Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas -- Mack Brown met with reporters for only the second time since Texas’ Holiday Bowl victory on Thursday afternoon and broke down the state of the program going into the first spring practice of the new season.

Be sure to check out Carter Strickland’s story from today’s press conference on the competition that’s about to begin for every job. We’ll have more in the next few days on some of the topics Brown touched on today, but here’s a few key notes from the day.

Williams to be honored with statue

Texas will unveil an eight-feet, 1,000-pound bronze statue of Ricky Williams at the April 1 spring game. The 1998 Heisman Trophy winner recently retired after an 11-year NFL career.

Brown said the gesture was one Texas has been saving for when Williams’ pro career came to an end, and it was only fitting considering Earl Campbell already has one in the southwest corner of DKR.

“Words can’t describe how honored I am,” Williams said in a statement. “Wow, having a statue at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium is something I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams when I came here from San Diego.

“Texas was such a welcoming place, and with its unbelievable history and tradition, it’s extra special to be a part of that. I’m just humbled and grateful to be recognized in such an amazing way by a school and city that has meant so much to me and my family and is a vital part of my life.”

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Junior college offensive tackle Trenton Brown (Milledgeville, Ga./Georgia Military College) names his top five and includes the Longhorns.

For every returning starter and proven commodity who will take the field Thursday for Texas’ first spring practice, there’s another who needs these next five weeks to prove himself.

From the backups to the redshirts to the newcomers, spring ball can mean the difference between a fall spent under the bright lights or on the bench. And in a program with the recruiting tradition of Texas, no starter should get too comfortable.

Here are the position battles we’ll be keeping an eye on during the Longhorns’ first 15 practices of the 2012 season. We all know what No. 1 is on this list, but don’t ignore the openings at these other spots. What goes down in the next month will have significant implications on what kind of team will take the field Sept. 1 against Wyoming.

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Another spring camp is opening, and it's time to take a closer look. Today, the Texas Longhorns get started.

Schedule: Practice starts today leading up to the spring game on April 1. Practices are closed to fans and media, though the team will have two open practices, a change from last year, when all 15 practices were closed.

What's new: Not much, as opposed to last year, when the answer was "almost everything." The Longhorns' staff all returned for 2012 after Mack Brown shook up his staff and replaced six assistant coaches after going 5-7 in 2010. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz will have to replace defensive leaders Emmanuel Acho, Blake Gideon and Keenan Robinson, but the offense returns 10 starters, including both quarterbacks, David Ash and Case McCoy.

New faces: Quarterback Connor Brewer joins the fold, but the biggest news may have been a shift in recruiting philosophy with new assistants on staff with SEC ties. The Longhorns took a junior college signee for the first time since 2002. Offensive line coach Stacy Searels came from Georgia last season and will have offensive tackle Donald Hawkins from Mississippi to work with. Meanwhile, defensive tackles coach Bo Davis (Alabama) will work with Brandon Moore from Alabama.

Big shoes to fill: Linebacker Jordan Hicks. The Ohio native and No. 1 linebacker in the 2010 class made 55 tackles last season, but without Robinson and Acho, it's Hicks' time in Austin this year. Look out for a big year, and that starts this spring. He's battled through a broken foot, but if he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for the 6-foot-2, 235-pounder who has added 20 pounds since leaving high school.

Don't forget about: Receiver Mike Davis. He was the team's top target this time last year, but had a slightly disappointing sophomore season and Jaxon Shipley surpassed him as the Longhorns' top receiver. Davis is very talented, though. He and Shipley could both be stars, but don't rule out Davis surging this spring. He turned the coaching staff's collective head last year.

Breaking out: Quandre Diggs was part of the freshman invasion at Texas last year, and he could have made a case for being the best freshman in the Big 12. He's a shutdown corner ready to become a star. In a league with the type of offensive talent the Big 12 has, his skills are invaluable. Don't rule out the sophomore cracking the All-America team next year.

All eyes on: Texas' quarterback battle. Texas will be best off if Ash asserts himself and boxes out McCoy with a strong spring, but there's no guarantee that happens. Ash's physical attributes (size, speed, arm strength) give him a much higher upside than his counterpart, but for now they amount to just that: upside. The two had comparable numbers in 2011 and neither was solid. Will we see separation this spring?

In this episode of RecruitingNation 411, we look at the big recruiting weekends for Michigan, Florida, and Texas A&M. We also look into the bizarre day for Davonte Neal, the only uncommitted member of the ESPNU 150 for the 2012 class.