Five Texas Longhorns to Watch Today

Sep 5, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver William Fuller (7) catches a pass for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 38-3. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Duke Thomas

Thomas looked like the player making his first start last week. He was beaten badly – along with safety Dylan Haines – for a long touchdown pass. It wasn’t a banner day for Texas’ most experienced player in the secondary.

Expect Thomas to bounce back today and be a disruptive force at the back end of the Longhorn defense. Rice quarterback Driphus Jackson is no Malik Zaire, and the Rice offensive line doesn’t compare to Notre Dame’s vaunted line. The Texas defensive line should disrupt enough pass plays that Thomas will be able to make a play or two in the secondary. He needs to rebound quickly to be the anchor of this young secondary.