Texas football: Top 3 concerns going into the 2024 season

Red zone/goal line efficiency on offense

Sarkisian and the Longhorns' offense had difficulties on a consistent basis trying to figure out how to punch the ball in the end zone when it got into the red zone (and especially within the 10-yard line and closer) last fall. Regardless of the play-calling and personnel packages on the field, it felt like it was a permanent monkey on the back for Texas to punch the ball in the end zone last season.

According to TeamRankings, Texas ranked 89th in the FBS last season in red-zone scoring possession (80.3 percent).

Texas's red zone woes might only be further exacerbated by the backfield missing Baxter and Clark for the entire 2024 season. The loss of the 6-foot-1 and 220-pound Baxter really hurts the Longhorns' ability to punch the ball in the end zone when running between the tackles in those short-yardage and goal line situations.

There will be a lot of pressure on Texas's interior offensive line to get the push necessary at the line of scrimmage to open the lanes for the running backs to get into the end zone and convert on key third and fourth-and-short live-game situations.

While I do think senior center Jake Majors and junior guard DJ Campbell can be really effective body movers for Texas's interior offensive line this fall, I am less certain about senior guard Hayden Conner. The starting left guard Conner is more reliable and proficient in pass pro than he's been in run blocking in the last few years for Kyle Flood and the Longhorns in live-game action.

A possibility for Texas could be to move bigger and more effective body movers like redshirt sophomore Neto Umeozulu to the left guard spot when Texas gets into those tighter areas of the field and in short-yardage situations on third and fourth down. Neto can give Texas a good push at the point of attack for the interior offensive line to get bigger lanes into the end zone for the running backs in the backfield.