Texas Football: 5 bold predictions for Longhorns fall camp

2. Offensive line gets massive shake up (because it has to)

Thus far, the offensive line for Texas football didn’t have much of an injury wave, but that could all change with Shackelford’s ankle issues. It seems like there is one certainty year in and year out with Shackelford, and that’s ankle injuries. There’s no clear indication yet whether Shackelford will be ready for Louisiana Tech for Week 1.

Since Texas is pretty thin at center this year, losing Shackelford will be very costly. Shackelford is one of the better centers in the Big 12, and one of the best seniors in the nation at his position in general. Having him healthy and ready to go is key for the Longhorns.

If Herman and Texas offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand feel as if the top linemen out of the past two recruiting classes are ready for bigger roles, then the playing time along the offensive line could shift even further. Second-year offensive lineman Rafiti Ghirmai is getting more and more hype as a player worthy of early playing time.

It’s not a great thing that the Longhorns might have a lot of offensive line shake ups early in the 2019 regular season. That is why it is so important to get leaders along the line like Shackelford healthy through the remainder of fall camp.