Hungry 'Horns well-stocked for Herman's debut

Aug 17, 2017 - 4:08 PM AUSTIN, Texas -- There's a certain hunger surrounding Texas as it begins its first season with Tom Herman as head coach, a desire fashioned by a series of losing campaigns and unmet expectations over the past three seasons.

Herman inherits a team that went 16-21 in three years under Charlie Strong, who took over for Mack Brown before the 2014 season. Texas went to just one bowl game under Strong and missed the postseason the past two years.

People remember the Longhorns from the not-that-long-ago string of campaigns from 2001-2009 in which they produced at least 10 victories per season, two appearances in the national championship game, and a title in 2005.

Texas hasn't had a winning season since 2013 and has posted only three since the 2009 campaign. It seems like it's been eons since the Longhorns were among college football's elite.

Herman, who joined the Longhorns after two successful seasons at Houston, made "rebranding Texas football" one of his top priorities but understands that the change cannot be made overnight.

"I know that these guys are going to be trained as well as anybody in the country, and we're going to play to our maximum potential," Herman said. "What that is, I don't know right now but we are learning.

"I feel good that these guys are willing to do whatever we ask them to coming off the three-year stretch that this program has had," he added. "They don't want that to be their legacy. They want to be remembered as the team and the group that turned this thing around. I think we're well on our way."

Texas, which was picked fourth in the Big 12's preseason media poll behind Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, will be tested by the tough and balanced league and by a non-conference schedule that includes a road game at USC on Sept. 16.

The Longhorns' roster is stocked with back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes corralled under Strong and returns 37 of the 44 players on the two-deep. But there's plenty of work to do on both sides of the ball.

Texas' offense has the firepower to keep up with its high-powered Big 12 brethren, with experience at quarterback (Shane Buechele), running back (Chris Warren III, if he can stay healthy) and receiver (Collin Johnson, Devin Duvernay, Armanti Foreman and Jerrod Heard), as well as an offensive line with four returning starters, headed by All-America left tackle Connor Williams.

The biggest improvement must come on defense, which surrendered nearly 32 points and 450 yards per game last season. That abysmal showing followed back-to-back campaigns of the worst defenses in school history (30.3 points per game in 2015 and 31.5 in 2016).

On his way out of Austin, Strong said whoever was coaching the Longhorns in 2017 would win 10 games. That looks like a stretch, but Texas should rebound well enough to earn a bowl game and continue Herman's recent run of recruiting success.

MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: QB Shane Buechele -- He is coming off an impressive freshman season in which he racked up almost 3,000 passing yards and had 21 touchdowns to 11 interceptions while starting all 12 games for the Longhorns. Despite those numbers, Herman did not anoint Buechele as Texas' starter; true freshman Sam Ehlinger has been given every opportunity to take the job and has pressed Buechele through preseason practices. Herman wants his quarterbacks to be among the team's vocal leaders and that's not one of Buechele's strengths, although he has worked on that in the offseason. He has good, not great, arm strength, but is not afraid to take a deep shot if given the time to do so.

BREAKOUT STAR: WR Collin Johnson -- He is a NFL star-in-the-making, possessing the size (6-foot-6, 212 pounds) and athleticism (a Goggle search of Johnson will net YouTube videos of him catching passes while doing back flips) that the pros crave. Johnson hauled in 28 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns last season as a freshman and was the star of Texas' spring game, snagging eight throws for 117 yards and two scores. Johnson looks the part but he's got to play tougher and he knows it. The good thing is that he's not shying away from the part.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH: LB Gary Johnson -- He was the No. 1-rated junior college linebacker in the nation last season while at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College and comes to Austin with a reputation as a sideline-to-sideline defender who can pack a wallop at his 220 pounds. "Johnson's a hammerhead," coach Tom Herman said. "He loves to hit, and you feel it when he hits you. He can fill the A and B gaps and make a ton of plays at the line of scrimmage." Tales of Johnson's speed are somewhat legendary; he won the 100-meter dash as a senior in Alabama with a time of 10.59 seconds at over 200 pounds without the aid of a starting block.