Horns Illustrated by Digital Publisher

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

What’s in store for Shane Buechele and the Longhorns this season?

CONTENTS FEATURES

FOOTBALL

HUNGRY FOR CHANGE The time is now for Texas football. After a string of disappointing seasons and missed bowl opportunities, the players are ready for change. Led by new head coach Tom Herman, the Texas football players have revived hope in delivering a winning season. In our annual Football Preview Issue, we bring you profiles on Chris Warren III and PJ Locke — keys to both the Texas offense and defense this upcoming season — in addition to a detailed analysis of this year’s schedule, insight into the seniors who will lead the team, and what are pundits predict for the upcoming season.

VOLLEYBALL

A FAMILY MATTER The Texas volleyball concluded the 2016 season one match short of winning the national title. After losing to Stanford in the championship round of the NCAA tournament, the Longhorns returned to the 40 Acres with a single focus — to win it all. But this season, winning it all means much more than winning matches and bringing titles home to Austin.

SOCCER

POWER POSITION The Texas soccer had high expectations when they kicked off the 2016 season, but eventually fell short of reaching its goals after being eliminated from Big 12 Championship consideration. However, the Longhorns’ success in the offseason, including a 4-0 record during their spring exhibition games, is setting the foundation for this fall. For Texas, the time is now and the program is ready to stake its claim for a championship title.

8 11 13 20 22 25 26 75 80

LEADING OFF MARK YOUR CALENDAR ROUNDUP MEDIA VOICES RECRUITING HABE ON THE HORNS THE TEXAS 5 PUNDITS’ PICKS FINAL SCORE

COVER PHOTO: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

DON BENDER

DEPARTMENTS

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BETH ANY WAL TER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

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LEADING

TEXAS PLACED ALL three of its boats among the top-seven finishers and registered a school-best fourth-place team finish at the 2017 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships. The Longhorns recorded their first NCAA Championship top-five finish after placing seventh in 2015 and eighth a year ago. Texas’ fourth-place national finish is now the best showing ever by a Big 12 rowing school at the NCAA Championships. Texas’ Eight boat matched a school record with a fourth-place national individual finish, and the Four boat reached new heights for Texas with its program-best fourth-place individual finish. Washington claimed the team title with 132 points. “It’s been three years since we started going at it and we got to this level pretty quickly, especially with the level of competition here this weekend,” head coach Dave O’Neill said. “We had such tight races, but every boat pulled through in the last 500 meters.”

OFF

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CLOCKW ISE FROM TOP: COURTES Y PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS, BETHANY W ALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS, SUSAN SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

ROUNDUP S USAN S IGMON /UNIV. OF TEXAS

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

THE BEST IN HISTORY: The men’s track & field team opened the NCAA Championships with a school record to set the tone on the first day of competition. In the first semifinal of the running events, the Longhorns shattered the previous school record in the 4x100 meter relay, clocking in at 38.68 seconds. That time gave the team of all seniors — Carlton Anumnu, Aldrich Bailey Jr., Charles Anumnu and Senoj-Jay Givans — the No. 3 time in the semifinals and bested the previous school record of 39.08. “Those four men have wanted that record for a few years now,” assistant coach Zach Glavash said. “They had been close on many occasions and finally lined it up and broke it almost by half a second. They have worked extremely hard and I’m proud that they etched their names in the records at Texas. They deserved that record.”

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

TRADITION

THREE-PEAT: EAT: Senoj-Jay Givans captured tured his third Big 12 Championship ampionship title in the 60m this season.

EXAS MEN’S TRACK & field and cross country closed another strong year when the Longhorns finished 26th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. That placementt rounded out an academic year that saw the t men’s team qualify for national meets in cross ross country and indoor and outdoor track & field. f The U.S. Track & Field and Cross r ross Country Coaches Association announced d its standings and the Longhorn men camee in ninth. The No. 9 ranking improves on the t men’s finish from last year at No. 13. Texas x xas finished third in the men’s standings in 2015. 15. Texas opened the year by finishing h hing in 30th place at the NCAA Cross Country o ountry Championships. It marked the eighth straight ght appearance for the Longhorns at the championship meet m during the fall. The Longhorns then finished ninth at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in March, which included three individual top five finishes.. e 10 points, ed Outdoors, the Texas men scored highlighted by senior Senoj-Jay Givans’’ performance. Givans was one of six men in the NCAA to score points in three different events and earn a trio of of first-team AllAmerican honors.

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TEXAS WOMEN’S TRACK & field finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships for the fourth straight year with 32 points. Texas climbed up the leaderboard with sprinters and hurdlers stepping up big in their finals on the last day of action. Senior Chrisann Gordon won her first individual national championship as she held off a strong charge to win the 400 meters in 50.51 seconds. The victory adds to the long history of success and recent dominance in the event, for the Longhorns. Gordon’s win is the third in four years for Texas in the women’s outdoor 400 meters and the seventh overall. No school has won more NCAA titles in the event with the closest school being Alabama and Florida State with three. “It means a lot,” Gordon said about winning the title. “When people talk about Texas and the 400, they mention Chrisann Gordon. It feels good to be in the same league as Sanyaa Richards and Courtneyy Okolo.” Head coach Mario Sategnaa said the win byy Gordon is important forr the program to keep the tradition alive and gives Gordon a charge heading into the next stage off herr career. duplicatted great “She just duplicated w performances with what she o get her did in the prelim to first NCAA title,”” Sategna do one some said. “She has done s great things as she now terr off her concludes this chapt chapter knnow w she’s time at Texas. I know represent Texas going to represent couuntry for and her country o come.” manyy years to

Chrisann Gordon

Supporting Roles

CHRISANN GORDON WASN’T the only one who put in a stellar performance at NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Rushelle Burton became the fastest freshman in NCAA history as she stormed out to a third-place finish for the Longhorns in the 100 meter hurdles. The Jamaican crossed the finish line in 12.65 seconds with a legal wind to be the top freshman in collegiate history. Her time also ranks her third in school history and makes her the No. 11 performer in NCAA history. Sophomore Teahna Daniels closed her season with her best two runs of the year with another personal record in the 100 meters to finish in third place. Daniels ran 11.06 seconds to rank fourth in school history and mark her second PR of the week after she ran 11.17 in the semifinals. The third-place finish matches the placement of Morolake Akinosun last year at the national championship meet. An hour after winning the 400 meters, Gordon stepped on the track to run the anchor leg for the 4x400 and again showed her strength as the Longhorns finished fifth. Gordon closed the race with a split time of 49.41. That split ranks as the second-fastest 4x400 split in NCAA history. With their 32-point total, the Longhorns tied for seventh in the team standings. It marks the fourth consecutive year Texas has finished in the top 10.

FROM LEFT TO RIGH T: PATRICK M EREDITH/ UNIV. OF TEXAS , BETH ANY WALTER/UN IV. OF TEXAS, SUSAN SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

ON TRACK A WINNING

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

IN MEMORIAM

FAREWELL: Adolph Kiefer, a former Longhorn who won Olympic Gold in 1936, passed away this past May.

DOLPH KIEFER, WHO won Olympic gold for the U.S. before swimming for Texas, passed away May 5 at the age of 98. Kiefer set Olympic and world records on his way to a gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. In high school, Kiefer became the first man to break the one-minute mark in the 100-yard backstroke. Kiefer later joined the Longhorns to swim under legendary head coach Tex Robertson and helped Texas to the 1939 Southwest Conference title. A member of the inaugural class of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1965), Kiefer was inducted into the UT Athletics Men’s Hall of Honor in 1982.

GREAT SCOTT

TEXAS MEN’S GOLF senior Scottie Scheffler closed the 2017 U.S. Open as the low amateur at 1-under par at Erin Hills. He followed his first and second rounds of 69 and 73 with a third-round 71 and fourth-round 73 to tie for 27th. Scheffler made 15 birdies over four rounds, finishing 15 strokes behind champion Brooks Koepka. He and Texas A&M’s Cameron Champ were two of the 14 competing amateurs that made the cut into the weekend. Scheffler becomes the first Longhorn to achieve the low amateur status since Jordan Spieth at the Olympic Club in 2012. “I’m proud of Scottie’s achievement as the low amateur in the 2017 U.S. Open,” Texas head coach John Fields said. “He now matches Longhorn alum Jordan Spieth as a multiple Texas state high school champion, a U.S. Junior Amateur champion,, and the low amateur in thee U.S. Open. This is simply monumental.” Former Longhorns Brandon Stone and Spieth tied for 35th.

