2019 Texas Offensive Preview

By Rickey Brown

Share or Save for Later

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Save to Favorites

Texas’ offense shifted dramatically a season ago, and it started under center. Quarterback Sam Eh- linger took a massive step forward as a sophomore, and it changed the entire way the Longhorns were able to play offense.

“He grew with the offense and allowed us to be in good plays,” offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. “It equated to us being much more efficient as an offense. I think we found an identity, stuck to who we were and did a great job of holding onto the football.”

After turning the ball over in big spots two years ago, Ehlinger set the Big 12 record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception. After showing inconsistency through the air, he completed 64.7 percent of his passes. After questions about durability, he ran for 482 yards and 16 touchdowns. His development allowed the Longhorns to focus on ball control and moving the chains, while still producing enough explosive downfield plays to be dangerous. Ehlinger isn’t a perfect quarterback, but he’s a perfect quarterback for this offense.

While his favorite target Lil’Jordan Humphrey is gone to the NFL, there’s plenty of blue-chip talents to replace him. Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay are back, and superstar early-enrollee Bru McCoy is ready to shred defenses right away. Running back Keaontay Ingram showed flashes of being an every-down back as a freshman and will benefit from a full offseason in the strength and conditioning program.

The offensive line has to replace three starters, but the physical culture has transferred over across the unit. Sam Cosmi proved himself to be an all-conference type as a freshman and should excel, along with center Zach Shackelford. Georgia Tech guard Parker Braun also returns to his home state as a grad transfer. A plethora of 4-star recruits in the last two classes will help ease the transition along.

“I think we’re really talented offensively,” Beck said. “We have some really young players, so it will be interesting to see their development and how they play at DKR when we’re not standing behind them. But they’re exciting to watch because they’re a very talented group.”

This article is available to our Digital Subscribers.
Click "Subscribe Now" to see a list of subscription offers.
Already a Subscriber? Sign In to access this content.

Sign In