With the new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurcich now in control, what could the Texas Longhorns offense look like?
Prior to the Alamo Bowl game the Texas Longhorns and Tom Herman decided to go a different route on offense. Tim Beck was the offensive coordinator but he was reassigned and ultimately left to join the North Carolina State football team as their new offensive coordinator. The offense proceeded to score three points above their average for that game.
Arrival of Mike Yurcich
During the offseason the team decided to go with former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. He was coming off a one-year run at Ohio State as the passing game coordinator and quarterback coach for the Buckeyes. That explosive offense averaged close to 47 points per game. Yurcich is on record stating that their goal is 45 points per game. The Longhorns finished with 35.2 in 2019.
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) May 28, 2020
That is bold goal for Yurcich and the offense. During his time with Oklahoma State, he only hit that number once. In 2017, the Cowboys averaged 45 points per game. They finished third in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma and Texas Christian.
At Ohio State, Yurcich coached Justin Fields who accounted for 51 touchdowns and 3,757 yards of total offense. Now it is important to point out that no one is expecting Sam Ehlinger to be Justin Fields. However, in an apples to apples comparison Ehlinger accounted for 39 total touchdowns and 4,326 yards of total offense.
The top stories from around the Big 12 conference in the Wednesday morning rush. 247Sports and Arizona Sports provide the headlines.
Each morning Longhorns Wire shares the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference. Here are today’s top articles provided by 247Sports and Arizona Sports.
The running back room for the Texas Longhorns is loaded with talent. What is the outlook for Keaontay Ingram and can he hold off Bijan?
The Texas Longhorns have quite the level of talent among their running back room that looks different than it did a season ago. Even with composite five-star running back Jordan Whittington moving over to wide receiver, the level of talent is still with this group.
The incumbent starter Keaontay Ingram is looking to build off of his sophomore campaign. He was a big part of their 38-10 Alamo Bowl victory over the Utah Utes down in San Antonio. Behind him is the quarterback turned running back.
Roschon Johnson started out at quarterback but after an early season injury to Whittington, Johnson made the move to running back and finished second on the team. He will be looking to fulfill that role once again in 2020 as a compliment to the starter Ingram.
Then you have the newcomer Bijan Robinson, who was rated the number one running back in the nation. He was one of two signees that played running back. Jaden Hullaby of Mansfield being the other, however he is listed as an athlete. Robinson is expected to provide some juice to the offense in 2020 and beyond.
LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster. Today, we will be looking at junior RB Keaontay Ingram.
Going into the 2020 football season, LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster.
Over the summer, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Tom Herman this season.
Today, we will be looking at junior running back Keaontay Ingram.
Analysis: Much like he was in 2019, Keaontay Ingram is going to be an important part of Texas’ offense in 2020. The junior running back is expected to be one of the best at his position this season, hopefully towards the top of the Big 12 in rushing statistics.
A starter in all 13 games last season, Ingram had 1,095 all-purpose yards last season. His best performance of the season came in the last-second victory over Kansas State, having 139 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
With five-star prospect Bijan Robinson coming into the program, plus Roschon Johnson making the full time switch to running back, there will be competition for carries. As things stand, Ingram will be the No. 1 running back for Mike Yurich until he is proven wrong.
247Sports named their one player who needs to step up in 2020. For the Longhorns it comes from the wide receivers group.
The Texas Longhorns return one of the most productive teams in the Big 12 in 2020. However, they do have plenty of questions especially on the offensive side of the ball. While they do have talent available, it remains unclear who will step up in 2020 for this football team. If the Longhorns do indeed make a run at the Big 12 title they will need a few players to step up on both sides of the ball. According to 247Sports, there is one player on offense who needs to step up the most.
