Filling In The Blanks

Top Ten Countdown – Number 3 Texas
It makes me nervous to rank a team this high with a new starting quarterback, because I value experience under center and understand how important the position is to the success of any team.

Having said that, this is Texas and there is never a shortage of talent. Since Mack Brown arrived in Austin, the Longhorns, year in and year out, have signed one of the nations top rated recruiting classes. Replacing Colt McCoy will be a challenge, but the same was thought when McCoy replaced Vince Young.

Sophomore Garrett Gilbert will take over the reins of the Texas offense. Gilbert had to replace McCoy five plays into the national title game.

After getting off to a slow start against Alabama, Gilbert showed that he has the skills to be a very successful Division 1 quarterback.

But, for Gilbert to succeed, Texas must be more productive on the ground and give the talented sophomore time to locate his wide receivers.

The Longhorns only averaged 147.6 yards per game (61st nationally) on the ground in 2009 and McCoy was their second leading rusher. Texas will have to be much more efficient rushing the ball if they hope to defend their Big 12 championship.

In order for Texas’ offense to become more balanced a couple of things must happen.

First they will have to get immediate results from an offensive line that has to replace three starters and, secondly, have an impact running back emerge.

Tre Newton led Texas with 552 rushing yards a season ago, averaging a respectable 4.8 yards per carry. But, Newton carried the ball 13 times less than starting quarterback, McCoy. With Texas switching to the I-formation it is a clear sign that the Longhorns do not want to see Gilbert toting the ball nearly as often as McCoy.

The new offense should feature the tailback more and give Newton the opportunity to become Texas’s first 1,000 tailback in a few years.

Should Gilbert be forced to throw, he will be missing the Longhorns leading receiver from 2009, Jordan Shipley. Shipley reeled in 116 passes for nearly 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns, so his presence will certainly be missed, but Texas does return starting wide receivers James Kirkendoll and Michael Williams.

Williams snared 39 balls for 550 yards and a pair of scores, while Kirkendoll, more of a possession receiver, caught 48 passes for 461 yards and six touchdowns last season.

There are certainly questions with the Texas offense, but the defense should be dominant once more under the direction of defensive coordinator (and head coach in waiting) Will Muschamp.

Muschamp’s defenses have been among the nations’ best, including the 2009 unit, which was tops in the country against the run, allowing only 72.4 yards per game, and 12th in overall defense.

Texas lost four starters, including defensive end Sergio Kindle and leading tackler Roddrick Muckelroy (LB), along with All-American safety Earl Thomas. Even with the loss of three talented players, Texas returns seven quality defenders.

The secondary should be outstanding. Three defenders return, including cornerback Curtis Brown, cornerback Aaron Williams and free safety Blake Gideon. Brown recorded 53 tackles and broke up 15 passes, Williams had 44 stops, two sacks, four tackles for a loss, six passes defended and three interceptions, while Gideon made 62 tackles, broke up five passes and recorded six interceptions a year ago. Christian Scott or Kenny Vaccaro will likely take over the starting strong safety position vacated by Thomas.

Two starting linebackers return in juniors Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho. Robinson is the top returning tackler. The talented strongside linebacker had 74 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks and four pass breakups, while Acho, notched 49 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and one pass breakup, from his weakside linebacking spot. Jared Norton and Dustin Earnest will battle it out for the start in the middle.

Texas seems to always produce talented defensive linemen and 2010 should be no exception.

Headlining the defensive front are returning starters Sam Acho and Kheeston Randall. Acho, a defensive tackle, had impressive numbers a year ago. The senior had 63 tackles, broke up three passes, recorded four tackles for a loss and led the team with 10 sacks. Randall, the nose tackle, had 23 tackles and helped free up the linebackers in the middle of the Texas defense. Alex Okafor (22 tackles, two tackles for a loss) and Eddie Jones (23 tackles, five sacks, two tackles for a loss and one interception) are likely to start at defensive end.

Place kicker Hunter Lawrence will have to be replaced, but punter John Gold returns for his senior season after averaging 44.1 yards per punt in 2009. Last year Texas had a tremendous special teams unit. They returned three kickoffs, two punts and two blocked kicks for touchdowns, while freshman D.J. Monroe averaged 33.6 yards per kickoff return, second best in the nation. Texas may have a tough time duplicating those numbers, but Coach Brown generally fields special teams units that rank among the best in college football.

The state of Texas produces more Division 1 football players than any state in the nation and the University of Texas usually gets the pick of the litter. So, even when the Longhorns lose a lot of players to graduation and the NFL like they did in 2009, there seems to be little drop-off. That, along with a strong cast of returning defensive players gives Texas a shot at playing in the championship game for the second consecutive season.

WVU Snapshots -- wide receivers
On Tony Caridi’s visit to Berkeley Springs he said that he thought WVU’s receiving corps could be pretty good this fall. He intimated that there was enough talent among the Mountaineer receivers and that the position group was not really a concern.

Although the Mountaineers lost Aric Arnett who caught 43 passes for 586 yards and three touchdowns, they return slot receiver Jock Sanders, wide receiver Brad Starks along with the talented Tavon Austin, who was moved to wide receiver in the spring.

Sanders led WVU in receiving last year, catching 72 balls for 688 yards and three touchdowns. He is a reliable, sure-handed and shifty slot receiver that can make something happen after the catch. Starks, a former quarterback, reeled in 29 receptions for 405 yards and a touchdown in 2009. Caridi believes that Starks could have a breakout season, while Austin will provide another home run threat for the Mountaineers. The speedy return man’s move to the outside will put added pressure on opposing defense and enable WVU to more effectively stretch the field. He has the ability to take a short slant the distance or blow by a corner on the fly route.

Two interesting young receivers might see the field as well.

Steadman Bailey, a redshirt freshman, had a good spring and caught two touchdown passes in WVU’s spring game, while Ivan McCartney (true freshman), who hails from the same high school as Bailey (Miramar High School, Fl.) was the 12th rated wide high school receiver in the nation, according to Scout.com, and could add immediate depth to the position. By the way, Miramar has become quite the pipeline for the WVU football program, as Geno Smith (QB), Josh Taylor (DT) and incoming freshman wide receiver Josh Chambers also attended Miramar.

With all the explosive receivers, and, what appears like more depth, Caridi could be right.