Scottie Scheffler

THE FUTURE IS NEAR

THE MEN’S BASKETBALL 2017-18 recruiting class is projected to come in at a consensus No. 3 position in the nation. Meet the men pushing the class ranking.

PATRICK M EREDITH/U NIV. OF TEXAS

NAME

POS

HOMETOWN (High School/Previous School)

Mohamed Bamba

Fr.

6’11”

220

Harlem, N.Y. (Westtown School)

Matt Coleman

Fr.

6’2”

175

Norfolk, Va. (Oak Hill Academy)

Jase Febres

Fr.

6’5”

180

Houston (Westfield)

Royce Hamm Jr.

Fr.

6’7”

200

Houston (Aldine Davis)

Elijah Long

Jr.

6’1”

180

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (John Carroll / Mount St. Mary’s)

Jericho Sims

Fr.

6”9

220

Minneapolis, Minn. (Cristo Rey Jesuit) FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 15

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

THE DAILY TEXAN recently published their picks for five freshmen to watch during the 2017 season. Here’s who made the cut:

SAM EHLINGER

POSITION: QUARTERBACK Sophomore Shane Buechele may have wrapped up the starting quarterback job, but don’t write off Ehlinger. The Longhorns lack a proven backup, and if Herman can’t bring in another scholarship quarterback between now and fall camp, Ehlinger will be the lone guy behind Buechele.

GARY JOHNSON

POSITION: LINEBACKER Johnson could be a real playmaker at linebacker. He was the No. 1 junior college inside linebacker in the nation last season, and his ability to play inside could help Malik Jefferson move back to the edge rusher spot.

CADE BREWER

POSITION: TIGHT END Brewer turned plenty of heads in the recruiting world when he decommitted from SMU and signed with Texas. Brewer will compete for the starting tight end job and look to add playmaking to a unit that has struggled over the last decade.

The START of a NEW RIVALRY

THE LAST TIME the State Fair played host to not one, but two head coaches making their debuts, it got ugly. Bottles and seat cushions rained near the end of Texas’ 34-14 win in 1947. But if former Texas head coach Blair Cherry thought that victory was a sign of good times to come, he was wrong. Before the end of the ‘50 season, Cherry, savaged by fans and racked by ulcers, announced he was so sick of football that he was leaving it for the oil business. And all he did at Texas was go 32-10-1 and win the Sugar and Orange Bowls and a Southwest Conference title. If Texas head coach Tom Herman and new Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley can produce half as much drama this fall and in years to come, fans may have something to look forward to. Herman is emotional, intense, exacting. No filters. As for Riley, we don’t know him well enough to hazard any guesses. But Herman’s traits alone suggest he might take Texas-OU personally, something fans haven’t seen since Darrell K Royal. No matter what happens with Herman and Riley as we embark on a brand new era, it probably won’t come to the same end as Cherry. Cherry got so worked up, he wrote a piece for the Saturday Evening Post called “Why I Quit Coaching.” In it, he blamed misplaced campus priorities and overzealous fans. Even called out some media. Times have changed, all right. No one takes media seriously anymore.

REESE LEITAO

POSITION: TIGHT END Herman recently announced that Leitao would keep his scholarship after his felony drug charge was lowered to a misdemeanor. Moving forward, Leitao’s every move will be under the microscope as he fights for the starting job with Brewer.

Sam Ehlinger

JOSHUA ROWLAND

JIM S IGMON/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

POSITION: KICKER Texas’ kicking game has struggled over the past three seasons. Now it’s Rowland’s chance to right the special-teams ship. He’s rated as the No. 1 junior college kicker in the nation per 247Sports and will look to bring some muchneeded consistency to the Longhorns’ kicking game.

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COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS S PORTS PH OTOG RAPHY

LEGENDS OF THE FALL T 3 5 2 4 1 HE LONGHORNS HAVE lacked coaching stability over the past few years. But with a long winning tradition, Texas has a long resume of legendary coaches. Here are the top-5 coaches in Longhorn history according to the Dallas Morning News:

DANA BIBLE (1936-46) A College Football Hall of Famer, Bible helped Texas emerge as a football powerhouse while winning three conference titles. He won over 66 percent of his games on the 40 Acres.

JOHN MACKOVIC (1992-97) Mackovic’s tenure didn’t last long, but it’s hard to ignore what he brought to the program. In just six years, he won three conference championships and recruited Heisman running back Ricky Williams.

MACK BROWN (1998-2013) Brown brought Texas back into the national spotlight during his tenure, winning one national title and losing another. He recruited all-time great quarterbacks to the program in Colt McCoy and Vince Young, and he won three BCS Bowl games.

FRED AKERS (1977-86) The successor to Darrell K Royal, Akers gets the nod for his long tenure and accomplished resume. He collected a 41–28–2 record. Akers brought Texas two conference titles.

DARRELL K ROYAL (1957-76) Texas named its stadium after Royal, and for good reason. He held the longest tenure of any coach to don burnt orange, winning three national titles along the way. Royal is a Hall of Famer, and he boasted a 77 percent winning percentage in Austin.

FOOTBALL ROYALTY: Dallas Morning News ranked Darrell K Royal as the No. 1 coach in Texas football history.

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UTSA ROUNDUP

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

CALENDAR UTSA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2017 SEPTEMBER 2: vs.Houston, TBA 9: at Baylor, Waco, 7 p.m.

HUNGER GAMES: The UTSA football team is hungry for a bowl win this season.

16: vs. Southern, TBA 23: at Texas State, TBA

OCTOBER 17: vs. Southern Miss., TBA 14: at North Texas, Denton, TBA 21: vs. Rice, TBA 28: at UTEP, El Paso, TBA

NOVEMBER 4: at FIU, Miami, Fla., TBA 11: vs. UAB, TBA 18: vs. Marshall, TBA 25: at Louisiana Tech, Ruston, La., TBA

DECEMBER 2: Conference USA Championship Game, TBA

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Dalton Sturm

Kyle McKinney

COURTESY JEFF HUEHN , UTS A ATH T H LETICS

HE UTSA FOOTBALL team made history in 2016 when it earned its first bowl wl trip in school history. After A falling short in their 23-20 loss in the New Mexico Bowl, the Roadrunners nners enterr 2017 with high expectations. The first year under head coach Frank Wilson was about learning. Thee second yearr is about putting puutting those lessons to use and not just earning a bowl invitation, but winning a bowl game. “I’m looking forward to seeing how we handle the success that we had last year… ar… to be able to reach a bowl game and now put it in as a building block,” Wilson said. “Reaching a bowl wl game isn’t enough. We want to grab a bowl game victory.” UTSA returns last year’s starting quarterback, Dalton Sturm, as well as most off the receiving corps, including brothers Josh Stewart and Kerry Thomas Jr. The loss off running back Jarveon Williams to graduation will create a noticeable hole in the Roadrunners’ adrunners’ offensive attack, forcing Jalen Rhodes to step up and lead the running game. On defense, the Roadrunners return a handful of starters, including Josiah Tauaefa, auaefa, Marcus Marccus Davenport and La’Kel Bass. Last season, the team went 6-6 and earned its first-ever bowl berth. The 2017 7 schedule poses p less of a challenge than years past, perhaps with the exception of the nonconference games against againsst Houston and Baylor. The Roadrunners’ season opens with a home game against the Cougars ars followed byy a trip to Waco to face off with Baylor. UTSA will then return home for a game against Southern. thern. xas State, S h ’ll play l The final nonconference game will serve as a reunion between UTSA and Texas ass they’ll for only the second time on the football field. UTSA won the last meeting 38-31 in 2012 when both teams were part of the now-defunct Western Athletic Conference. eason with a game The Roadrunners begin conference play in October and will close the regular season championship. vs. Louisiana Tech — a game that could determine who plays for the conference championship. said d. “We “We should be a team that fights for the upper echelon spot in the west,” Wilson said. should be a team that has a quest to compete for a conference championship and get to a bowl — not just to be there, but to win it.”

