Texas Longhorns

2012 record: 9-4
2012 conference record: 5-4 (third in the Big 12)
Returning starters: Offense: 10; defense: 9; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners: QB David Ash, RB Johnathan Gray, WR Mike Davis, WR Jaxon Shipley, LT Donald Hawkins, RT Josh Cochran, G Mason Walters, DE Jackson Jeffcoat, LB Jordan Hicks, CB Quandre Diggs, CB Carrington Byndom

Key losses: P Alex King, S Kenny Vaccaro, DE Alex Okafor, WR Marquise Goodwin

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Johnathan Gray* (701 yards)
Passing: David Ash* (2,699 yards)
Receiving: Mike Davis* (939 yards)
Tackles: Kenny Vaccaro (107)
Sacks: Alex Okafor (12.5)
Interceptions: Quandre Diggs* (4)

Spring answers:

1. Under center: Texas has finally ended all the debate about its quarterback situation and settled on David Ash. While Ash has yet to be stellar in his first two years at Texas, the junior has steadily improved -- he was top 25 in pass efficiency rating in 2012 -- and has won the trust of new quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite. Applewhite believes Ash is the quarterback best suited to run the new up-tempo, spread attack.

2. Loaded at linebacker: One year after being the worst tackling team in the Big 12, Texas went into the spring looking to shore up its linebacker position. And it had plenty of options. Texas has seven linebackers who have started at least one game. Included in that group is Jordan Hicks, who is back after missing 10 games last year because of a hip injury. Hicks will team with true sophomores, Dalton Santos and Peter Jinkens for what should be a much faster and aggressive unit in 2013.

3. Along the lines: While there were a sprinkling of injuries along the offensive line this spring (Josh Cochran and Trey Hopkins), Texas appears to have finally solved the depth riddle at that position. Tackle Kennedy Estelle was able to get quality snaps and should prove to be a solid backup and Sedrick Flowers finally emerged as an option at guard. While Texas returns all five starter from a year ago along the line, the Longhorns know that in the new up-tempo offense it will have to lean heavily on these backups.

Fall questions

1. Speed thrills: Texas wants to move the ball fast. So fast that the offensive players were even taught how to quickly get the ball back to the official so that they could put it down and Texas could line up and run the next play. But Texas only decided it wanted to play this way in mid-December when there was a change in playcallers from Bryan Harsin to Applewhite. So Texas has only had a handful of practices to get up to speed. With a schedule that has Texas at BYU for the second game of the season there doesn’t appear to be much time to get things perfected.

2. Safety dance: Texas’ defense was the worst in school history and that was largely due to the play of the back seven on defense. And now the best player in that back seven, Kenny Vaccaro, is gone. He was a first-round draft pick. That has left Texas wondering who will step up and make some stop at the safety position. Adrian Phillips takes over for Vaccaro, but he was inconsistent last season. The coaches blamed a shoulder injury and the fact he missed the spring. Mykkele Thompson and Josh Turner also missed their share of tackles but both are being called on to be possible starters.

3. Receiving praise: Texas has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Jordan Shipley in 2009. Mike Davis had 939 yards last year and appears poised to break the 1,000-yard mark this season. But to do that he will need help. And right now there are some questions as to where that help will come from. Texas wants to go with four wide receivers but two of the four players expected to fill those roles -- Cayleb Jones and Kendall Sanders -- are currently suspended because of legal issues. Both will probably be back. But even then, Texas is very thin at wide receiver and needs some other players to step up to help take the double teams away from Davis.

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.