Texas Football: Projected 2-deep depth chart for 2018

Middle Linebacker

1. Anthony Wheeler

Texas looks better off at middle linebacker and rover than it does at b-linebacker. That’s largely because of the combination of rising seniors in Anthony Wheeler and Gary Johnson. Wheeler was a huge part of the Texas Bowl victory over Mizzou last year, with a fumble returned for a touchdown coming from him for the first time in his career.

An athletic and strong linebacker that can cover a lot of ground up the middle, Wheeler is going to be a presence felt by pretty much every opposing offense. He’s showed enough over the past two years that he’s easily earned this starting spot.

Although there were some large losses at linebacker for the Horns following the 2017 campaign, a surprisingly abundant amount of upperclassmen leadership will be back this fall. We move into that next with a rising senior to back up Wheeler at middle linebacker.

2. Edwin Freeman

The depth present here for the Horns is crazy. Wheeler is great up the middle, but he has a backup that could be one of the best on the entire depth chart. Rising senior Edwin Freeman will find his way onto the field frequently, one way or another.

Two seasons ago, Freeman racked up eight tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 45 total tackles. He’s a starting caliber linebacker on most Power Five teams. This just goes to show how well Texas was able to recruit even during the years under Charlie Strong. Freeman will still contribute in a big way this year.