247Sports writer Dean Straka states:
Texas fans saw what Eagles was capable of accomplishing during his sophomore year on the Forty Acres after only registering one catch as freshman in 2018, but 2020 will bring an entirely new set of expectations for the former four-star prospect. With Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson — the Longhorns’ leading two receivers from 2019 — both now graduated, Eagles finds himself standing as arguably the top target for Sam Ehlinger to work with in 2020 as the Longhorns look to rebound from an 8-5 finish that was far short of meeting expectations a year ago. Eagles’ most productive game of 2019 his best game of the season in Week 2 in a 45-38 loss to eventual national champion LSU (five catches for 116 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown strike). With new Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich setting the expectation of around 45 points per game in order for the Longhorns to compete, prepare to see plenty of passes from Ehlinger headed in Eagles’ direction this fall.
Ehlinger has a tall task ahead of him this upcoming season, steer the Longhorns towards the top of the conference without his top two receiver of the past few season. Along with Eagles, Jordan Whittington, Jake Smith and newcomer Tarik Black are all expected to be in the mix. For the team to hit the level of expectation that Yurcich has laid out, they will all need to do their part.
Behind Ehlinger in the backfield Keaontay Ingram, Roschon Johnson and newcomer Bijan Robinson should help lighten the load. Ingram and Johnson are the known commodity, while Robinson is the wildcard. The best running back in Arizona high school history should be a mainstay on the offense for the next three seasons. If he is able to deliver what many think he can, the offense should be a lethal one.
Locked on Longhorns Podcast discusses COVID-19 positive tests, the top ten quarterbacks and running backs in the conference.
The podcast kicks off discussing the sheer amount of positive COVID-19 tests for LSU and Clemson. Are the amount of positive tests a red flag? Could having a third of the team testing positive something that could cause us to miss out on football in 2020? Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted that he is beginning to worry so should we? Plus a former Sooner wearing burnt orange? Troy Aikman posted a picture on Instagram wearing a Texas shirt.
Breaking down the top ten quarterbacks in the Big 12. Where is the newcomer in Spencer Rattler? Is he too high? What about Charlie Brewer, Brock Purdy and Sam Ehlinger? Which quarterback is the top gunslinger in the Big 12?
While there are plenty of quarterback talk, what about the running backs? Zachary Evans should be the projected starter, just how high is he on the list? Plus the argument of who is the top running back in the conference and where is Keaontay Ingram?
Bryce Elder and Duke Ellis are heading to Major League Baseball, do the Longhorns have an issue at starting pitcher?
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine names eight Longhorns to their All-Texas college team with five on the first team.
In the state of Texas football is king. Our lives from Friday through Monday night are often times filled with different football games to watch or attend from high school to the NFL. One huge staple in the Lone Star State is Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine. Recently they released their All-Texas team with eight current Longhorns and one former Texas product.
Former Longhorn signal caller Shane Buechele made the list as the best quarterback in the state. The other “bests” with Longhorns ties belong in the trenches.
Best offensive lineman: Samuel Cosmi, Texas
Best defensive lineman: Keondre Coburn, Texas
Samuel Cosmi is viewed as not only the best offensive lineman in the state of Texas but the Big 12 Conference as well. Keondre Coburn hasn’t been generating the same level of NFL Draft hype as his offensive counterpart but under Chris Ash’s defense, that could change in 2020. With a change in defensive scheme, Coburn could find himself earning a lot of money in the NFL with a strong performance in 2020. The former high school All-American is entering his redshirt sophomore year and could declare for the draft with a strong year.
Athlon Sports released their 2020 All-Big 12 team. With four different teams, the Texas Longhorns walked away with 16 total selections.
Athlon Sports has released their 2020 All-Conference teams with the Texas Longhorns have the third-most selections. Oklahoma (18) and Iowa State (17) were the only teams with more than Texas’ 16 selections. Cornerback D’Shawn Jamison was selected three different times by Athlon.
There is absolutely no surprise with Sam Ehlinger leading the charge as the top quarterback in the conference. The senior quarterback will be looking to lead the Longhorns back to the top of the conference and cement his legacy much like Vince Young and Colt McCoy did before him.
Sam Cosmi is viewed as a first round draft pick and fringe top 15 selection. With no question he is the top offensive tackle of the conference and might be the best lineman as well. He will make himself a lot of money with another stellar season in 2020.
