We have a winner for the most tired phrase of the offseason: Texas is always the most talented. Following Phil Steele’s position rankings reveal, its the only line to which naysayers can turn.
Texas always has the talent. It’s the cover of truth surrounding a false premise. When discussing what the team returns from last year, talent isn’t really even the point.
The most notable takeaway some have from the read was that despite being the No. 1 ranked team at every position by Phil Steele, Texas always has the talent. I can’t recall Texas being ranked first at every position group before, although it could have happened. The point is, the proven talent across the board is not normal for Texas. It usually is squandered, as borne out by past coaching regimes. The Longhorns have matchup problems, not just talent.
The reality is, the Longhorns are being ranked by the players that have already played well on the field, not just the ones with five-star recruiting ratings. And the team has far more proven players than any other Big 12 squad.
One could argue the team’s best player is former three-star linebacker Jaylan Ford. That’s not recruiting ranking talent. That’s simply a well developed player. He’s one of many on the roster.
Fan Nation’s Killer Frogs shared some other fan favorites of Texas outsiders’ favorite lines. Among the other curious talking points was that Texas big money donors will somehow have a hand in the Longhorns’ on-field product this season. It’s unclear how that will supposedly occur. That talking point is almost always vague and without any tangible substance.
Texas is set to make a statement. It’s not because it is a five-star recruiting machine, but because assistant coaches Kyle Flood, Terry Joseph, Jeff Choate and Jeff Banks have made it a player development machine. There’s a difference between talent and developed talent. It should be evident in the on-field product this season.