Texas Football: SWOT Analysis two months away from 2017 opener
Texas Football 2017 Weaknesses
Depth at Defensive Line
Poona Ford cannot do everything in 2017. But, he might have to.
The senior from South Carolina has earned every accolade from Tom Herman and the new coaching staff.
Ford will need help, though. And, that’s where the concern is. There just aren’t enough bodies on the roster.
Texas cannot wear down in the fourth quarter like past seasons, and that starts with the defensive line continuing to rush the passer and stop the run.
But, if there aren’t enough players to stay fresh facing these uptempo Big 12 offenses, how will Texas finish strong in the fourth quarter?
Coach Herman and Coach Orlando will need to be creative with their defensive schemes in 2017.
If that means two linemen and a bunch of linebackers hovering around the line of scrimmage, then so be it. But, they will have to overcome this weakness to be successful.
Depth at Tight End
The Longhorns are down to Andrew Beck as the only experienced player at the TE position.
The Horns are bringing in freshman Reese Leitao and Syracuse transfer Kendall Moore.
But, will they be ready to make an impact Week 1?
New Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck will have to be creative in how he uses the TE position.
Perhaps the Horns just use three and four WR sets to cover for the lack of TE depth.
Or, they put a RB in that TE spot to create some interesting formations to throw off defenders.
Something will have to be done to cover for the lack of TE depth until Beck, Leitao, and Moore emerge as threats to opposing defenses.
The Past Seven Years
An overall weakness of this team is the past seven years of mediocrity and futility.
Even though there is a new coach, you cannot erase what happened since the 2010 BCS National Title game against Alabama.
When there’s the first sign of struggle or inconsistency, will there be panic on the sidelines or in the stands?
Or, will Tom Herman be able to take a sledgehammer to those memories and start a new era of Texas Football?
Until the Horns are successful again, the lingering questions about Texas Football will hover over this team.
If players cannot flush those memories from their system, then the past could continue to hold back the future.