Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas -- Manny Diaz's first mistake, the one that would lead to 112 more in the form of missed tackles, was believing, or at the very least not tempering, the hype.

"The mistake I made last year was that I was aware that expectations were higher for our team than they should have been," the Texas defensive coordinator said. "I think there were too many assumptions made. We said, 'Well, this guy is bigger and faster than the guy who graduated, so he must be better.'

"The mistake I made is I should have said, 'Forget about it, it’s your turn now,' " Diaz said.

Their turn is coming up again; most of the same players in all of the same positions. And that is where the worry lies. Not much appears to have changed at Texas. Same players. Same coach. Oh, wait a minute: There has been some change. The two best players on a defense that was the worst in school history in 2012 are off to the NFL. So the team is without its leading tackler from a year ago, Kenny Vaccaro, and without Alex Okafor, who took over the Alamo Bowl and led Texas in sacks. And now there is supposed to be some excitement about the "turn" this group is about to take? Try hand-wringing worry.

"Understandably, we will have lost trust from people from our performance last year, and we understand that," Diaz said. "There’s nothing we can do until we go back out and play in the fall to regain that trust. Our job right now is to get these guys as good as they can be to become a physical, hard-nosed defense."

The first step in doing that is remembering, not who they were collectively a season ago, but who they were when they were at their best, when they were freer, faster and more fearless on the field.

"We can’t carry around the ghost of last year," Diaz said.

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Every year, there's lots of turnover and change for every college program. What do the Big 12 teams need to do before next fall? Let's continue our look with the Longhorns down in Austin.

1. Figure out the offensive identity. Bryan Harsin is gone, and he's probably taking most of his pre-snap shifts with him. Will Major Applewhite still look to run a power offense? Texas has recruited and developed its offensive line really well lately, but David Ash has matured, and even with a wealth of backs in Malcolm Brown, Johnathan Gray, Joe Bergeron and Daje Johnson, Texas hasn't been able to keep them healthy or get consistent production out of one for an entire season. Will Applewhite put more responsibility in Ash's hands? He was good at times last season, but the rising junior was inconsistent. His ceiling is probably a legitimate Heisman campaign. His floor is probably getting benched in favor Connor Brewer or Jalen Overstreet -- or maybe even incoming freshman Tyrone Swoopes. Where will he fall on the spectrum? Will Texas continue to try to pound the trenches?

2. Plug up the middle of the defense. Texas' defense made no sense last season. The personnel is absolutely there to be great up front. The defensive tackles are deep and talented, led by guys like Malcom Brown, Ashton Dorsey, Desmond Jackson and Chris Whaley. The linebackers were solid, even without Jordan Hicks, who should be back next season. Peter Jinkens is a rising star and a few others have potential. Coordinator Manny Diaz didn't take another job, electing to stay in Austin and attempt fix the most underwhelming unit in the Big 12. It all starts with the ability to stop the run, something Texas never did consistently last season. Fix that, and the rest of this defense comes around, I say.

3. Discover and develop leadership. Texas was still a pretty young team last season after rebooting on both sides of the ball after the 2010 season. The freshmen and sophomores who contributed in 2011 are juniors and seniors now, but the team is losing guys like Alex Okafor and Kenny Vaccaro, players who had been around awhile and served as role models for younger guys. Look for Jackson Jeffcoat and David to fill the role this year, but other players, like Malcolm Brown or Jaxon Shipley, might emerge, too. We'll see who steps up in the spring.

More offseason to-do lists:

• Texas Tech
• West Virginia

Big 12 defensive linemen, we need to have a talk. This isn't getting it done. This position may be the weakest of any in the league. The top five is solid, though there's a little bit of a dropoff after the top three. Beyond the top five, though? A whole lot of question marks, and not a lot of truly impressive talents.

I had some trouble even finding 10 guys who deserved spots on this list. This could be a banner year for quarterbacks. The only thing shallower than the defensive ends in the league this year is the defensive tackles. Sheesh. Unless we see some stars emerge from nowhere this year, this position's going to look a little raw all season long.

More position rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs
• Wide receivers

Anyway, here goes.

One final note: No freshmen or newcomers allowed. Sorry, Brandon Moore.

1. Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas: Jeffcoat is a freak and leads this list as the most talented linemen in the league. He's not as experienced as his teammate who also made this list, but the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder could play his way into the top 10 of next year's NFL Draft.

2. Alex Okafor, DE, Texas: Okafor may be a first-rounder, too. He's moved around along the line during his career, but he's found a home at end. He won the league's preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors after making six sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss last season.

3. Stansly Maponga, DE, TCU: Maponga was extremely productive last season, and we'll see how he does against bigger and better offensive lines in the Big 12. He had nine sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, and forced five fumbles. He's the most talented player on TCU's defense.

4. Meshak Williams, DE, Kansas State: I'm a bigger proponent of Williams than most, but he's yet another fantastic juco find from Bill Snyder. Last year, he made 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks to tie for sixth in the Big 12 and earn second-team All-Big 12 honors.