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

THE DISTINGUISHED

BASKETBALL TWO UT ARLINGTON basketball players wrapped up the 201617 school year by collecting individual honors from the Sun Belt Conference. Kevin Hervey was named the conference’s Male StudentAthlete of the Year, while Rebekah VanDijk was named to the SBC Leadership Team. Both enter their senior seasons in 2017-18. The Student-Athlete of the Year awards are the league’s highest individual honors. Hervey led UTA to the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championship while earning the conference’s Player of the Year award. He also received Honorable Mention All-American honors from the Associated Press and earned all-district honors by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the United States Basketball Writers of America. One student-athlete, including VanDijk, was selected from each Sun Belt school for the Leadership Team, which honors those who exem mplify exemplify quaalities the highest qualities of being a true student-athletee. student-athlete. Kevin Hervey He ervey

COURTESY ELLMAN PH OTOGRAPHY, UTA ATH LETICS

GOING THE DISTANCE: Justin Domangue claimed two third-place finishes at this year’s conference championship.

NALYSTS OFTEN LOOK for highly technical reasons for a team’s success, s, but at times tim mes it’s as simple as exceptional people doing their jobs at high levels. That’s the case with the UTA track & field program, which picked cked up two tw wo of the Sun Belt Conference’s most prestigious individual honors at the he conclusion conclussion of the spring season. Head coach John Sauerhage was named Men’s n’s Coach of o the Year and freshman distance specialist Justin Domangue was named the SBC Men’ss Most Outstanding Newcomer. Sauerhage earned his honor after the Mavericks won the outdoor track ckk & field SBC Championship, assuring UTA of the league’s triple crown after also o claiming victories in cross country and indoor track. UTA has the only two such trifectas tas in Sun Belt history, having also accomplished such a feat in 2013. Sauerhage now has as won 31 Coach of the Year honors, including nine from the Sun Belt Conference. Domangue earned his honor after claiming a pair of bronze medals at the conference confereence championship. He placed third (by .002 seconds) in the 5,000 meters in 14:46.607 and :46.607 an d then crossed the finish line in third in the 10,000 meters in 30:56.98. FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 19

REPORTING FOR DUTY: BJ Foster will provide the skill set needed to recharge Texas’ last line of defense.

SAFE BET

NHEN A DEFENSIVE lineman or a linebacker misses a play, the mistake may result in a big gain for the opposing team; but when a safety blows an assignment, it’s a touchdown. This has been evident at Texas in recent years. A lack of athleticism and playmaking ability on the back end hampered the Longhorns on defense. Fortunately, this is something that’s starting to change. The Longhorns are in a position to turn things around on the field in 2017 with DeShon Elliott and Brandon Jones coming out of spring practice with apparent strangleholds on the field and boundary safety jobs, respectively. Yet, while Elliott and Jones represent an upgrade over the safety tandem of the past two seasons, five-star Angleton product BJ Foster will add speed and the ability to create big plays. Foster, the nation’s No. 1 safety, and the No. 16 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings for 2018, might be the best safety when he arrives on campus. He’s exactly the kind of player the Longhorns need along the last line of defense, especially in the Big 12. In the spread world that’s consumed the conference Texas calls home, the safety position has demands placed on it that didn’t exist a decade ago. Gone are the days when a thumper could patrol the middle 20 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

and be an enforcer waiting to knock a receiver’s block off. The Big 12 is, more so than any other conference in the country, a space league that gives safeties little to no margin for error. From that standpoint, Duane Akina was way ahead of his time when, in 2001, he decided to put his four best defensive backs on the field. Akina put players with cornerback skill sets (Ahmad Brooks and Nathan Vasher) at safety behind the cornerbacks as a way to combat the changing landscape of the conference. Unfortunately, the Longhorns haven’t had the personnel in recent years to keep up, creating frustrating moments on the field. That will change with Elliott and Jones on the field, but even more so when Foster arrives on the 40 Acres. Foster has the skill set that could transition to nickelback or cornerback if needed. A potentially high-level Division I prospect as a running back, Foster combines a mindset that he’s not afraid to play through contact with a skill set that puts him in a position to keep pace with fleet-footed receivers. He also has the ability to create takeaway opportunities. Reducing big plays allowed and increasing plays made will significantly strengthen the Texas defense. The Longhorns have a better chance of accomplishing this with guys like Foster on the back end.

247 S PORTS

BJ FOSTER’S COMMITMENT FUELS TEXAS’ REBUILDING OF THE SAFETY POSITION

JOHNNY WALKER REVIEW THE FORMER LONGHORN JOHNNY WALKER GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF TEXAS FOOTBALL

JOHNNY WALKER'S RESUME SETTING THE STANDARD: Coach Jason Washington is making a positive impression on recruits who attended this summer’s football camp.

• Played football and baseball at Texas from 1987 to 1990 • Two-time All-Southwest Conference • Caught the gamewinning reception to beat Oklahoma in 1989 • Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1990 (4th round)

PATRICK M EREDITH/U NIV. OF TEXAS

• Texas High School Hall of Fame inductee

I’M IMPRESSED WITH THE OVERALL STAFF AND WITH HERMAN. HE HAS BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN BEING A COACH, A FATHER FIGURE AND A BEST FRIEND.

Horns Illustrated: The Texas coaching staff is already pulling in athletes for the 2018 class. What do you think of head coach Tom Herman’s recruiting style? Johnny Walker: I’m impressed with the overall staff and with Herman. He has bridged the gap between being a coach, a father figure and a best friend. On top of all that, he’s an incredible marketer. Everyone has already bought into his philosophy. It was just a matter of time before the word got out about Herman around the state and the nation. And the 2018 class filling up is proof of that.

HI: What is the practice atmosphere like with Herman at the helm? JW: The atmosphere is contagious. At the practice Herman was singing 2-Chainz songs. He’s definitely up to date and I can see why the players love him. He’s done an incredible job of cultivating a culture that will be going to be advantageous for everyone. I was even singing with him. You can feel the excitement and electricity. I walked away thinking this guy is something special. HI: What does Texas need to show in the fall to prove they’re back?

HI: What about the rest of the coaches? JW: When I was at a football camp and had the chance to watch coach Jason Washington, he was about technique and teaching. I was impressed with the overall knowledge of the fundamentals, the ins-andouts and technique. We have coaches that know the game of football. I think I’m a connoisseur of the game, but I learned some things in the short time I watched. I heard players say they were having problems with their back pedal and Washington showed them what they were doing wrong. Or they were having issues covering in different coverage schemes and Washington helped them out. As a recruit, that sticks with you. They know they’ll receive that type of training everyday if they come to Texas.

JW: Because Texas has a new coach and a transition in progress, people will look for little things. Right off the bat, I want to see if there’s a certain tempo. We also want to see the players’ attitudes and whether or not they’re fired up to play. One thing I’ve learned from talking to coach Oscar Giles, and some of the other coaches, is that the tempo has been established. And the coaches plan on carrying that tempo into the season. I think coach Todd Orlando set his expectations early. The defense has been told to line up on the sidelines and sprint onto the football field. Everyone wants to see if it’s all for show or if it’s for real.

