3 Texas upperclassmen who can lose starting jobs this spring

On March 17, Texas football players reported for spring camp after the week of Spring Break concluded last weekend. The first workout of spring camp is March 18 to get the players transitioned into the start of practice this week.

Texas football returns well over half their starters on both sides of the ball entering spring camp

Then, the moment we've all been waiting for as a major marker of the offseason for the Longhorns arrives on March 19 with the start of the first spring practice. Texas will return to the practice fields in individual and team drills in a camp/practice setting for the first time in a few months.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns essentially get one full month of spring practice. And then, the Longhorns take to the field for live football at DKR in Austin in front of the Burnt Orange faithful for the first time since last fall.

Among the biggest storylines entering spring camp are many of the usual headlines, including key position battles, first-time exposure for new enrollees in the program, and potential position changes on both sides of the ball.

Texas has so much young talent and depth among the new additions to the program and rising second-year players from last year's squad that depth chart movement is all but an assurance this spring.

Here are three upperclassmen for the Longhorns in danger of losing their starting spots in spring camp.

Hayden Conner, G

Rising senior offensive lineman Hayden Conner is a candidate to be a starter at multiple positions in the trenches for Kyle Flood and the Longhorns this spring. Not only is Conner the incumbent returning starter at left guard, but he is also among the candidtaes competing for the starting job at right tackle.

After the departure of super senior starting right tackle Christian Jones due to exhausted eligibility this offseason, Conner and sophomore Cameron Williams will compete for the starting reps at RT in spring ball.

Williams is the likely starter at right tackle, but he must perform at a high level this spring to lock down that starting job entering summer workouts and fall camp.

Conner will also get competition at left guard from some younger players looking to earn their spots on the depth chart and make their way up the two-deep this spring. Rising junior Cole Hutson and redshirt sophomore Neto Umeozulu are the two candidates to push for the second-team reps at left guard in spring practice.

We've seen the mindset before in the last few years for Flood to have a group of eight or 10 solidified offensive linemen on the two-deep that he knows he can rely on in live-game action. He will also put the best five-man combination out on the field as starters along the offensive line this fall.