4 true freshmen Texas is likely to redshirt this year
Trey Owens, QB
Texas's quarterback room is in fantastic shape entering the 2024 season. Led by third-year returning starting quarterback Quinn Ewers and redshirt freshman backup Arch Manning, Texas has the most talented QB room in all of college football this fall.
A big part of the future of Texas's quarterback room is the big-arm true freshman Trey Owens. The former underrated four-star recruit from the Houston area has shown flashes of his big-time arm talent and arm strength with some of the throws he's made in camp and during the spring game back in late April of this offseason.
Since Ewers and Manning have had fantastic camps, there shouldn't be a reason why the Longhorns need Owens to play major snaps this fall. Owens could get some garbage-time reps if Texas gets up big in games during non-conference play early this regular season.
Daniel Cruz, OL
True freshman center Daniel Cruz has a very bright future ahead as the future starting anchor for the interior offensive line for Kyle Flood in the trenches in the SEC in a couple of years. Cruz has gotten good reps in during spring and fall practice against some quality defensive tackles in the trenches and linebackers at the second level in team drills and simulated live-game action.
Senior four-year-starter Jake Majors will lead Texas's interior offensive line as the anchor at starting center this fall. Texas also returns three out of the other four starters along the offensive line this fall, and multiple backups with ample starting and live-game experience like Cole Hutson and Connor Robertson.
Once Majors exhausts his eligibility after this season in 2024, Cruz will compete with Connor Robertson for the starting job at center for the future for at least the next two years.
Cruz could get some early live-game reps this year in garbage time late in the third and fourth quarters when Texas is up big after the first half of games this fall. But he won't be needed to make a sizable impact as a true freshman for Texas's OL this year in 2024.