Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas -- Seven games into the 2012 season, Texas thought it needed a shift in its coaching assignments.

The kickoff coverage team, heralded in the first two weeks of the season for its stellar play, had gone stagnant in the eyes of the coaches. So to shore up what was considered a weak link with five games remaining, Texas coach Mack Brown shifted defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and defensive backs coach Duane Akina to kick coverage duties.

Things got worse. Texas went from allowing 20.8 yards per return to 26.7 yards per return. Throw out the first two games against Wyoming and New Mexico in which Texas only allowed 12.6 yards per return against overmatched opponents and the numbers are only slightly better -- 23.9 yards per return allowed prior to the change as opposed to 26.7 after the switch.

But there will not be another switch made prior to the 2013 season. Brown said he expects Diaz and Akina to take care of kick coverage. Although he does expect the results to be better. That was part of the reason why Brown brought in his former player Everett Withers to take a look at Texas’ special teams and point out a few things. Withers, who played for Brown at Appalachian State and coach defensive backs at Texas from 1998-2000, is now co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State.

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AUSTIN, Texas -- Malcolm Brown wants to believe, once again, that there will be enough carries to go around this year.

That very well could be true. Texas wants to move from running around 65 plays a game to up near 85. David Ash doesn’t appear to be a 45-pass-attempt-a-game guy, so those extra plays, if Texas is successful in producing them, will have to fall to someone’s shoulders. And Johnathan Gray probably cannot carry that load by himself.

"We can all run in there with the first group and play," Brown said. "Nobody in the running back room is selfish at all. We’re all happy for each other and want to see everybody do well. Whatever situation it is and whatever guy is best at that situation will be in the game."

That hasn’t always been the case, particularly with Brown. That’s due in part to injuries. Brown, once heralded as the back who would bring back the Texas run game, has only started eight games in his two-year career. He has played in 18. And has really only been 100-percent healthy in 12 games.

Then there were the issues with the playcalling. Brown had 14 carries and 100-plus yards in the opener against Wyoming and two carries in the next game against New Mexico State. Texas said it tried to get him the ball. But that excuse rings slightly hollow considering the level of difficulty involved in turning and handing the ball off to a running back is typically mastered in pee wee football.

Then there was the Alamo Bowl, Brown’s homecoming and a game in which he was fully healthy. He carried the ball four times for eight yards.

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As spring camps begin, we'll offer up a preview and let you know what to watch for in each team's 15 practices over the next couple of months. Texas will start spring practice first, so today we start with the Longhorns.

Schedule: The Longhorns begin spring practice on Thursday and will host a spring game on March 30.

What's new: Offensive playcalling duties have fallen to co-coordinator Major Applewhite now, who was promoted when partner Bryan Harsin left to become Arkansas State's head coach. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz mulled a move after the season, but ultimately stuck around to help revive a defense that struggled in 2012.

On the mend: Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat will likely be limited after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral, but linebacker Jordan Hicks should return following a hip injury that cost him his 2012 season and a sexual assault charge that was eventually dropped stemming from an incident during the Longhorns' bowl trip.

Stepping up: Kenny Vaccaro's versatility will be tough to replace, but figuring out who will try and fill his role at safety will be huge for Texas' defense during the spring. My money is on Mykkele Thompson, but don't rule out junior Josh Turner or even a position move for physical junior cornerback Quandre Diggs.

New faces: Texas is welcoming a handful of early enrollees this spring, headlined by quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. Offensive lineman Jake Raulerson, the 2013 class' first commit, is also enrolled along with linebacker Deoundrei Davis and tight end Geoff Swaim, the nation's No. 4 junior college player at the position.

Breaking out: Linebacker Peter Jinkens already made an impact as a true freshman, but don't be surprised if he leaves spring practice with a starting gig, beating out a few older players like Steve Edmond and Kendall Thompson. Jinkens earned a start against Iowa State and snagged an interception in Texas' Alamo Bowl win over Oregon State, but the 6-foot-1, 213-pounder from Dallas could be a budding star in a linebacking corps that needs help after a disappointing 2012.

