Texas Football vs. Tulsa: 5 Week 2 storylines to watch

3. Who emerges at running back

During the off-season, the running back battle was one of the more intriguing position battles of any on this team. The quarterback controversy got most of the attention for the Horns, but the running back was very important too. There were a ton of candidates with more depth added at this position over the course of the off-season.

There was not a single returning running back that racked up more than 400 rushing yards last season. So, the starting running back spot was left to be decided until Week 1. The battle could still be ongoing with some question marks left after Week 1. Senior Tre Watson and sophomore Daniel Young were listed as the starters on the first official depth chart and neither emerged as the clear favorite for the coming weeks.

Watson led the Horns in rushing yards last week as the only one that had more than 50 yards. Although, the key fumble from Watson in the final minutes of the fourth quarter in the Week 1 loss set him back in the race to win the outright starting job. He’ll get another shot against an easier front seven this week.

Young wasn’t too impressive either in Week 1. True freshman Keaontay Ingram might’ve been the best overall, but he’s still listed as the backup behind Watson and Young. His role should increase in Week 2 but the starting job is not his for the taking yet. How these three deliver in the next two weeks could determine the pecking order throughout Big 12 play.