Texas Football: 5 things that should change for Longhorns despite previous success

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AUSTIN, TX – SEPTEMBER 15: Velus Jones Jr. #1 of the USC Trojans catches a pass in the first quarter defended by P.J. Locke III #11 of the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

1. Performance out of the nickelback position

Possibly the biggest weak spot on the Texas football defense is coming out of the secondary. Texas did not get any less consistency out of any position in the defensive backfield so far this year than out of the nickelback spot. The nickelback position is manned by either senior P.J. Locke III or sophomore Josh Thompson.

This is very difficult for the Horns to find an alternative to either Locke III or Thompson since there’s really no depth behind them. Both nickelbacks also had their own issues even against some easier competition this fall. Thompson struggled to play physical even against some Tulsa wide receivers.

Locke III had an up and down start to his final year on the Forty Acres. At times, it looks as if Locke III can make key plays when it matters most in both pass defense and run stopping. However, a good portion of the plays just look as if Locke III is the slowest defensive back in the mix at this point.

Next. Bold predictions for the last 5 regular season games for the Longhorns. dark

Whether it be adjusting the way that Locke III or Thompson is used or just taking the significance away from the nickelback completely, something might have to give against some of the better passing games in the Big 12 the rest of the way. Texas could add in a different defensive back or load the box more against run heavy teams.

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