Spring football practice is now underway for all the Power Five Texas college football teams, marking the unofficial start of the 2023 season. While they won't get to tee off on any opponents until the first weekend of September, these programs will compete amongst themselves for 15 practices before showing the improvements they've made in the Spring Game. Of course, no one is tallying wins and losses just yet, but no team wants to have to go back to the drawing board ahead of summer workouts and fall camp.

Here are my picks for one big question that every team needs to have answered by the conclusion of Spring football.

Baylor

Are the Barrington brothers legit?

It's still murky ahead of Dave Aranda's fourth year in Waco whether or not Baylor is heading in the right direction as a program. The Bears massively underperformed in their Big 12 Championship defense in 2022, following up a 12-win season with four-straight losses, including a disheartening 30-15 bowl game trouncing at the hands of Air Force. Now, the strength from last year's squad is arguably their biggest question mark in spring football. Baylor needs to find replacements for six offensive linemen, but offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and line coach Eric Mateos already had two names in mind from their days coaching together at BYU. Clark and Campbell Barrington announced within a week of each other in December their intentions to transfer from the Cougars to Baylor. Clark, a 6-foot-6-inch, 305-pound left guard who started 40 games in four years of work will look to recapture his All-American selection from 2021. His younger brother, Campbell, was a freshman All-American selection in 2021 before playing in nine games as a rotational lineman in 2022. While the Barrington brothers are proven commodities who'll most likely start in 2023, the jury is still out on if they can match the production of 2022 DCTF Offensive Lineman of the Year Jacob Gall and Second Team All-Big 12 selection Connor Galvin.

Texas Tech

Can a rotated offensive line better protect the QB?

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire has the tortillas flying with extra enthusiasm in Lubbock after finishing Year One with the Red Raiders’ first winning conference record since 2009. And he did it despite becoming only the second program in the FBS since 1996 to have three separate quarterbacks throw for 1,000 yards in a season. How did that remarkable feat happen? All the quarterbacks got injured. Tyler Shough is back for Texas Tech after posting a 5–0 record as a starter, as is the program’s highest rated quarterback-signee Behren Morton. But whichever signal caller takes over, the Red Raiders’ offensive line needs to be much improved to keep him healthy. Texas Tech allowed 41 sacks and only rushed for 3.9 yards a carry as they failed to control the line of scrimmage throughout the year. Outside help is on the way from Western Kentucky transfers Cole Spencer and Rusty Staats, and the returning linemen are playing musical chairs. Last year’s starters Monroe Mills and Caleb Rodgers will flip tackle sides, and Dennis Milburn moves to right guard after playing center in 2022. The quarterback can’t get touched in spring football, but Texas Tech’s rearranged offensive line must be solidified come August.

Texas A&M

How different is the offensive scheme under new coordinator Bobby Petrino?

Texas A&M entered the 2022 season as a dark horse College Football Playoff team after signing the best recruiting class in program history. But after a 4–1 start to the year, the Aggies endured a brutal six-game losing streak on the back of an offense that ranked 93rd in the nation in total yards per game. By the start of spring practice, over 30 players had opted to transfer from College Station, and Jimbo Fisher had brought in Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator to jump start an offense that scored over 30 points just twice in 2022. But when Fisher fielded the first inquiry on whether he’d abdicate play calling duties, a job he’s handled since taking over as head coach, the press conference got a little awkward. And while Fisher said fans could plan on Petrino taking over the playbook, only spring ball will reveal how much Fisher’s signature pro-style offense will be tweaked. Petrino, who helped Lamar Jackson win a Heisman Trophy as Louisville’s head coach in 2016, will look to develop incumbent starter Conner Weigman into an all-conference quarterback. A five-star recruit from A&M’s heralded 2022 class, Weigman started four games as a freshman and tossed eight touchdowns to zero interceptions, including a breakout game against Ole Miss in which he set an A&M freshman record with 338 yards passing.

TCU

Has Joe Gillespie made any updates to the 3-3-5 stack?

Joe Gillespie inherited the impossible task of replacing a legend, and in his first year as defensive coordinator he had the guts to veer away from the legend’s signature defense. Of course, Gillespie didn’t have to succeed Gary Patterson as a head coach, but he did need to get his players to buy into a 3-3-5 stack after TCU ran the 4-2-5 for over two decades with Patterson. The Horned Frogs not only improved in every major category on the defensive side of the ball from 2021, they reached the National Championship game and to cement the best season in program history. But in a conference that prides itself on high-flying spread attacks, Gillespie will need to make sure he stays ahead of the curve with adjustments now that the league’s offensive coordinators have a full season of tape to pour over this offseason. He’ll have to do it without a few key pieces from last year’s squad as well. Cornerback Trevius Hodges-Tomlinson is off to the NFL after winning the Thorpe Award last year, as is First Team All-Big 12 linebacker Dee Winters. Gillespie will need to rely on returning All-Conference cornerback Josh Newton, who’s now a seasoned veteran after playing across from Hodges-Tomlinson in 2022.

Texas

What's the plan for replacing Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson?

There’s reason for optimism surrounding the Texas offense in 2023. Quinn Ewers is back under center after showing flashes of brilliance in his first season starting, as is his entire offensive line and dynamic targets Xavier Worthy and Ja’Tavion Sanders. But the lone starter who won’t return was the Longhorns’ best player in 2022. Bijan Robinson capped his three-year Texas career with over 1,500 yards, 18 touchdowns and the Doak Walker award before declaring for the NFL Draft. Robinson’s backfield teammate, Roschon Johnson, is leaving with him. After converting from quarterback during his freshman season, Johnson carved himself a role as a vocal team leader and the Longhorns’ dependable No.2 back. In their first taste of life without Robinson and Johnson, Texas managed a paltry 2.8 yards per carry in the Alamo Bowl loss to Washington. Former Mr. Texas Football honoree Jonathon Brooks is projected to slide into the starting spot after two years backing up Robinson and Johnson, but Texas needs another player to emerge alongside him out of a crowded backfield. Keilan Robinson is the change-of-pace back, but look for rising sophomore Jaydon Blue and incoming five-star Cedric Baxter Jr. to compete for playing time.

Houston

Who wins the QB Battle?

Any positive momentum Houston hoped to achieve before they transitioned to the Big 12 was tempered by a disappointing 8–5 finish in their last season in the American Athletic Conference. Now, the Cougars need to gear up for a schedule that has them playing ten of their 12 games in the state of Texas without two of the bright spots from their 2022 team. Quarterback Clayton Tune won’t be suiting up for the Cougars for the first time in five years after closing out his career with over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns. Tune largely kept Houston competitive last season, making up for a defense that ranked 105th in the FBS with 421.6 yards allowed per game. His favorite target, Nathaniel Dell, is off to the NFL as well after leading the nation in receiving yards. Houston looked within the conference for Tune’s replacement, landing Texas Tech transfer Donovan Smith. At 6-foot-5-inches and 230 pounds, Smith led the Red Raiders in passing yards and compiled a 3–2 record in the games he started. He’ll compete with Lucas Coley, who backed up Tune last year but has only thrown three passes in his collegiate career.