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THE FUTURE IS HERE A COMPLETE LOOK AT TEXAS’ 2018 RECRUITING CLASS

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? FOOTBALL (2005-08)

CAMERON RISING

QUARTERBACK NEWBURY PARK (CALIF.) HEIGHT: 6’2” | WEIGHT: 209 POSITION RANKING: 7

NATIONAL RANKING: 133 STATE RANKING: 16

CASEY THOMPSON

QUARTERBACK SOUTHMOORE (OKLA.) NATIONAL RANKING: 180 STATE RANKING: 5

KEAONTAY INGRAM RUNNING BACK CARTHAGE HEIGHT: 6’1” | WEIGHT: 187 POSITION RANKING: 12

NATIONAL RANKING: 226 STATE RANKING: 27

RONDALE MOORE

WIDE RECEIVER LOUISVILLE (KY.) TRINITY HEIGHT: 5’8’’ | WEIGHT: 174 POSITION RANKING: 43

NATIONAL RANKING: 215 STATE RANKING: 1

REESE MOORE

OFFENSIVE LINE SEMINOLE HEIGHT: 6’6” | WEIGHT: 265 POSITION RANKING: 30

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NATIONAL RANKING: 406 STATE RANKING: 54

IN THE FINAL play of Quan Cosby’s college career, the former 5-foot-11 Texas wide receiver etched himself in Longhorn history by scoring the game-winning touchdown with 0:16 left in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. Cosby grew up in Mart, Texas, where he was a star on both sides of the football in high school. As a junior, he earned all-state honors at quarterback and defensive back. As a senior, he made the first-team at quarterback, defensive back and as a kick returner. He was also a standout in track & field. Following high school, Cosby played minor league baseball for four years. His career batting average in the minors was .260. He also stole 71 bases. In 2005, Cosby signed with Texas and contributed to the Longhorns’ national championship win. He finished his freshman season with 15 receptions, 270 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cosby’s best statistical season came as a senior where he led in receptions (92) and receiving yards (1,123). Over his career at Texas, Cosby racked up 212 receptions, 2,598 yards and 19 touchdowns — 10 of which came his final year. Following his time at Texas, Cosby went to the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent. He played a total of 32 games over the course of his two seasons in Cincinnati. While he didn’t make a big impact in the receiving game, he was used on special teams, kickoffs and punt returns. Cosby later joined the Denver Broncos in 2011, where he was again used on kickoffs and punt returns. He also had brief stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in 2011 and 2012. Cosby returned to the 40 Acres after his NFL career and now works as an analyst and sideline reporter on gamedays for the Longhorn Network and ESPN.

RECRUITING PH OTOS : 247 SPORTS, W ATN: M ATT H EMPHEL /UNIV. OF TEXAS

HEIGHT: 6’1” | WEIGHT: 184 POSITION RANKING: 8

AYODELE ADEOYE

BYRON HOBBS

SAINT LOUIS (MO.), RITENOUR

FORT WORTH, EASTERN HILLS

HEIGHT: 6’0” | WEIGHT: 231 NATIONAL RANKING: 124 POSITION RANKING: 5 STATE RANKING: 4

HEIGHT: 6’3” | WEIGHT: 204 NATIONAL RANKING: 330 POSITION RANKING: 25 STATE RANKING: 45

INSIDE LINEBACKER

CAMERON DICKER KICKER AUSTIN, LAKE TRAVIS HEIGHT: 6’1” | WEIGHT: 187 NATIONAL RANKING: 1,239 POSITION RANKING: 2 STATE RANKING: 199

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

BJ FOSTER

SAFETY ANGLETON HEIGHT: 6’1” | WEIGHT: 188 NATIONAL RANKING: 16 POSITION RANKING: 1 STATE RANKING: 2

DEMARVION OVERSHOWN SAFETY ARP

24 7 SPORTS

HEIGHT: 6’4” | WEIGHT: 200 NATIONAL RANKING: 114 POSITION RANKING: 12 STATE RANKING: 13

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 23

SOCIAL BUZZ I know they’re our rivals, but want to thank @OU_CoachStoops for granting me my first offer, and a competitive last two years. God bless! — Malik Jefferson (@Official_MalikJ)

DID YOU KNOW? Legendary Texas head football coach Mack Brown will be on the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. After the announcement, Longhorn fans responded with their thoughts on the Horns Illustrated Facebook page.

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Lockers are #2-0 vs. @mcuban and me on the first swing. Good thing it’s not how you start, but how you finish. — Tom Herman (@CoachTomHerman)

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

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MEET THE T-ASSOCIATION

The T-Association is an organization made up of former varsity athletics letter winners. An additional designation for the T-Association members is the T-Ring, which is awarded to an athlete who lettered for 2 or more years, who did not compete the last 2 years of eligibility anywhere other than The University of Texas and who graduated from college. The T-Association is led by Football letter winner Ricky Brown and Swimming letter winner Jill Sterkel. T-Association Mission - The T-Association’s mission is to create and maintain an enhanced atmosphere and structure whereby UT student-athletes become lifetime members of The University of Texas Athletics family and are welcomed, involved and encouraged to participate during and after their college tenure. TAPN Mission - The Letter Winner’s Professional Network exists to unite the members of the T-Association on a professional level by providing networking opportunities and a database of contacts, thereby furthering the opportunities, community, education and success of Longhorn Letter Winners.

JIM SIG MON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

CONTACT INFORMATION: t-association@athletics.utexas.edu 512.471.6864

A WINNING SITUATION HERMAN HAS RE-ENERGIZED TEXAS FOOTBALL, BUT CAN HE WIN ON THE 40 ACRES?

IN THE DAYS leading up to the final fall drills for the Texas football team, a question continues to hang in the air: is Tom Herman, the Longhorns’ new football coach, all he’s cracked up to be? Such a question won’t be — and can’t be — answered until Herman puts his team through the paces of the 2017 season. Nevertheless, a buzz surrounds the Texas football program that was seldom noticed when former head coach Charlie Strong was at the helm, and certainly not since the Longhorns beat Notre Dame to open last year. We all know how the expectations for hope soared after the win over the Fighting Irish, and how it quickly faded and was eventually buried under the weight of another 5-7 season that included a loss to Kansas and, eventually, Strong’s firing. Herman has to push his players to perform at a level that keeps the Texas program on the rise even after losses. And let’s be honest — there will be a handful of defeats this season no matter how much the Longhorns improve. Even those in the know in Las Vegas have put the over-under on wins by Texas this season at 7 ½ in anticipation of the Longhorns winning at least seven games and going to a bowl for the first time in three years. With every win Texas garners and each defeat it endures, the question about Herman will linger, and rightfully so. In all the hoopla surrounding Herman’s hiring, all the flash and opulence of the Longhorns’

Tom Herman

new locker room, it’s easy to forget that the new Longhorn coach has only run a program — any program — for two seasons. Coaching up Houston and surprising elite teams got Herman the job at Texas, but he won’t have the latter as a tool to motivate his players here. Everyone gets excited to face Texas — even when the team is down and struggling to reach the breakeven mark — and the scrutiny of the media that covers the Longhorns is more akin to an NFL team than a college squad. There’s no place to hide, no comment that won’t be heard by someone and filtered back to reporters, no stone left unturned when you’re the coach at the University of Texas. This is an aspect of the job with which Herman is well aware. For those of us who’ve been around the Longhorns football team for a while — and this will be my 24th season covering Texas for the publication you’re now reading — Herman represents another change in tack for a program we never thought would (or even could) fall like it has. Herman is never dull and if he can bottle some of his intensity and enthusiasm and spread it amongst his players to find a few more wins than Strong could, this should be the start of a wonderful relationship and extended run on the 40 Acres. But the proof will be in the pudding, and the pudding won’t set long if losses mount. Just ask Strong about that. Just sayin’, ya know?

The Habe is Steve Habel, Horns Illustrated’s senior editor. He was the magazine’s first staff member, in 1994, and has covered Texas sports ever since. FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 25

THE TEXAS 5 MEET THE STUDENT-ATHLETES WHO MADE THEIR MARK DURING THE 2016-17 SEASON ALTHOUGH THE 2017-18 collegiate season is almost here, Horns Illustrated would like to take a moment to honor several athletes who made huge impacts on their respective sports during the 2016-17 academic year. FOOTBALL

EXAS UNDERACHIEVED ON the gridiron in 2016, finishing 5-7 and missing a bowl game for the second straight year. Despite the team’s overall performance, Foreman, a junior from Texas City, was the standout as the Longhorns’ workhorse running back and focal point of the offense. Foreman rushed for 2,028 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2016. He was named the winner of the Doak Walker Award, given annually to college football’s best running back. He was also a consensus AllAmerican selection, becoming the first Texas running back to earn that distinction since Ricky Williams in 1998. He also became the Longhorns’ first recipient of the prestigious Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. He played in 28 career games, starting just 10 (all in 2016) and totaled 2,782 career rushing yards (ninth-most in school history) and 20 touchdowns. He racked up 15 career 100-yard rushing games, including a school-record 13 consecutive to end his Texas career.