Joseph Ossai is listed at linebacker although he will be playing closer to the line of scrimmage at the “Jack” position. Ossai showed just what time of impact he can have in the Valero Alamo Bowl against the Utah Utes. When asked to rush the passer, Ossai can be a disruptive force.
D’Shawn Jamison shows up on the list three different times. Once as a cornerback and twice as a return specialist. Jamison led the team a year ago with three interceptions. He also led the team in kick return and punt return yardage in 2019.
The Longhorns Wire writers discuss their top five returners on offense in the latest roundtable discussion.
Three Longhorns Wire authors rank their top returners on the offensive side of the ball.
Cami:
Sam Ehlinger – QB – He has complete control over this offense, everything starts and ends with him. He’s also poised to have a Heisman finalist season as a senior.
Samuel Cosmi – OL – The 6-7, 300-pound left tackle will anchor the offensive line this season, if it weren’t for Ehlinger behind center, he’d be the top returner on offense.
Jake Smith – WR – His versatility as both a receiver and returner are key here. With Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay both leaving for the NFL, Smith is bound to have a breakout season.
Tim Warner/Getty Images
Keontay Ingram – RB – With the nation’s best running back Bijan Robinson joining the roster this summer, Ingram will have to produce significantly in order to retain his starting role. It’s his job for the taking, but the running back room is now loaded with talent.
Brennan Eagles – WR – He hasn’t been able to showcase his full potential yet, but Texas desperately needs a big-bodied receiver on the outside.
As spring football approaches for the Texas Longhorns, Longhorns Wire takes a look at the running back battle for 2020.
Over the history of the Texas Longhorns football program, they have put some of the very best running backs from Earl Campbell to Eric Metcalf to Ricky Williams to Cedric Benson to Jamaal Charles on the field at Darrel K. Royal-Memorial Stadium. There are many more that could be listed but you get the point, playing running back at University of Texas has launched many careers to the NFL.
The 2020 team is no exception. The Longhorns signed the number one running back in the nation with Bijan Robinson. Robinson won’t be in spring camp since he won’t officially enroll at Texas until the fall. He has had quite the winter with his appearance in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio and the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Balance, speed, vision, hands. Robinson has it all and that is why the Arizona product was ranked as the number one running back in the nation. While Bijan won’t be part of the spring football workouts and spring game, he is still one the backs to watch when he steps foot on the Forty Acres this fall.
Keaontay Ingram
Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
The incumbent starter, Keaontay Ingram finished his second season for the Longhorns. Ingram rushed the ball just two times more in 2019 than he did in 2018 for a total of 145 yards more. His total yards from scrimmage increased from 878 yards to 1,095 as he became more of an option in the passing game.
The former four-star back from Carthage, Texas has the leg up on the starting role given how he has performed for the Longhorns. The soon to be junior running back did split time with Roschon Johnson this season with a Ingram getting more carries by a narrow margin.
Roschon Johnson
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Johnson showed that he is the ultimate teammate in 2019. Following the injury to Jordan Whittington, Roschon made the switch to running back. He was listed on the depth chart as the second running back and third quarterback. The dual-threat is living up to the moniker as he is a threat to play two separate positions. It wouldn’t be surprising if Johnson could also help out at the wide receiver spot as well.
Roschon finished his first season at Texas with 146 touches, 807 yards and eight scores. Most of those numbers coming on the ground when asked to spell Ingram. Roschon should get more looks at running back in 2020 and during the spring based on how well he adapted this past season.
Jordan Whittington
AP Photo/Chuck Burton
Jordan Whittington brought a lot of hype with him to Austin in 2019, unfortunately that was short-lived with his injury that robbed him of his freshman season. After suffering an injury against Louisiana Tech early on in the season, Whittington was shut down after two receptions for 17 yards. In 2020, a lot will be expected of him. He was listed as one of ESPN’s Top 25 breakout players in 2020.
Whittington was a star running back in high school and he could very well find himself in the mix at both running back and wide receiver come the fall. The Longhorns are going to have to find ways to replace the production of Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson who left for the NFL after graduating.
For Texas the running back room is suddenly chock full of talent and the best part is that new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich will have plenty of options at his disposal for 2020.
