Texas Football: Five reasons for pessimism ahead of the 2022 season
The talk of Texas’ offseason has been the slew of incoming talent that was acquired via the transfer portal.
Each new transfer was on the offensive side of the ball aside from Ohio State cornerback Ryan Watts. While the new additions certainly provide a boost, there’s several holes to fill still.
Longhorns Wire touched on five reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming 2022 season on Sunday. It included former five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers, the revamped wide receiver room, and new coaching staff additions among others. Now, we’ll take a look at the opposite end.
Texas has some serious uncertainties in the trenches, and they’ll be relying on a few inexperienced players to step into starting roles all over the field this season. Here’s a look at five reasons for pessimism ahead of the upcoming college football season.
Lack a proven pass rusher
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This is no doubt the biggest need for Texas ahead of the 2022 season. After missing out on Ochaun Mathis and several other EDGE prospects in the transfer portal, the Longhorns will likely rely on young and unproven players this season such as Alfred Collins, Justice Finkley and Barryn Sorrell among others. Games are won and lost in the trenches, and Texas has uncertainties on both the defensive and offensive lines.
Inexperienced quarterback play
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There is a lot of hype surrounding quarterback Quinn Ewers, and for good reason. However, after skipping his senior year of high school and only receiving a few handoffs while at Ohio State, it may take a bit for Ewers to get up to speed at the collegiate level. Growing pains are expected here, but it’s crucial for Texas to have consistency at this position unlike last season.
Offensive line questions
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This one is self-explanatory. It was Texas’ biggest weakness last season, and Kyle Flood’s unit must take a step forward this year. The new look offensive line is expected to be young and fairly inexperienced after the Longhorns brought in one of the top offensive line classes for the 2022 cycle. It doesn’t matter how talented the quarterback is if he doesn’t have time and/or plays are unable to develop.
Linebacker depth
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Texas missed out on a few experienced linebackers in the transfer portal this offseason, including UCLA’s Caleb Johnson who eventually chose Miami over Texas. The Longhorns need to hope that DeMarvion Overshown and Jaylan Ford are healthy all season, as there aren’t many options behind the two.
How quickly can the new additions find their groove?
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Texas has an extremely talented offense on paper, but only Bijan Robinson and Xavier Worthy are proven commodities in Austin. It will be interesting to see how quickly the Longhorns can find their groove with the slew of new players. Several new faces could be along the offensive line, as well as wide receiver, quarterback, and tight end.
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