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The Longhorns’ running back led the nation with an average of 184.4 yards per game (10th-best in NCAA history), while he finished second in school history in rushing yards (top 20 NCAA history). Foreman had at least 100 yards rushing in all 11 games he played in during the 2016 season, hitting the 250-yard mark on three occasions and surpassing 150 yards in seven games. He averaged 193.3 yards per game in nine conference matchups, totaling 1,740 yards and 12 touchdowns in Big 12 play. Foreman was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2017 National Football League Draft, taken with the 89th overall pick, and is the first Texas running back taken in the draft since Chris Ogbonnaya was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. Foreman was the highest selected Longhorn running back since Jamaal Charles was taken in the third round of the 2008 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

MATT H EM PH EL /UNIV. OF TEXAS

D’ONTA FOREMAN

MEN’S SWIMMING

CLARK SMITH

HE TEXAS MEN’S swimming team splashed to its third consecutive national team title and NCAA-leading 13th national championship this past spring. Senior Clark Smith had a lot to do with the earning of that crown. Smith kicked off an explosive final night at the NCAA Championships with a gutsy swim in the 1,650-yard freestyle final that yielded all of the records. He held off Michigan’s Felix Auboeck, South Carolina’s Akaram Mahmoud and Northwestern’s Jordan Wilimovsky through the final 200 yards and won the event in 14 minutes, 22.41 seconds. He set new NCAA, American, U.S. Open and

NCAA Championship meet records. Smith won despite a groin injury that he suffered earlier in the national meet during his gold medal swim in the 500-yard freestyle. After the 1,650, Smith was unable to walk, and was helped to the podium by head coach Eddie Reese. Smith, the son of former Texas NCAA champion swimmers John and Tori Smith, now holds American records in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle events. He finished his collegiate career with two additional NCAA titles in the 500 freestyle and a national championship in the 800-freestyle relay from a year ago.

BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS, S USAN S IGMON/UN IV. OF TEXAS

VOLLEYBALL

MICAYA WHITE

HITE WAS NAMED a first-team All-American, as well as Big 12 Freshman of the Year by a unanimous vote. She was one of the key players in the Longhorns’ run to the 2016 national championship match. White is the ninth Texas player to earn Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors and the third in the past six years, following Haley Eckerman in 2011 and Chiaka Ogbogu in 2013. White led the Longhorns in kills (455, 4.06 per set) and points (520.5, 4.64 per set), while adding 24 aces, 244 digs and 72 blocks. She set a Texas and Big 12 Conference record with eight league Freshman of the Week honors in a single season, claimed 2016 VolleyballMag.com Freshman of the Year kudos and was a member of the 2016 NCAA All-Tournament Team and Austin Regional AllTournament Team. In Texas’ final match of the season against Stanford, White led the Longhorns with 17 kills, 11 digs and six blocks. FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 27

MEN’S GOLF

DOUG GHIM

HIM WAS THE top player for the men’s golf team, which won its fifth straight Big 12 Championship, finished second in the Austin Regional and advanced past the first cut of stroke play at the NCAA Championships before finishing 12th, just four places and seven strokes out of the match play quarterfinals. Ghim, a junior, concluded his season as the Big 12 player of the year, with one tournament win and seven top-10 finishes. He shot 24 of his 40 rounds at or under par, and 14 in the 60s as the Longhorns posted nine top-five finishes as a team in 2016-17. He was also a 2017 Jack Nicklaus Award semifinalist, earned a position on the 2017 Ben Hogan Award Watch List and was selected to the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup team. Ghim’s player of the year honor is the Longhorns’ third-straight and seventh total. He joins Beau Hossler, Brandon Stone, Jordan Spieth, Dylan Frittelli, Jason Hartwick, and David Gossett in the program’s rich history.

WOMEN’S TRACK

BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS

CHRISANN GORDON

ORDON, THE SENIOR sprinter from Jamaica, roared into the NCAA Championship with the third best time in the 400-meter dash after winning the event at the Big 12 Championships. Being on the podium is a regular occurrence for Gordon — she was part of her country’s silver medal-winning performance in the mile relay in the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was also a key contributor for

Texas in that event in both the indoor and outdoor national meets last year. Gordon caught the track & field world’s attention in April when she shattered her previous personal best in the 400 by nearly half a second to win the LSU Alumni Gold in 50.64 seconds. Her previous best was 51.03 and her time positioned her as the No. 4 performer in school history in the event. FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 29

VOLLEYBALL SEASON PREVIEW

STEPPING UP TO THE CHALLENGE: Incoming freshmen, like Brionne Butler, are already putting in the work required for a successful 2017 season. 30 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

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VOLLEYBALL SEASON PREVIEW

A FAMILY MATTER THE TEXAS VOLLEYBALL IS OPERATING AS A COHESIVE UNIT AS IT MARCHES TOWARD ONE GOAL: WINNING IT ALL

Nwanebu, spent time in Haiti helping with humanitarian efforts. Just hours after coming off the 2 a.m. flight back from Haiti, both McCoy and Nwanebu returned to their workouts later that day to start offseason training, despite being riddled with mite bites. As fall draws near, and as the players return to campus, the team will notice little change in its roster as there was little turnover at the end of last season. Returning a roster that still boasts many players from the same team that made it to the national title match is always a plus, but according to McCoy, this team is special. She said each player has class, character and a steadfast belief in one another. And they all want to win. “I’ve never wanted anything more than to go out with a national championship, especially with this group,” McCoy said. “My

best friends are in this group. I want to win for the coaching staff. I love my coaches so much. “We definitely have the talent,” she continued. “It’s about getting the chemistry right. I think we’re there because we have a good vibe.” For this team, winning it all means more than going out on top. The Longhorns are a team that has melded together into a family. Each player supports the other and understands that the most successful sports team wins by having fun. This is key as the team’s mentality has made letting go of last year’s so-called disappointment easier. Focusing on “winning it all” means having more to life than volleyball. When the Longhorns made the championship bout last season, they lost in four sets to Stanford. Texas rallied to nearly push it to a fifth set, but the Cardinal captured the

PREVIOUS PAGE: S US AN SIG MON/UN IV. OF TEXAS

HIS FALL, THE primary focus of the Texas volleyball team is simple — to win it all after falling one set short of bringing the national title back to the 40 Acres last season. Armed with a beaucoup of building blocks and budding talent, the Longhorns spent the summer preparing, both mentally and physically, to take another run at the championship this December. Summer sizzled with success for the team, especially abroad where coaches and players came together to hone their skills and tighten their bonds. Head Coach Jerritt Elliott led several different U.S. Women’s National teams to success; teams which featured Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani, Chiaka Ogbogu, Micaya White, Morgan Johnson and Brionne Butler. Other players, such as seniors Cat McCoy and Ebony

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VOLLEYBALL SEASON PREVIEW

ROLE MODEL: As a senior, Ebony Nwanebu is stepping into a leadership role with the goal to maintain a family-first mentality across the team.

crown and kept the Longhorns longing for the title that continues to allude them. Texas’ success has been evident throughout Elliott’s tenure, with a national title in 2012 and NCAA semifinal appearances in each of the past three seasons prior to the 2016 campaign. “Ending the way it has the past two years is heartbreaking,” McCoy said. “Even though it was disappointing, at the end of the day it makes you stronger and makes you want to work harder.” McCoy said even though fans and the media viewed last year’s team as a huge success, it was the exact opposite on the inside. Within the confines of the locker room, individually and collectively, Texas wasn’t operating as a family unit. “We had talent last year, but a lot of adversity,” McCoy said. “It wasn’t an easy year — it was the least smooth year I’ve experienced here. “Everyone asks, ‘How is that possible? You made it the championship.’ Well, it was different than what you saw on the outside.” Fortunately the team worked through its challenges and is ready to carry on the 32 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

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Micaya White

program’s winning tradition, thanks in large part to this year’s seniors. Every offseason, the potential for bringing the team together is entrusted to the senior class. “It’s a conversation we have every year, and it improves every year,” Nwanebu said. “As seniors, we want to make [the bond] strong.”

Ebony Nwanebu

This year was no different, yet it was entirely unlike any of the previous years past. “Being able to connect with someone on a deeper level and truly understand their background,” McCoy said of the values instilled in this year’s team. “Being on this team, we all have different backgrounds, different beliefs. If

VOLLEYBALL SOCCER SEASON PREVIEW

Cat McCoy

With team chemistry, you’re going to stand up for that person, fight for them …diversity is great, and it sounds cheesy and super lame, but the one main factor between all of us is we truly love each other.

