Texas Football: Notes on redshirt situation after the regular season

Skill Positions

QB Shane Buechele (2 GP): Well, it looks like Shane Buechele’s time may almost be up with the Texas football program. We all remember when he led Texas to a victory over Notre Dame that prematurely started the “Texas is Back” hype. Buechele was beat out by Sam Ehlinger in fall camp, but has come on to relieve him when injured in two games this season (both wins). Buechele is a very capable Division 1 college quarterback and he will go somewhere else and shine. However, Buechele is not the best fit for the offense under head Texas football coach Tom Herman and both Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson are better suited to replace Ehlinger. It is not 100 percent certain Buechele will leave, but consider it very likely.

QB Cameron Rising (0 GP): The 11th ranked pro-style quarterback out of Newbury High School has not appeared in a game this season but is considered the third guy if something were to happen to Ehlinger and Buechele. Though there will be competition in the off-season, it has seemed like Ehlinger has a stronghold on this job, and he has two years left in the burnt orange. Rising is in a tough spot, but he is a competitor.

QB Casey Thompson (0 GP): The born and raised Oklahoma Sooner from Newcastle, OK, pledged his allegiance to the Horns in April 2017. He, like Rising, has not seen any game action. His situation holds true with any other quarterback on the roster; Sam is the guy and it will be tough to beat him out. The 14th ranked dual-threat quarterback did impress in the spring scrimmage.

RB Toneil Carter (0 GP): The four-star sophomore running back has found himself buried on the Texas football depth chart behind the likes of Tre Watson, Keaontay Ingram, Daniel Young, and even Kyle Porter. Carter had 53 carries for 252 yards (4.8 yards per carry) with 3 touchdowns during his freshman season. But Watson and Ingram have taken over the bulk of the carries in 2018. It will be interesting to see if Carter stays around as Porter is likely to transfer and Watson has no eligibility left. Texas currently has one running back in the 2019 class, Derrian Brown.

RB Kyle Porter (4 GP): Kyle Porter’s time at the 40 acres has seemingly come to an end as he played the first four games of the season and has not played since. Porter had 46 carries in 2016 as he sat behind D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren III. Last season he and Young basically split duties in the backfield. But Young put himself ahead of Porter on this year’s depth chart with his solid play. Porter had one carry and one reception in four games this season.

WR John Burt (3 GP): The speedster senior has played in 37 career games for the Longhorns, including three this season. Burt may have found himself not getting many targets this season had he not suffered a foot injury that held him out of nine games. Texas has two games left, but expect Burt to play in just one of them as he will be coming back next season.

WR/TE Malcolm Epps (2 GP): The freshman Houston, TX, product was the 10th ranked tight end out of high school. Standing at over 6’5″ with good hands, Epps ceiling is through the roof. He has only played in two games so he will be available for a redshirt season. Epps has one catch, an 18-yard back-shoulder snag in Lubbock.

WR Al’vonte Woodard (0 GP): The 20th ranked wide receiver in the 2018 cycle has not yet appeared in a game this season mostly due to the major depth the Horns have at the position. Should Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey depart for the NFL, Woodard will be in the rotation next season.