umeozulu should get a chance to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/key-position-battles-texas-longhorns-110322217.html
Author : Austin American-Statesman
Publish date : 2024-07-30 11:03:22
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