Texas Football: 5 reasons the Longhorns could be “back” in 2018

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns walks off the field before the start of the game against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns walks off the field before the start of the game against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TX – SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns talks with head coach Brent Brennan of the San Jose State Spartans before the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX – SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns talks with head coach Brent Brennan of the San Jose State Spartans before the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

1. The right coaching staff

Even beyond Herman as the head Texas football coach, there’s a lot to be excited about with this coaching staff. Herman brought aboard a highly regarded assistant coach in Herb Hand to help out Tim Beck as the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach starting this season. Beck and Hand should give a new dynamic to the offense in 2018 than was there last year.

On the defensive side of the ball, Herman has bestowed a ton of praise upon Todd Orlando and for good reason so far. Orlando commanded a truly solid group on defense in 2017 that stopped the run with the best of them. Upgrading the pass defense is a big task for Orlando this year, but the quarterback competition isn’t as strong as it was last season around the Big 12.

Departures from the likes of Oklahoma Sooners’ superstar quarterback Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma State Cowboys’ standout signal caller Mason Rudolph should make it easier on the defensive backfield. And, the incoming freshman class that Herman signed during the 2018 recruiting cycle will help the secondary get better in the coming seasons.

Next. Ranking the 10 best Longhorns for the 2018 season. dark

Another assistant that is huge to the entire Texas football program is the strength coach Yancy McKnight. One of the most important assistant positions in the college football world nowadays is the strength and conditioning coach since that regimen has to be so tight for the younger players to develop properly.