Five Questions Texas Must Answer Going into Fall Practice

Jul 2, 2013; Beaverton, OR, USA; Jerrod Heard (18) passes the ball during the Nike 7on7 pool play at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon on Tuesday July, 2, 2013. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

3. Which true freshmen will have an impact this season?

Every year there are a handful of true freshmen who make a name for themselves. Somewhere out there is a Herschel Walker, Adrian Peterson or a Sammy Watkins ready to burst upon the scene. Each school has freshmen who end up seeing playing time in their first year on campus.

Texas fans may see a few more freshmen on the field than usual following the recent roster shakeup. The wide receiver corp may lead the way. Sanders and Meander are done at Texas. Johnson’s status appears day-to-day, not really the ideal situation you want when introducing a brand new offense. Who’s left to catch the ball?

Jaxon Shipley, Marcus Johnson and John Harris make up pretty much all of the game experience among the wide receiver group. Sanders, Meander and Johnson were expected to be major contributors. Does this open the door for Lorenzo Joe and Armanti Foreman to see significant playing time this season?

Defensive end depth leaves much to be desired. After Reed, things get dicey. Shiro Davis, Caleb Bluiett and Bryce Cottrell have the most experience and will see the field. It’s a good bet fans will be introduced to Derek Roberson early in the season. Like most lineman, Roberson could benefit by redshirting, and watching from the sidelines while he bulks up and learns from the veterans.

The departure of Bergeron and Overstreet opens the door for Duke Catalon and D’Onta Foreman to get some carries. Brown and Johnathan Gray will see a bulk of the carries, but an injury to either running back leaves Texas extremely green at the position.