Texas Football: 3 players that improved the most under Tom Herman
Honorable mentions: Texas football players that improved most under Herman
A lot of this list is based on growth that was directly attributed to Herman and his coaching staff since taking over on the Forty Acres during the 2017 offseason. There’s an asterisk next to any player that broke through in his first year at the helm.
DeShon Elliott, Safety*
The first former Longhorn that gets an asterisk from the 2017 team is the current Baltimore Ravens starting safety DeShon Elliott. As the first true AP All-American that Herman coached with the Longhorns, Elliott was tremendous for this defense in 2017, with a Big 12-leading six interceptions to go along with nine pass deflections, 8.5 tackles for loss, and two picks returned for touchdowns.
Elliott definitely had his best season of his three years playing for Texas in 2017 under Herman. But he was still solid under Strong, and was a recruit of the previous coaching regime, which is why he doesn’t crack the top three.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Wide Receiver
There’s two wide receivers that do at least deserve a nod on this list that played for Texas under Herman’s wing. And the one that makes the list of honorable mentions is the former breakthrough star wideout and underrated three-star recruit Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
During his breakout 2018 campaign, Humphrey registered a team-leading 1,176 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns (eight receiving, one passing, and one rushing).
Sam Cosmi, Offensive Tackle
As the lone player on this list that was not coached, nor really recruited heavily, by Strong and/or fellow former Texas head coach Mack Brown, redshirt junior offensive tackle Sam Cosmi is in a unique spot. Cosmi is by far the most proficient Longhorns offensive linemen over the course of the last two seasons. He’s also projected to be a clear first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Cosmi is the highest graded pass and run blocker (among the offensive linemen) for the Longhorns over the course of the last two years combined.