Four key losses for the Longhorns in 2020

Head coach Tom Herman has a plethora of highly-rated athletes arriving in Austin this offseason. Several of these young players will need to fill the void left by former Longhorns who have moved on to play in the National Football League. Not only …

Head coach Tom Herman has a plethora of highly-rated athletes arriving in Austin this offseason.

Several of these young players will need to fill the void left by former Longhorns who have moved on to play in the National Football League. Not only will their play on the field be missed, their leadership will suffer a loss also, as three team captains are among them.

Which players will be the toughest to replace?

Devin Duvernay, WR

Duvernay did not miss a single game throughout his four-year collegiate career. His breakout senior season led the nation in total receptions and receptions per game, while earning First-Team All-Big 12 honors. Duvernay had a unique combination of a thick lower frame, strong hands, and incredible speed.

Collin Johnson, WR

It’s nearly impossible to replace a 6-foot-6, 221 pound receiver. Although Johnson’s career was riddled with injuries, he always seemed to showcase acrobatic catches in clutch moments for Texas. His athletic abilities are off the charts. Losing both of Ehlinger’s go-to receivers will leave a major void to fill. Johnson was elected as one of the team captains for the 2019 season.

Zach Shackelford, C

Also elected a team captain for the 2019 season, Shackelford started 39 games throughout his collegiate career. Serving as Ehlinger’s long-time center, Shackelford began starting for the Longhorns as a true freshman.

Malcolm Roach, DL

Roach’s versatility and leadership is incomparable. He spent time at both defensive end and linebacker throughout his career. As a senior, Roach started seven games, totaling 20 tackles including five for a loss. Also elected as a team captain for the 2019 season, Roach’s consistent intensity will be sorely missed.

2020 East-West Shrine Game: Texas OL Shackelford can improve draft stock

Texas offensive lineman Zach Shackelford, a consistent starter at center, has a chance to improve his NFL Draft stock at the Shrine game.

A four-year starter for the Longhorns, offensive lineman Zach Shackelford has a chance to improve his NFL Draft stock with a solid performance in the 2020 East-West Shrine game on Saturday, January 18.

The Shrine game is an invite-only event for college seniors based on a player’s ability to make an NFL roster. Several successful professional players such as Tom Brady, Brett Favre, and John Elway have all taken advantage of this opportunity in the past.

Shackelford has been seemingly overlooked as one of the draft eligible prospects from Texas. Wide receiver’s Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson, and safety Brandon Jones have noticeably received the most hype with invitations to the Senior Bowl, higher draft projections, etc.

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger has benefited greatly from Shackelford’s strong base in pass protection. A consistent starter at center for the Longhorns, Shackelford was elected as a team captain for the 2019 season.

After earning first-team All Big 12 honors, Shackelford is projected to be a day three selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Watch Shackelford’s quest to impress top representatives from NFL teams at 3:00 p.m. EST on NFL Network.

The former Longhorn will be wearing No. 56 on the West roster.

WATCH: Zach Shackelford leads post Alamo Bowl ‘Texas Fight’

Under Tom Herman, it is tradition to sing the fight song together in the locker room after a win. Watch the team sing after the Alamo Bowl.

Under Head Coach Tom Herman, after every victory, it is a tradition for the entire team to sing the school fight song together in the locker room. After Tuesday’s win over Utah, it was no different for the Longhorns, gathering to belt the words out.

Led by senior captain Zach Shackelford, it was the final time he and other seniors would have the opportunity to sign the fight song. After another emotional bowl win for the Longhorns, it was a loud and proud version of ‘Texas Fight’.

You can watch it here:

TEXAS FIGHT!#ThisIsTexas #HookEm pic.twitter.com/GpTwT28vXK

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 1, 2020

It was the final time seniors like Shackelford, Devin Duvernay, and Collin Johnson would ever play with the Longhorns logo on their helmet. It was important to send them on their way out with a win and that is exactly what Texas was able to do.

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Texas Longhorns Team of the Decade: Offense Selections

The wrap up of the Texas Longhorns All-Decade Team with all of the selection on offense.

For the better part of the last two weeks, Longhorns Wire has been providing the best players at each position for Texas from 2010-2019. Here are the selections for the All-Decade team. Each position will have a link below with the original articles.

Quarterback

Sam Ehlinger

Ehlinger was the clear favorite for quarterback of a decade. His junior season saw the Austin Westlake product throw for the second-most yards in school history just behind Longhorns legend Colt McCoy. With a bowl game left to go, he has an opportunity to close in on the single-season mark of 3,859 yards set in 2008. Ehlinger only needs 398 yards to break it.

Ehlinger currently sits second all-time in Texas history for career passing yards (8,669) and touchdowns (65). Sam also sits third in rushing yards by a quarterback but is closing in fast on McCoy for second-most at 1,571.

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2020 NFL Draft: Other Longhorn Prospects

Outside of the top four, the Texas Longhorns have a few other names to consider for the NFL Draft.

With the college football season winding down more and more there will be plenty of chatter with the Texas Longhorns’ football team in regards to who will be making the jump to the NFL following the bowl game on December 31st in San Antonio. The names that you know about as prospects are Collin Johnson, Brandon Jones, Devin Duvernay and Malcolm Roach.

The four mentioned are all going to be participating in offseason bowl games in hopes of impressing NFL teams as they chase their dreams of playing at the next level. However, these four aren’t the only ones who will have NFL aspirations.

Continue reading “2020 NFL Draft: Other Longhorn Prospects”

Texas’ offensive lineman of the decade

Texas’ OL has been impressive in the second half of the decade. The Longhorns have turned around their offensive line play in recent history

Being the most important unit in all of football, the offensive line for Texas has been impressive in the second half of the decade. Currently with three guys playing in the NFL, the Longhorns have turned around their offensive line play recently.

Connor Williams, Trey Hopkins, and Calvin Anderson are the three guys in the NFL, with Williams and Hopkins declaring after their junior year. The two started in a majority of the games the played, being consistent performers for the Longhorns. They also both helped Texas have some monster games on the ground, each having a 400-yard rushing game during their time at Texas.

Anderson was a graduate transfer from Rice who only spent one year with the Longhorns. He was a big get for Texas in 2018 and made an instant impact the minute he started to play. Starting in all 14 games he played in, Anderson was the left tackle for quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Protecting the blindside, he was a reliable blocker for the team.

Two players who are not in the NFL just quite yet are Zach Shackelford and Samuel Cosmi. The two have been the best players on the offensive line for Texas in 2019. Shackelford is a four-year player with 39 career starts, mainly at center. Cosmi redshirted in 2017 but has been a breakout performer for the Longhorns in his two years on the line.

Here is the Texas offensive line of the decade for the 2010s:

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