Texas Football: 3 ways cancellation of spring game impacts Longhorns

2. Key reps lost

Now this is a point for the Texas football program that is going to likely have an impact on every team around the country that is not going to participate in spring ball. And unless there’s any college football programs that got an early start to spring practice, this is something that is probably going to impact everyone the same.

In the case of the Longhorns in particular, it’s important to cite where the biggest impact in terms of lost practice reps will be felt. First and foremost, the attention should go to the areas that had looming position battles and that have the most inexperience. Position groups like linebacker and wide receiver needed these reps. And there’s big time position battles looming this offseason like for the backup quarterback job and who the two starting cornerbacks will be.

Given how much Texas relies on their strength and conditioning program under coach Yancy McKnight, the fact that they have to place that on pause will impact them negatively as well. At least there’s a lot of returning experience at key positions on both sides of the ball, namely with rising senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger and junior safety Caden Sterns.

Texas will need their most important leaders to step up for the remainder of the offseason and keep this team together. There will be responsibility falling on Ehlinger’s shoulders to move the rest of this quarterback room along, especially the likes of redshirt sophomore Casey Thompson and incoming freshman Hudson Card. Sterns will help usher along the rest of this secondary.

There’s also the matter of all the players that switched positions heading into spring camp, including former five-star recruit and wide receiver Jordan Whittington and converted tight end Reese Leitao.