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

The departures of Thomas Ashcraft, Kyle Kriegel and Trey Graham from the Texas program is more tough news for a 2009 recruiting class that was already much-maligned.

That No. 3-ranked class included 20 promising future Longhorns. Transfers and departures left Texas with only two senior leaders from that group this season: Kenny Vaccaro and Alex Okafor.

In fact, Ashcraft, Kriegel and Graham giving up their final season means that only six signees from 2009 -- Okafor, Vaccaro, Barrett Matthews, Chris Whaley, Mason Walters and Garrett Porter -- will play out their full eligibility as Longhorns.

Ashcraft was among Texas’ most highly touted members of that class. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman was an Under Armour All-American, a member of the ESPN 150 and ranked No. 5 among guard prospects.

The Cedar Hill (Texas) grad played in 35 games but never broke into the starting lineup. Most of his snaps came on special teams or in reserve roles. He was Mason Walters’ top backup at right guard in 2012.

For Kriegel, playing time was just as elusive. Opportunity finally did present itself in 2012 when he played in five games, but had he come back he would’ve faced plenty of competition for limited snaps in his final season.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Kriegel was ranked No. 45 among defensive end prospects out of Elysian Fields (Texas) High and finished with one tackle in seven career games.

Unfortunately, Graham never got that opportunity. After the No. 8-ranked tight end recruit redshirted as a freshman, right knee injuries cost him two full seasons. He returned to the practice field this fall but did not appear in a game in his career.

Now they’ll prepare for a life after football. All three will be University of Texas graduates by the end of the spring. Their scholarships were by no means wasted.

By giving up their senior seasons, they open up spots in the 85-man roster for members of another promising Texas recruiting class, one that will need plenty of its signees to pan out if the Longhorns hopes to compete for national titles again.

It was over when: The Texas defense showed up in the second quarter. After allowing 178 yards in the first quarter and nine points, the defense stiffened and allowed just 26 second-quarter yards and no points. In that quarter Texas also had two interceptions from Kenny Vaccaro and Carrington Byndom. The defense set the offense up with field position at the Wyoming 43 and 44. Texas converted both those opportunities to touchdowns.

Game ball goes to: Texas quarterback David Ash. Maybe not for what Ash did. He had rather pedestrian numbers and was not asked to air the ball out. But it was what Ash didn't do that earned him player of the game. He didn't lose his composure or throw the ball to the other team. Sure, there were some balls that were ill-advised. But not so bad that they went to the other team. And interceptions had been what plagued Ash last season. Ash finished 20-of-27 for 156 yards with a touchdown.

Stat of the game: Texas quarterback David Ash threw 27 passes without an interception. Now while that might not seem like a huge number for the sophomore quarterback, it was the most consecutive attempts he has thrown in his Texas career without a pick. His previous high had been 23 attempts in the Holiday Bowl. So, using some simple math here, Ash has had 50 attempts without a pick.

Unsung hero: Jordan Hicks had a lot of responsibility placed on his shoulders and after a slow start proved to be very effective in his job. The linebacker was able to settle down the defense after a shaky first quarter. He put the defense into the correct blitz packages in the second quarter, shot the gap himself a couple of times and had four tackles in that quarter alone. Hicks also blocked a punt that set Texas up for a field goal to close out the half. He finished with six tackles.

Second guessing: Texas continued to talk about how it had two quarterbacks. But the second of those quarterbacks, Case McCoy, was never thrown into a pressure situation. The problem with that is now Texas doesn't really know if McCoy will be ready when it needs him. And if this season follows the pattern of last season, or the pattern that Texas coach Mack Brown has said it will follow, the Longhorns will need McCoy at some point. With that in mind the prudent move might have been to give McCoy at least one series in the first half. McCoy did enter the game with 2:48 left and Texas leading 37-17. He did not attempt a pass.

What we learned about this team: The Longhorns are exactly what everyone thought they might be -- solid on defense, unspectacular but efficient on offense. But where Texas excelled was on some special teams. Chris Whaley, a converted running back, blocked an extra point attempt. Jordan Hicks, a starting linebacker, blocked a punt. But there were issues as well. Texas had a point-after blocked. True freshman Nick Jordan missed his first collegiate attempt of 44 yards. He missed another 40-plus-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.

