Texas Football

By Travis Stewart/Texas Football  --  Key players for each in-state college program — Part One.

Maybe it's because I've been busy.

I dunno. It's tough to tell. But the older I get, the more it seems like the college football season jumps up on me. Oh, believe me — there's still sleepless nights, tossing and turning and wishing for all the world that the Big Ten Network's mind-numbing classic football programming wasn't the only gridiron on the tele. I still ramble incessantly to friends and family alike, blah-blah-blahing about this guy and that guy and this defensive scheme. 

I still juke imaginary defenders in the hallway when no one's looking.

But, still, I'm finding that the start of the season is beginning to ambush me more and more. The radio tipped me off yesterday — just six weeks away. Eureka!, claimed I. That means it's time for college football material — and that it's still early enough to make fun projections instead of mindless news reporting (kidding).

So here's Part One of a two-part series on the top kids to watch for each in-state college program during two-a-days. Today, Baylor, SMU, Rice, TCU and Texas A&M. The other five go tomorrow. Some of these will be obvious, and some of these will not. I'm not going to pass up the right option just to be brash (or at least not today). As always, if you have a question or comment, don't hesitate to let me know.

A year ago, Darius Johnson was one of my trendiest picks to light up the Hilltop, wowing fans and coaches alike with a dazzling display of athleticism and production. I saw him in the 2008 title game (Allen vs. Hightower), and was so swayed by his performance that I thought he would immediately be the third amigo to incumbent starters Emmanuel Sanders and Aldrick Robinson. 

Early on, I looked like solid gold. He scored a touchdown in his first game, a sweet diving catch in the endzone that looked like a prophecy come true. But then a hairline fracture all but ended his season, especially when it saddled him with a suspension for a violation of team rules (the two were related). My once-grand prediction wilted like a flower in winter. 

So why do I feel so much better this year around? Well, for starters, Johnson's a year older. Maturity can take you a long ways, especially when you freely admit that you were sliding by in high school on sheer athleticism alone. That you've turned a new leaf, and that you understand how much different college football really is. Those are good signs. 

And, of course, nothing breeds success like necessity — and the Mustangs do need him. Sanders' graduation leaves a large hole for coach June Jones to fill, and even though the Ponies have a deep and talented wide receiver corps to pull from — especially in the freshman and sophomore ranks — Johnson probably has the highest talent ceiling of all of them. In the open field, his explosiveness and speed are very difficult to contain. Assuming the coaching staff can trust him to keep his head on straight and stay focused, they'll be looking his way on offense. 

I expect that, this time, he'll deliver.

I truly don't care if you think this is a cop-out choice. It's the correct one, without question.

My fiancee is a die-hard Longhorn. Has been for as long as I can remember and will be until the end of time. That orange is in her blood. And if you're not OU or Nebraska ... she really doesn't worry much about you. She acknowledges my minimal rooting interests out of kindness, but her interests lie in maroon and big red. 

So, needless to say, when she offered no argument on watching UT-Baylor with me this year, I knew Robert Griffin was special indeed.

His injury last year was devastating to the program and fan base. There's no other word for it. His freshman campaign was so scintillating that people far and wide were whispering his name in reverential tones. For anyone who saw him play, they knew he was the real deal. And for anyone who saw him speak, they knew he was a guy worth rooting for. 

Can you even remember the last time Baylor had a guy like that?

Griffin is "it." The X's and O's impact is blatantly obvious — no quarterback on the roster can combine his poise, passing accuracy, mobility and leadership in one package. As he goes, the offense will go, and as the offense goes, the much-maligned defense will go. We think Baylor can go to a bowl this year. But without Griffin to run that shotgun spread, this ship will never even leave the dock. Out of all the players in Texas — and there are quite a few — Griffin is the one I will watch the closest over the next six weeks. No program hinges on one player like BU does on him.

Could you imagine the hoopla if McGuffie had signed with Rice right out of high school?

Oh, the humanity! The Houston Chronicle would have printed a special section on him, I promise you. The Owls' local following would have skyrocketed. Outlets like Rivals and Scout would have had front page stories on their websites talking about Rice's "steal of the century." I shudder to think what the MOB would have done.

So when McGuffie announced he was transferring to Rice, and the state-wide media gave it all the fanfare of a child-friendly wet firecracker, I have to admit I was a bit surprised. 

