Texas Football: 5 Longhorns worth watching amid spring camp

In terms of raw size and strength, there’s not much better for the Texas football program among the linebackers for spring camp than rising senior Malcolm Roach. Last year, Roach missed some time due to a broken foot that also lingered around even after he returned to the front seven rotation.

Playing at B-Linebacker is likely the natural spot for Roach this fall since he’s the most experience and proven at the entire position group for the Horns. Fellow rising senior linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch will be a key piece among the more experienced players in the front seven too, but he doesn’t mean as much as Roach will.

The biggest reason why the Horns will be counting so heavily on the likes of Roach and McCulloch stepping up in leadership roles this year is two key departures at the position. Senior linebackers Gary Johnson and Anthony Wheeler should be headed into the 2019 NFL Draft. Johnson should be a day two or three selection in the draft, and it’s hard to tell where Wheeler will fall.

Outside of Roach and McCulloch, the Horns are going to have to rely on a host of freshmen and incoming signees from the 2019 recruiting class. What Roach brings to the table for the Horns this season includes 90 total tackles, five sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and two pass deflections in his three previous years on the Forty Acres.