Under the radar: Texas struggled in the kicking game throughout 2012, making just 11 of 19 attempts, the lowest percentage of any Big 12 team. Nick Jordan had to carry the load as a freshman while Penn State transfer Anthony Fera battled a groin injury. They'll be back to battle this spring, and though it won't get much attention in a camp loaded with intrigue, its importance can't be overstated for a team that doesn't hang points by the buckets and played in six games decided by one possession a year ago.

All eyes on: Quarterback David Ash. Being just OK is no longer acceptable. He was reasonably efficient last season with a passer rating of over 153, but faltered late in the season and struggled with inconsistency. If Texas is going to be great, he has to be great, and most importantly, consistent. No more well-deserved benchings in favor of Case McCoy. Ash limited his interceptions and was fifth in the league in passer rating, but he's got to be even better as a junior.

Have a rough weekend? Chances are decent that Texas' was worse.

You saw the biggest news on the blog Friday night. The Longhorns released a statement that recently promoted co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite engaged in a one-time "inappropriate relationship" with a student while the team was on a trip to the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.

That news came in the wake of former track coach Bev Kearney's January resignation disclosing to the Austin American-Statesman that she had an intimate consensual relationship with a student. Kearney had been placed on administrative leave for several months prior to her resignation, and a potential lawsuit from Kearney reportedly led to the Longhorns dropping the news late Friday night before the Super Bowl.

The university regents met for two hours on Sunday via conference call and announced that they'll be reviewing all policies regarding inappropriate relationships between students and employees.

We'll see how serious the fallout from that news becomes, though it's highly unlikely Applewhite would face additional punishment. Regents did not hand down any more punishment for Applewhite. On Saturday morning, news broke that freshman quarterback Connor Brewer had been arrested on minor in possession of alcohol and public intoxication charges by the University of Texas police.

Coach Mack Brown released a statement saying he was "disappointed" and would hand down punishment later on.

"We've talked with his family and will continue to monitor the situation. Following the completion of the legal process, we will do what's best for the University, Connor and the team," Brown said in the statement.

Brewer redshirted in 2012 and didn't play a snap.

The final piece of Texas' nightmare weekend became official on Sunday, when one of the Longhorns' top commits, defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, told our HornsNation that he'd be reneging on his yearlong commitment. Reports swirled for weeks that Robinson was wavering, and other reports surfaced that Robinson would be signing with Alabama. He disputed those reports, though Alabama visited him on campus last week. Robinson, the nation's No. 105 overall prospect, was clear that Texas was out. The Fort Worth, Texas, native is the nation's No. 11 defensive tackle and checks in 6-foot-5 and 304 pounds.

That's quite the triple play of very bad news for the Longhorns, who haven't had much to celebrate since winning the 2009 Big 12 title and advancing to the national title game. Texas is coming off a dramatic Alamo Bowl win over Oregon State, but the news this weekend could have impact for years to come.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas system’s Board of Regents went behind closed doors Sunday to discuss matters Texas was unable to keep behind closed doors.

The board met by phone for two hours with only regents and UT systems personnel and discussed the recent revelations of two separate sexual relationships with adult students by football coach Major Applewhite and former track coach Bev Kearney.

Two hours following the meeting, UT systems chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa and Board of Regents chair Gene Powell released a statement which said, in part, that there would be a review of all policies in place concerning student and employee relationships.

"The review will include policies concerning disciplinary actions and procedures as well as compliance with policies for immediate notification of institution administration and the Board of Regents whenever and wherever policies are violated," the statement read.

Kearney, 55, admitted her relationship nearly 11 years after the fact and resigned two months after being placed on unpaid leave by the university. Applewhite, who is married, reported his affair to athletics director DeLoss Dodds weeks after it happened in 2009, had his pay frozen for nearly a year, was sent to one mandatory counseling session to determine if further counseling was necessary and had a letter of reprimand put in his personnel file. Applewhite’s affair was made public Friday night after a Freedom of Information request led to the release of the aforementioned letter of reprimand.

The board, which was, until recently, kept in the dark about the Applewhite affair, discussed Kearney's and Applewhite’s situations, the punishment meted out and the legal ramifications that might be facing the university.

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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