Texas football: Top 3 concerns going into the 2024 season
Just over 10 days from the start of the regular season, Texas football is in the closing stages of preseason camp and is working on game-planning and preparation for the opener in a couple of weeks. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is already focused on readying up for the regular season opener on Aug. 31 against Colorado State at DKR.
Texas football opens the 2024 season in under two weeks
And I'm sure that the highly anticipated Week 2 matchup against the defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor is looming large on the Longhorns' minds this close to the season beginning this fall.
Texas still has some tasks to figure out before the start of the regular season with the remaining week and a half or so of fall practice. The Longhorns have a handful of position battles to decide the two-deep depth chart on each side of the ball entering the regular season.
Depth and overcoming injuries, especially at a couple of key position groups on offense, will also be important for the Longhorns to be ready for the season opener next weekend.
Here are three notable concerns for the Longhorns going into the 2024 regular season in late August.
Running back depth
Texas has dealt with unfortunate injuries to the running back room this preseason camp that ended the seasons prematurely of sophomore CJ Baxter Jr. and true freshman Christian Clark.
Sarkisian and Tashard Choice have three scholarship running backs remaining that are healthy on the Longhorns' roster entering the 2024 season. The coaching staff has had to balance preparation and precaution to preserve the health of the remaining running backs on scholarship in this room for the remainder of fall camp in the next couple of weeks of practice.
Junior Jaydon Blue and sophomore Tre Wisner were both in the green non-contact jerseys during the second fall scrimmage last weekend. Sarkisian said in his press conference early this week that Texas is exploring all options to get the bodies they need at running back entering the regular season, including looking in the transfer portal to fill a last remaining scholarship spot on the roster.
"We definitely have a spot that we can utilize. Again, a lot of times this late in the game, it’s probably not a traditional transfer, maybe more of a graduate transfer, something of the sort. So we’re kind of looking at all of our options there."
- Steve Sarkisian
The remaining options on the roster for the Longhorns at running back entering the 2024 season includes Blue, Wisner, true freshman Jerrick Gibson, and walk-ons like Colin Page (who's taken more practice reps in the last week or so of camp) and Nik Sanders.
Sarkisian and staff have also tried out players from other positions to take reps at running back this fall camp, including senior tight end Juan Davis and redshirt freshman wide receiver Ryan Niblett. Davis can take more reps as a true H-back to provide size and physicality. Niblett also gives the Longhorns reliable hands and good speed out of the backfield.
Texas has to spread out the workload between Blue, Wisner, and Gibson while hoping that none of them get banged up in live-game action this fall. I think Blue and Wisner can combine for at least 70-80 percent of the workload in SEC play this upcoming season. But the risk comes when Texas is relying on a true freshman like Gibson and a combination of players from other position groups and walk-ons to take reps out of the backfield in live-game action this season.
The danger for Texas's depth in the backfield becomes very perilous for the backs if another scholarship player goes down for a significant stretch of time this fall.