Texas Football: 3 Longhorns to watch in opener vs. UTEP

Which three Texas football players could be due for big season openers against UTEP this weekend with a lot of pressure on their shoulders?

Heading into the season opener this weekend, the Texas football program will get to put their top 15 preseason ranking in both major polls to the test for the first time this fall. Texas ranked at No. 14 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll for the preseason. But those preseason polls included the two of the Power Five conferences that won’t be playing a usual fall season this year.

The Big Ten and PAC-12 are the two of the Power Five conferences that opted to likely at least push their football seasons back to the spring semester, if they happen at all this academic year.

But as far as the Longhorns are concerned, they need to take care of business in an efficient manner in the season opener this weekend. Texas opens up their 2020 season on Sep. 12 at home at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium against the UTEP Miners out of Conference-USA. Kick off against UTEP this weekend is set for 7 p.m. CT.

Texas has a lot of expectations on their shoulders to make this year count, with a very altered season on tap in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Anything short of making a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game would largely still be considered a disappointment, just like last year.

More realistically, the Longhorns need to get off on the right foot this weekend and take it from there. A handful of Longhorns need to gain momentum with a solid start to the 2020 season. Here’s a look into three Longhorns players to watch in the season opener against UTEP.