5. Toben Opurum, DE/LB, Kansas: Opurum's unbelievable story is about to start its final chapter in 2012. He's played under three different coaches and transitioned from KU's leading rusher in 2009 to one of the league's best along the defensive line in 2012. Nobody else on this list has done anything like that, and he'll be a captain in Year 1 under Charlie Weis.

6. Nigel Nicholas, DT/DE, Oklahoma State: Nicholas sounds like he's moving to defensive end this season, but he's played both throughout his career. The 6-foot-3, 269-pounder is needed at end for the Cowboys, and made 10 tackles for loss last season and two sacks.

7. R.J. Washington, DE, Oklahoma: Washington's got the pedigree and the physical skills, but it's time to see the production after a disappointing 2011 season. He broke up five passes and had five sacks last season, but made just 16 tackles as a member of the DE rotation behind stars Ronnell Lewis and Frank Alexander.

8. Ashton Dorsey, DT, Texas: Dorsey has plenty of experience and is pushing 300 pounds in the middle of Texas' line. Jeffcoat and Okafor will attract plenty of double teams, but Dorsey's got the talent to be a wrecking ball in the middle. He had seven tackles for loss and a sack last year.

9. Jamarkus McFarland, DT, Oklahoma: McFarland's been a part-time starter the past two seasons, and could finally break through with a big year as a senior. The 6-foot-3, 288-pounder made 3.5 tackles for loss and had 20 tackles last season.

10. Jake McDonough, DT, Iowa State: McDonough holds down the nose tackle spot for Iowa State, and made 34 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss last season. The 280-pounder needs a big year to help out his talented set of linebackers.

AUSTIN, Texas -- A dozen practices into the preseason and Texas coach Mack Brown is no closer to knowing who his quarterback will be against Wyoming.

“I’ve got the same questions you do,” Brown said.

None of which were even answered in the scrimmage Monday night. Brown had thought perhaps either David Ash or Case McCoy would pull away in the competition. But, if anything, the margin between them has narrowed.

“We’re having more of a consensus that both could play right now and win the game for us,” Brown said.

By “we” Brown means the whole coaching staff. Brown has everyone involved in this decision. And if they can’t seem to make a decision, Texas does not appear averse to going into Wyoming (Sept. 1) with a game plan that utilizes two quarterbacks. In fact, right now Texas doesn’t seem too averse to going into the Kansas State game (Dec. 1) with a game plan that features two quarterbacks.

“Both give us the chance to win if they protect the ball,” Brown said.

They did just that in Monday’s scrimmage. There was one turnover but it came on a ball that hit the tight end’s hands and bounced to a defensive back.

“Both [quarterbacks] have improved so much from the spring,” Brown said.

Ash and McCoy have improved in their respective game-management styles as well as their decision-making. Co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin has also applauded their increased accuracy.

“You can see it in one-on-ones,” Harsin said. “The decision-making is there. What I look for is -- there’s still mistakes and everything, but they can come back now and explain it, or coach themselves up right away. We’ll come back right away and repeat the play and correct it.”

Aside from the play of the quarterbacks all eyes were on the running backs. Freshman Johnathan Gray had most of the carries. The staff wanted to see how he reacted against the defense.

His reviews were not overwhelming but the ones for running back Malcolm Brown were. Brown said he was clearly the best runner on the field. His vision and toughness have both improved, the coach said.

Both Gray and Brown were featured in the “wild” package. Neither had success on the two snaps allotted. Brown was dropped for a two-yard loss. Gray’s play was halted before it started do to mistakes.

Along the line, Texas is moving Luke Poehlmann up to more of a prominent role at tackle. The senior is a couple of years removed from a knee injury now and Brown feels as if he is ready to be the first sub in along the line.

Poehlmann was in for Josh Cochran on Monday. The starting right tackle was rolled up on and suffered a leg injury. It’s nothing that would prohibit him from playing against Wyoming, Brown said.

Texas was also missing linebacker Demarco Cobbs, tight end Miles Onyegbule, defensive tackle Ashton Dorsey, defensive end Alex Norman, defensive end Hassan Ridgeway, kicker Anthony Fera and held out wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.
Norman and Ridgeway, both freshmen, have lingering muscle pull injuries. They could be very serious redshirt candidates because the injuries have limited their practice time.

If Fera is unable to go by Wyoming, Texas would go with either true freshman Nick Jordan or redshirt freshman Ben Pruitt at kicker.

Cobbs, Cochran and Dorsey are not expected to be out long. Goodwin and Onyegbule were only held out for precautionary reasons.

Quarterback Connor Brewer has a mild ankle issue but has remained in practice.

Colleague Travis Haney continued our series at ESPN.com on college football's best position units by ranking the nation's top 10 defensive lines.

Only one Big 12 team made his list, and it's the Texas Longhorns.