ALL PH OTOS IN THIS SPREAD: SU SAN S IGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS

- Cat McCoy you truly sit down and get to know that person, it makes a difference. “With team chemistry, you’re going to stand up for that person, fight for them…diversity is great, and it sounds cheesy and super lame, but the one main factor between all of us is we truly love each other,” she continued. “You hear all the time how successful teams are the ones that win and truly love each other, they battle and stick up for each other. There’s a true camaraderie there, even being diverse.” The Longhorns return much of its talent from last year, including last year’s VolleyballMag.com Freshman of the Year, White. Nwanebu was also recognized in the community, as she was one of just four finalists for the Honda Sport Award for Volleyball. The award recognizes the top women athletes in

12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and the All-Big 12 First-Teamer is no doubt one of the top talents and volleyball minds in the country. Following a transfer from USC in 2015, Nwanebu was injured early in the season and had to sit out the rest of the campaign, a disappointment that eventually turned into a drive to only work harder. Drawing on the seniors that helped her through her redshirt season, Nwanebu evokes memories of former Longhorns Amy Neal and Molly McCage in shaping how she wants to build camaraderie throughout the team. “It’s my last season so my goal is to win a national championship,” she said. “Personally, I want to connect with each of my teammates,” Nwanebu said. “I had seniors I could go to and talk to. I didn’t play but they made me

Brionne Butler

feel better about redshirting and what I was going through. I want to be like the seniors I looked up to when I first got here. I want my teammates to come talk to me about what’s going on. Just having someone you can talk to can impact the way a person plays.” Nwanebu, White and McCoy will provide veteran leadership for the incoming class. And this class comes in with some heady fanfare, as the program grabbed the title of the nation’s top 2017 incoming freshman class from PrepVolleyball.com. Along with the aforementioned Butler, three more freshmen join the Longhorns this season. Top recruits Lexi Sun, an outside hitter from California, along with setter Ashley Shook of Illinois and California-based libero Olivia Zelon, give promise to a team already predicted to excel this upcoming season. For this year’s squad, the players and staff truly have a chance to win it all. “At a program like Texas, you feel like you have to do well and there are so many expectations,” Nwanebu further explained. “When you realize there’s so much more to life, you can play freely and know there are other things to worry about. People are always talking about how ‘on paper’ this team will be so good. I want get off paper and be good in real life. I want to people to look at us and say, ‘Texas is unstoppable, but not only that, they’re really close knit and a team that loves each other, genuinely.’” FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 33

SOCCER SEASON PREVIEW

POWER POSITION WITH A ROSTER PACKED WITH TALENT, TEXAS IS IN POSITION TO MAKE A MOVE TOWARD THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

HEN ASKED ABOUT the team’s progress during the offseason, head coach Angela Kelly said one thing is for certain — the ceiling for this season is set high. Stocked with rising stars returning from a successful spring campaign, the Texas soccer team also boasts an incoming class ripe with talent and the right attitude to match. This season’s lofty internal expectations come from cultivating a culture built on confidence, giving the Longhorns the ability to humbly state that for Texas, “the time is now.” “For me, this is the time,” Kelly said of the upcoming 2017 season. “The type of ceiling that I’m creating for this group is a national championship-type ceiling.” On top of a spring season that saw Texas go 4-0, Top Drawer Soccer ranked the incoming class 14th in the national rankings. In addition to all of this, the incumbents from last year boasted one of the highest cumulative GPAs in the program’s history. “It’s exciting,” Kelly said. “We worked harder than we ever have and we have more [returning] talent thus far in our tenure. Everything is circumventing upon itself, and this is it. The timing is right now. I’ve been waiting for this time where recruiting meets the effort and the effort meets the talent and they can meet the expectations.” The offensive side of the pitch appears as an asset for Texas, with numerous scoring options coming back into the fold such as 2016 Big 12 Freshman of the Year Cyera Hintzen, senior forward Alexa Adams and midfielder Katie Glenn. During the spring, the focus of the offense finally came to fruition as the team spread the ball around unselfishly, with each teammate getting in on the action. That, in turn, led to the team being tighter knit on the defensive side, hence the zero goals (the team accumulated a score of 16-0) allowed in the spring. For one reason or another, those traits never meshed together during a disappointing 2016 season. However, it was not all for naught, as any situation can become a positive lesson on the way to improving.

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“We came off a season where the objectives and the results weren’t even close to what we were looking for,” Kelly said. “Expectations are wonderful if they’re realistic, right? It’s our job as professional motivators to create a more obtainable feeling than people would even try to achieve themselves.” This group’s grasp on the intangibles that help commingle any close, successful team is why Kelly says this year’s goal is to light up the UT Tower with nothing but a No. 1 — signifying a national title returning to Texas’ campus. “We’ve done a great job of doing that, in so many different circumstances over the course of time,” Kelly continued. “Now it’s much more plausible. When you have a group of talented individuals with common care and respect for the game and team, it’s a powerful position to be in. “And we’re in that position now. More so than ever, one through 28 [on the roster], we’re in that position of power.” Last offseason, Kelly taught the team through a book focused on rugby’s historically

successful team, The All Blacks. This year, Kelly and her coaching staff have a singular focus on building energy within the team. To support those lessons, she’s giving her team the book, “The Energy Bus,” by John Gordon. A bevvy of strong scorers, defenders, and “creative personalities,” as Kelly calls them, joining a cresting cast of characters already on the club could create a logjam at some positions. Though blending the new talent with the solidified squad already on campus is a tough task every season, through the club’s culture and with the help of lessons from “The Energy Bus,” Kelly never even paused to think about potential qualms. The highly-touted incoming class includes the No. 2 prospect in Texas, Haley Berg, the No. 2 overall goalkeeping prospect, Savannah Madden of San Diego, Calif., as well as Emily Strouphauer of Cedar Ridge High School, where her play netted her the No. 7 overall prospect ranking in Texas. “If we do anything well as a staff it’s investing in the culture,” Kelly reiterated. “The culture is built on respect, so in my mind, [the veterans

A UNITED FRONT: Built on a foundation of respect, this year’s soccer team is already proving how teamwork can result in success.

SOCCER SEASON PREVIEW

PREVIOUS PAGE: J IM S IGMON /UNIV. OF TEXAS, BETHANY WAL TER/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

Angela Kelly

and newcomers meshing] is the furthest thing from a concern. People that join this team, that have the privilege to join this team, will honor and respect themselves first, their teammates and the University of Texas, which is bigger than themselves.” Back out on the recruiting trail in late May, Kelly said when a player commits to Texas, the main priority is the team’s togetherness and that any new player will support that stability even when winning is hard to come by. “The message is clear in recruiting, and it’s reiterated before they come to campus, and again when they get on campus for the first time,” Kelly said. Contributing to, and growing with the Longhorn soccer program isn’t optional for players. Before departing for summer travel, and some play on the pitch, the Longhorns began to relish its responsibility to one another during the offseason. “There’s been tremendous gains this spring, as individuals and collectively,” Kelly said. “It’s critical to maintain and deepen that fitness phase and mentality.” During the spring season, Glenn notched six goals, Tecora Turner had three, Hintzen and Kayra Dollas each netted two, while Nakia Graham, Emily Martin and Kyra Falcone all scored one. The parity on offense, while dominating the opposition, stood out especially in the spring finale as three players scored, with the first goal coming just 45 seconds into the match, against St. Edward’s. The returning class of 19 tallied more than 80 percent of the team’s goals last season, along with 67 percent of the Longhorns’ assist total and 56-of-77 total points from a team that finished just 8-9-1 last year. Yet of the returnees, just five are seniors. However, the rest of the team has spent a large swath of quality time together. And not just the past year or two, either, as many on the Texas players have spent time playing for the Lone

Star Soccer Club when not playing for their high school and/or collegiate squads. What was lacking last year — fulfilling all the offensive promise and drive — was present in spades in the spring. “The fact we didn’t get a goal scored on us all spring says a ton about our shape and our defensive mentality,” Kelly said. “And on the flip side to have the success and confidence to create as much as we did and then to finish it off, that was something we had been missing in the fall. The young players are seeing the back of the net not once, but twice, three times, and are getting hungry for that and it’s contagious.” That contagion is palpable back on campus during late summer as the season begins ramping up toward its start date on Aug. 18. Big 12 Conference play begins with Texas hosting Iowa State on Sept. 22 and the Big

Cyera Hintzen

We’ve done a great job of doing that, in so many different circumstances over the course of time. Now it’s much more plausible. When you have a group of talented individuals with common care and respect for the game and team, it’s a powerful position to be in. - Angela Kelly 12 Tournament will be held at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 1-5. “When each player has the excitement of their teammate scoring, they want to do that as well,” Kelly said. “The beauty is our team is so tight, they want share the wealth. It’s not about one player.”