C'mon, people — it's not like he failed at Michigan. He's leaving because, like most kids who go to Michigan from Texas, he just didn't like it all that much. And there's nothing wrong with that! In some ways, this move was even bigger than if McGuffie would have signed with Rice outright. He's bigger now. Stronger. Faster. A little more mature. He's more ready for the college football load than ever before. Had the coaching staff not sworn by Tyler Smith this offseason, he would've been the unquestioned starter on our summer magazine two-deep. For the record, I think he's going to end up there quickly.

He's arguably Rice's most athletic player without ever playing a game. And if he's really serious about the NFL, he knows he's on the clock. You can't waste time transferring and settling in at a oft-ignored school like Rice. You have to produce, immediately. Luckily, David Bailiff's offensive system and McGuffie's breathtaking speed and quickness seem like a match made in heaven. How different will we all be feeling if he erupts for 200-plus yards and multiple touchdowns against Texas in the season opener ... in an upset win?

My, oh my. Wouldn't that be something?

A year ago, a helmetless Tanner Brock laid an absolutely crushing block against a hapless SMU player to spring return specialist Jeremy Kerley for what would prove to be one of many touchdowns in an easy victory. Dazed, Brock made his way off the field to the cheers of the Horned Frog faithful. I mean, seriously. Outside of Jeremy Shockey, who's done anything memorable without a helmet over the past decade?

At that moment, most TCU fans just knew. You could feel it in the gut. Brock ... was a perfect fit.

TCU and coach Gary Patterson's hard-hitting, no-nonsense style of play has made them one of the most successful programs of the past ten years, in any conference or any state. Such growth wasn't by accident — Patterson is a master talent evaluator and never fails to find kids who are ideal for his system. And the linebacker spot, which has employed the likes of Daryl Washington (NFL), Jason Phillips (NFL), Robert Henson (NFL) and David Hawthorne (NFL), has been the crux of the entire thing. Knowing that Brock, alongside '09 sensation Tank Carder, is next in line for that throne can give you butterflies.

Brock is an all-out, full-throttle tackler with great strength and a missile-like nose for the football. He likes to attack, and he likes to hit hard. Mercy is not his strong point. And that's exactly what TCU demands out of its linebackers. In a 4-2-5, the LB corps is of utmost importance. You can't lead the nation in total defense two years in a row without it. Brock may be young, but he's already been productive (led the special teams in tackles last year) and, most importantly, has the fan base on his side. The coaching staff should know him well, too, since his older brother Logan is a junior tight end.

This kid has a chance to be special. Let's not miss the start of something good.

There's so many that it's almost impossible to pick just one. TE Hutson Prioleau would have been a good choice. Nothing wrong with OT Luke Joeckel, too. LB Sean Porter and S Steven Terrell will both be critical. But ultimately, success is built from the inside out. And it's finally time for Patterson to shine.

I've mentioned numerous times over the past two or three years that the defensive tackle spot has been a sore one for A&M for the greater part of a decade. Finding the big body to clog the middle is tough for every program, but for all of A&M's great success recruiting running backs and offensive linemen, the Longhorns and Sooners have plucked almost every marquee DT for years. For Patterson, it's time to show that those two big bullies missed a good one.

A&M's offense is what it is — a 30 points per game scorer that, at the least, will keep you in most games. But it normally can't win you one all on your own. A&M's defense has to make strides, and in a 3-4 defense like new coordinator Tim DeRuyter has implemented, the DT is beyond important. He's anchoring the line and almost single-handedly tasked with slowing the run game. Patterson certainly has the bulk to do so — he's well over 300 pounds and towers over most DTs at 6-foot-4. But his constant position moves across the lines over the years have somewhat stunted his development. But, as a senior, this is the last chance he's going to get. The coaching staff has more or less put all their eggs in his basket, especially with Adren Dorsey's departure. Last year, Patterson started all 12 regular season games. That was the experience part of the equation.

Now it's time for the production part. Without it, this defensive formula stays unbalanced.

He's got some strong support at linebacker behind him, especially with Von Miller lurking nearby. But both of the true ends he's flanked by are going to be young and inexperienced. That means he'll have to be the senior presence down there in the trenches. I can think of no player that A&M needs more from — well, besides Jerrod Johnson — than he.