No question here. Texas is in a league of its own in the Big 12 when it comes to the defensive line. Ends Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor are the league's two best, and Okafor was named Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by the media.

The Longhorns checked in at No. 3 on Haney's list, behind only Florida State and LSU.

The kicker for Texas? Jeffcoat and Okafor get plenty of attention, but the depth at defensive tackle might take this line to the next level.

Ashton Dorsey returns along with sophomore Desmond Jackson, but juco transfer Brandon Moore and incoming freshman Malcom Brown could have a big impact. If that rotation starts collapsing pockets up front, flushing quarterbacks into the flats, Jeffcoat and Okafor are going to be racking up big, big numbers this year. Look out for former running back Chris Whaley on the line, too.

Texas is going to have a fearsome front four all season, regardless of who's on the field, well-deserving of a spot in the national top three.

TCU and Oklahoma may have the next-best defensive lines in the league, but nobody's got one like Texas does this year. We'll see how much damage the Longhorns do.

AUSTIN, Texas -- With the curtain finally pulled back on Texas’ practice it became evident rather quickly who the main players were at this stage of spring.

There was quarterback David Ash taking the majority of the snaps with the first team, standing more upright than usual, connecting on more passes than usual as well.

There was linebacker Steve Edmond hurling his 263 pounds -- clearly only one leg was on the scale -- at defenseless offensive linemen, running backs and fullbacks.

There was wide receiver Mike Davis actually snagging passes, shaking defensive backs and playing 100 percent.

And there was defensive lineman Brandon Moore, who for either comical purposes or as some sort of punishment to Sedrick Flowers, was playing against the second team offensive line, um, make that toying with it.

In a practice that stood out for its complete ordinariness, these four proved to be anything but that. But, again, it’s practice. The season is seven months away.

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How the game was won: Texas, yet again, kept the ball on the ground and stayed in control of the game from the outset. Without leading rusher Malcolm Brown (turf toe) Texas turned to Joe Bergeron. The freshman more than filled Brown's shoes. Bergeron went for more than 100 yards for the second week in a row.

Turning point: After a slow start, and a 3-3 tie, quarterback David Ash took off on a 47-yard run up the middle that seemed to loosen up the Texas offense and demoralize the Tech defense. Texas added another 51-yard run from Bergeron in the second quarter and were off and running.

Stat of the game: Texas attempted four passes in the first half. Ash hit two of those passes for 72 yards. Texas had 309 first half yards and led 31-6. Ash went 4-of-7 for 125 yards passing, while the Longhorns finished with 439 rushing yards.

Unsung hero of the game: The Texas defensive line. Alex Okafor, Jackson Jeffcoat and Ashton Dorsey dominated the point of attack and were in the backfield for most of the afternoon. Texas had four sacks in the first half and twice pushed Tech into field goals after the Red Raiders had made it into the red zone.

What Texas learned: For now, Texas can sustain its success on the ground and limit its opponent’s ground attack. For the second straight week, the UT defense held its opponent to negative rushing yards in the first half. Meanwhile the offense churned up 237 first half rushing yards.

What Texas Tech learned: The Oklahoma game truly was an aberration. Tech has followed up its upset of the Sooners in Norman with a 41-7 loss to Iowa State and this loss to Texas.

What it means: Texas is bowl eligible. Not a huge deal in most years around Texas. But after being home last December for the first time in the Mack Brown era, getting to six wins was a goal for this team.

Turning point: When it was announced that wide receiver Jaxon Shipley would not play because of a knee injury and Malcolm Brown would be limited due to turf toe and a foot injury. That pair represents Texas leading receiver and running back. Without them Texas had to turn to Fozzy Whittaker and Joe Bergeron in the backfield. Both did a solid job as the run game continues to pile up the yards. Texas had 237 rushing yards in the first half and four rushing touchdowns.

Stat of the half: David Ash finally hit a pass for more than 20 yards. The quarterback had only one 20-yard pass in the past three games. He found Mike Davis for 24 yards in the first quarter. He missed Davis later in the half on what could have been a 50-yard plus pass play. But followed that with a 48-yard pass to Davis. Davis had the only two receptions of the half.

Best player in the half: Not only did Ash not make any huge mistakes, he was able to get involved in the running game. The freshman had runs of 47 and 14 yards. He also was alert when the pressure was on and threw the ball away. Ash was 2 of 3 passing, for 72 yards.

Best call: To put the ball in Whittaker's hands when inside the 15 yard line. The senior running back understands what is needed in the end zone and barreled through tacklers on one run for a score. On another, Whittaker got outside and used his speed to score.

What Texas needs to do: Keep the ball on the ground and don't get too fancy with trick plays. Texas tried a halfback pass late in the second quarter and it resulted in a badly thrown ball by Whittaker. Just grind it out and control the clock.

What Tech needs to do: Block Ashton Dorsey. The Texas defensive tackle has been blowing up the inside of the Red Raiders' line and disrupting Seth Doege. That has limited Tech's ability to throw the inside screen.