Alexa Adams

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FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

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FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

HUNGRY FOR CHANGE TEXAS FOOTBALL SWITCHES GEARS AS IT LOOKS TO MAKE A LEAP FORWARD IN 2017

HANGING THE HEAD football coach every three years isn’t the norm at Texas, but thanks to a series of unfathomable seasons — in four of the past seven seasons — and zero bowl game appearances since 2014, the Longhorns switched gears again. This time the program opted for the newest, greatest coach out there: Tom Herman. Follow along, if you can. The Longhorns have gone from Mack Brown to Charlie Strong to Herman in just four years. The program recorded 16 wins in 37 games, with blowout losses to the likes of TCU (three straight times) and Iowa State in that period, as well as a defeat at the hands of — gulp — Kansas during that stretch.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 39

By all accounts, Herman, who Texas hired away from the University of Houston just hours after the Longhorns lost to TCU to end their forgettable 2016 campaign, has already instilled a higher level of expectation in his short stint on the 40 Acres. New is the operative word around the Texas program, from the players’ gleaming, modern big-screen- televisiontopped lockers to the signage and message portrayed in the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center. The Longhorns have a senior class of just 12 scholarship players, 10 of those signed by Brown. Of that group, maybe four are true difference makers, meaning Herman will depend mostly on players brought to Austin by Strong, who was run out of town for his lack of success. But that’s all in the past — at least that’s the hope for this season. Texas will improve in 2017; how much will be determined by Herman and his staff’s ability to get more out of the same men who played for Strong. Regardless of how this season ends up, we’re all in for a wild ride. So buckle in, and turn the page.

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PATH FINDER: Malik Jefferson will need to lead and set the example for the Texas defense this upcoming season.

PREVIOUS S PREAD AN D THIS PAG E: PATRICK M EREDITH/UN IV. OF TEXAS

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW THE NEXT BIG THING: Chris Warren III will step into the featured running back position this season — and he’s ready for the job.

PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS

TEXAS’ SSHRUGGING HRUGGINNG OOFF FF HHIS IS IINJURIES, NJURIES W WARREN ARRREN LO LOOKS OOKS TO STEP INTO THE ROLE AS TEXAS’ KEY RUNNING BACK FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 41

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

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HE SIZE OF Texas running back Chris Warren III is unmistakable — he turns heads on the football field and makes an immediate impact when he barrels through the line of scrimmage. People either move or get knocked out of the way when he has a full head of steam and is trying to gain yards. But the real effect Warren will have on the Longhorns this season will be determined in the long haul, through his leadership role in the locker room and the overall success he helps Texas achieve. Warren, a junior from Rockwall, will take over the featured back position this season and

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW New Texas head coach Tom Herman said he’s never seen a player as big as Warren move as well and with such flexibility. Warren showed off his capabilities during winter conditioning and in spring drills before he was forced to the sidelines with a hamstring injury. The injury kept him from playing in the Orange-White Game. He’s expected to be at full strength when the Longhorns open the season at home against Maryland on Sept. 2. “I pulled him aside during one of the workouts and told him, ‘You’ve been a pleasant surprise,’” Herman said. “I told him, ‘You’re going to make a lot of money someday playing this position if you put your pads down and run through somebody.’”

We’re trying to win — and I could care less about anything else right now,” he added. “When we win, all the individual stuff will come, so I feel like that’s what we need to focus on. - Chris Warren III replace D’Onta Foreman, who’s now playing for the Houston Texans after a record-breaking campaign in 2016. “I’m definitely willing to come up, step up and take the job,” Warren said. “We still have to work on getting ourselves built up from this past season.” Warren and Foreman were No. 1 and No. 1A when Texas started play last year, but Warren went down with a PCL injury to his right knee in the Longhorns’ fourth game of the season at Oklahoma State. He missed the rest of the year. “I got tripped up and I fell on my knee,” Warren said. “At the time it wasn’t painful. I knew that I had hurt it, but I didn’t think much of it. Once I got it examined I knew I wasn’t going to play the rest of the year.” Warren was crushed he couldn’t help his team, which struggled to a second-consecutive 5-7 season that eventually led to the firing of coach Charlie Strong and the dismissal of the Texas coaching staff. “You put all this work in during the offseason and you want to play and help your team,” Warren said. “Knowing you can’t do that and having it be so early in the season, it really puts a stinger in your heart. “It was aggravating because I knew I could’ve helped,” he added. “If I was out there, I could’ve done something. It sucks watching your team play and you not being able to do anything for a win or a loss.”

Warren isn’t afraid to punish defenders who try to tackle him, as evidenced by the fact that 407 of his 836 career rushing yards were gained after first contact. But it’s not enough to be big and strong in college football — Warren also needs toughness and durability to reach his potential. Until his knee injury, Warren started two games (against Texas-El Paso and California) and gained 362 yards and three touchdowns on 62 carries. He played in all four of the Longhorns’ games before his injury, and he and Foreman had racked up 707 yards and seven touchdowns in Texas’ battering-ram rushing attack. Warren had set a tone and an expectation during his freshman campaign, specifically in the Longhorns’ final two games of 2015. In those contests, he electrified the college football world by running for a Texas freshman record of 276 yards with four touchdowns in a home loss to Texas Tech. Warren also had a 91-yard score in which he broke seven tackles. In the upset victory against then-No. 12 Baylor, he gained 106 hard-earned yards. Warren’s skill set is unquestioned — he’s 6-foot-2 and would like to play at about 245 pounds this season after being as much as 15 pounds heavier in his freshman season. What makes Warren special is a combination of size, toughness after contact, quickness within his first several steps and the

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speed to pull away from defenders when he’s in the open field, even when some defensive backs have angles on him. Despite the fact that he’s had a series of injuries while in high school and at Texas, Herman said he’s not worried about Warren’s long-term durability. “Two injuries isn’t something to be concerned about, especially since they were unrelated,” Herman explained. “The knee is fine and he got twisted around and kind of torqued his hamstring a little bit. If you get into the four, five, six injury category, God is probably trying to tell you something. But at this point I’m not concerned at all.” A longtime recruiting target of both Strong and former Texas coach Mack Brown, Warren

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— the son of NFL veteran Chris Warren, Jr. — chose Texas over Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Washington. His choice came down to the Longhorns and Washington, and although most thought that he was favoring Texas throughout the process, Warren literally flipped a coin on signing day to choose his school. Warren and Herman previously crossed paths when Warren took a recruiting visit to Ohio State when Herman was the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator. “Coach Herman remembered me from that visit,” Warren said. “He’s the same guy. He’s energetic, loves football and he’s ready to coach. He’s passionate. The guy loves the game. He loves us. He loves this university and he’s going to lead us into a really good direction.”