Everything seemed fine on the 40 Acres this time two years ago.

The defensive cupboard was well-stocked and Mack Brown was talking up the squad, openly inviting high expectations for his defense and claiming they might be the best in his time in Austin.

With the Acho brothers up front and three future NFL draft picks in the secondary, who could blame him?

"It didn’t turn out that way," Brown said this week.

The Longhorns defense was good, but not good enough. It led the Big 12 in total defense, but forced just 18 turnovers for 11th in the Big 12.

Oh, and Texas went 5-7.

The Longhorns bounced back with eight wins in 2011, and in 2012 the hype is back for a defense loaded with NFL talent once again. There is talk that it might be among the nation's best, if not the nation's best.

"I want our defense to live up to those expectations," Brown said. "All of us sitting here in preseason have expectations, especially at a school like the University of Texas. But, until you produce on the field, and we’ll have a better idea of how they look on Saturday, then we’re not sure how good they will be."

Brown's tempering the expectations a bit this time around, but he knows what he has.

The league's No. 1 and No. 2 defensive ends are anything but an unknown commodity. Both Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor could hear their names called in the first round of next April's NFL draft, though Jeffcoat said this week he wants to stay and get his degree from Texas.

Cornerbacks Quandre Diggs and Carrington Byndom morphed a question mark at cornerback into one of the team's strengths late in the season, and safety Kenny Vaccaro might be the best overall defender in the Big 12.

The one thing most closely resembling a question mark? The middle of the defense.

"I’ve consistently talked about the loss of the four seniors down the middle," Brown said, "and that we’ve got new, young guys in their places."

Linebackers Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson were the vocal leaders of the defense last season, but have been replaced by super recruits Steve Edmond and Jordan Hicks, joining a speedster on the outside in linebacker Demarco Cobbs, who played quarterback, receiver, safety and returned kicks and punts in high school.

Tackle Kheeston Randall is gone, too, but the Longhorns look well suited to replace him by plugging juco transfer Brandon Moore and reformed running back Chris Whaley at the top of a rotation of five capable contributors in the middle of the defense.

Adrian Phillips moves up to replace four-year starter Blake Gideon at strong safety opposite Vaccaro.

"Until they prove it on Saturday that they’re ready to show that leadership and show that ability to handle Big 12 football at a fast pace, then we have to wait until they prove it before we can anoint them as a great defense," Brown said.

Here's guessing we won't wait long.

Today we continue our look across the league at few players from each team who had low profiles last year, but you'd better get to know before Saturday. They just might be household names by season's end.

More fresh faces:

• Baylor
• Iowa State
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• Oklahoma
• Oklahoma State
• TCU

Next up: Texas.

Donald Hawkins, OT: Hawkins and another guy on this list were the first juco transfers to sign with Texas since 2002, and both look like they'll have huge impacts in their first seasons on campus. Texas' offensive line is pretty stout, but Hawkins has already earned a starting spot after a spring and fall camp, trotting out as the starting left tackle ahead of freshman Kennedy Estelle. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder came to Texas via Mississippi, and OL coach Stacy Searels will help mold him. You never know, of course, but don't be surprised if you see Hawkins' name on the All-Big 12 offensive line at season's end.

Chris Whaley and Brandon Moore, DTs: Texas is crazy deep at defensive tackle, but these two players have the oddest roads to where they are today. Whaley came to Texas as one of the nation's top running backs all the way back in 2009, but he's earned a starting spot as a 292-pound defensive tackle. He made five tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and fumble recovery last year, but made just one start. Moore, meanwhile, was the second juco transfer to sign with the 2012 class, despite Texas' aversion to the practice for the past decade. The 6-5, 320-pounder already wowed teammates in the spring, and with the kind of depth Texas has to help spell Moore, he's going to be scary when he's on the field.

Steve Edmond, LB: Edmond came to Texas as the nation's No. 4 linebacker, and he's going to be literally and figuratively a huge presence at middle linebacker for the Horns. The 6-3, 255-pounder offers some size in the middle of the defense that few Big 12 teams can duplicate. We'll see how well Edmond can cover, but Texas' scheme is unlikely to leave Edmond on islands with pass-catchers. He had two tackles for loss last year, 16 tackles and a forced fumble.

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 -- 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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