Warren is learning from, and trying to impress, his third Texas running backs coach. Fortunately, his growth is focused as much on learning his position as it is performing when his number is called. “In a sense, I’d like stability but at the same time, it’s the same things, so you’re probably learning more depending on who teaches it,” Warren said. “The scheme of the offense may change, but inside zone is inside zone and power is power. And pass protection, you still have to get certain positioning and you have to make sure you shoot your arms in.” Warren is dedicated to putting in the work to get to where he needs to be and — and with new running backs coach Stan Drayton — he has the right man to pull together his skill, effort and desire. Drayton’s past three pupils during his stints at Ohio State and with the Chicago Bears were Carlos Hyde, Ezekiel Elliott and Jordan Howard, three of the top running backs in the NFL. Drayton said he’s never coached a back quite like Warren and is intrigued by the capabilities of Texas’ next big running back. “I’ve never had a guy that big,” Drayton said. “There’s some things we have to do to make him the caliber of back that I believe he’s capable of becoming. He has to become more elusive. He has to be quicker in tighter spaces. So he has a long way to go in that respect. But his body is capable of doing it.” Texas’ plan for Warren is very simple. Drayton said, “Hand him the football.” “The thing about Chris is that he’s conscientious,” Drayton said. “He wants to be great. We still need to work on some things to help him get to that goal, but he’s definitely got the traits of being a great back.” Warren and Drayton are already on the same wavelength. “Coach Drayton isn’t a stern guy, but he’s definitely one of those guys that’s about his business,” Warren said. “He wants us to succeed in all aspects of the game and in life. He wants us to be grown men. He’s one of those guys that will show us how to do that. “We’re trying to win — and I could care less about anything else right now,” he added. “When we win, all the individual stuff will come, so I feel like that’s what we need to focus on.” The coaching staff won’t hand Warren the starting job. He’ll have to battle incoming freshmen Toneil Carter and Daniel Young, along with Kyle Porter, who’s entering his second season. But with the injury behind him and if he can stay healthy, Warren should be able to put up some massive numbers with a full workload in Herman’s offense. “By the time I get back to it, it will be almost a year,” Warren said. “I’m ready to start playing.”

PREVIOUS S PREAD: PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. O F TEXAS

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW JUGGERNAUT: PJ Locke is the catalyst responsible for pushing the Texas defense back to greatness this season.

PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS

LOCKED ON A LONGHORN TEAM FULL OF GREAT DEFENSIVE BACKS, LOCKE LEADS THE WAY FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 45

JIM S IGMON/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

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LAYING THE NICKEL position in college football is one of the most demanding in the secondary. Offenses like to put their best receiver in the slot against the nickelback in hopes for a mismatch in size or talent, especially against defenses with limited depth. Such scenarios build and define great defensive backs, one of whom is Texas’ PJ Locke III, who turned heads last season when he excelled in the nickel. He made an even bigger impression on the new Longhorn coaching staff in the months since the end of the 2016 season, and could be one of the catalysts for a defensive turnaround for Texas in the fall. Texas — ballyhooed as “DBU” for its knack of developing defensive backs and sending them on to productive careers in the NFL — is a team that’s stocked with great players in the secondary. For the Longhorns, the nickel position can be manned by a third-string cornerback, but is usually filled with a player who could man either a safety or a cornerback spot in a tradition 4-3-4 defensive set. Think of players like former Longhorn Kenny Vaccaro, who now plays in New Orleans, and Quandre Diggs, who’s with Detroit. Both players earned their stripes at the nickel position and have filled that role for their NFL teams. This brings us back to Locke, the 5-foot11, 215-pound junior from Beaumont Central who manned the nickel in 2016. He made nine starts for the Longhorns last season, and racked up 33 total tackles, two interceptions, eight passes defended and a fumble recovery. “I label myself as a safety that can cover like a corner and hit like a linebacker,” Locke said. Pro Football Focus, an analytics website, ranked returning college cornerbacks (and nickels) based on opponents’ passer rating when targeted on a minimum of 274 snaps in coverage. Locke was listed second behind Alabama All-American Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick came in at 37.8. Locke was second at 48.9. Those numbers have college football experts lauding Locke and his potential to be a game-changer for the Longhorns, especially with a new staff that understands the type of player they have in Locke and how to get the most out of him. The name on Locke’s driver’s license is James A. Locke III, but he goes by PJ — short for Pookie Jr. — a nickname given to him by his father, James Jr., a former defensive back at Oklahoma State. Locke’s family members continue to call him PJ; his teammates and coaches, on the other hand, call him Pookie after former Texas coach Charlie Strong introduced him that way at an alumni gathering.

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW Texas head coach Tom Herman lauded him for his leadership during spring practice, and Locke made two tackles and a pass break-up during the spring game. Locke missed some offseason practice time this summer after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia in May but is expected to be at full strength when fall practice opens in August. Locke has played in all 24 games in his first two seasons on the 40 Acres and has started 10 of them, the first of which came at Baylor in the final game of the 2015 season. Early in that game against the then-No. 12 Bears, Locke forced a fumble by Baylor quarterback Chris Johnson with a hit that knocked Johnson out of the game with a concussion. The play was a key component to the Longhorns’ eventual win. Locke finished the game with seven tackles (five of them solo stops) and a tackle for loss. Locke continued his successful run at the nickel spot in Texas’ season-opening win versus

Texas’ spring workouts. “We said, ‘Man, this guy shows up all over the place. I wonder how he’s going to be for us?’ He’s explosive when he blitzes, he can cover and he adds a dynamic of physicality too. “I love PJ as a kid, so if something goes down I can go to him and he’ll read our body language,” Orlando added. “If he knows we’re upset, he’ll address things with the group. He’s been that way since the first day I met him.” Numerous media outlets wrote about Herman’s phone call to Locke’s parents. The head coach made the call this past winter, before even seeing Locke work out with pads. According to Herman, Locke constantly excelled in Texas’ weekly academic meetings, so much so that Herman felt the need to praise his junior defensive back to the people who know him best. “PJ Locke’s parents are the first I’ve called to personally thank them for sending us a marvelous human being,” Herman said in

When we watched him on film, PJ was the most impressive kid play-in, game-in and game-out. We said, ‘Man, this guy shows up all over the place. I wonder how he’s going to be for us?’ He’s explosive when he blitzes, he can cover and he adds a dynamic of physicality too. - Todd Orlando Notre Dame last year when he had a sack and a tackle and a half for a loss. He’s comfortable at the nickel spot because he exceled at the position in his junior year as a prep player. When he came to Texas he was moved to safety — the position he played at as a sophomore and as a senior in high school. “At nickel, everything happens faster,” Locke said. “When I went back to safety, it seemed like everything was happening so slow. At nickel, it’s a different story because you’re right there at the line of scrimmage.” Locke is a born leader. He took it upon himself to set an example for his teammates in the past offseason with a combination of dependability and constant hard work that immediately caught the eye of Herman and the new defensive staff. New defensive coordinator Todd Orlando saw on film what others witnessed in person the past two seasons — that Locke has a nose for the ball and constantly makes plays. “When we watched him on film, PJ was the most impressive kid play-in, game-in and game-out,” Orlando said about Locke during

February, before the team started spring drills. “He’s a great leader,” Herman added. “I don’t know if the kid can play football or not, but he’s a vocal leader on the field in all of our drills. We literally have an academic meeting every week, where we go over every single kid in front of the whole staff. We have only received glowing reviews for him.” Locke is doing everything he can to buy into the new staff and building a relationship with his head coach. “Herman is my head coach — I’m grasping every piece of knowledge he’s trying to give me,” Locke said. Texas is far from the spot it once enjoyed as one of college football’s elite teams, but with players like Locke providing leadership and making the plays that count on the field, there’s a level of excitement that’s been missing since Texas’ last appearance in the national championship game. “We know Texas hasn’t been at its standard,” Locke admitted. “Our 5-7 the past two years is not the standard. We’re dedicated to getting it back to how it used to be.” FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 47

2017 FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF

TOM HERMAN Head Coach

TIM BECK Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

STAN DRAYTON Associate Head Coach/Run-Game Coordinator/Running Backs

OSCAR GILES Defensive Line

YANCY MCKNIGHT Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

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CORBY MEEKINS Tight Ends

DREW MEHRINGER Pass Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers

CRAIG NAIVAR Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties

TODD ORLANDO Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

DEREK WAREHIME Offensive Line

JASON WASHINGTON Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 49

SCHEDULE ANALYSIS THIS SEASON’S COMPETITION WILL SET THE FOUNDATION FOR THE TOM HERMAN ERA GAME

MARYLAND

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 2 SERIES RECORD: Texas 3, Maryland 0 LAST: No. 14 Texas 42, No. 13 Maryland 0 (1978)

ABOUT THE OPPONENT MARYLAND 2017 SCHEDULE SEPT. 2 AT TEXAS Sept. 9 vs. Towson Sept. 23 vs. UCF Sept. 30 at Minnesota Oct. 7 at Ohio State Oct. 14 vs. Northwestern Oct. 21 at Wisconsin Oct. 28 vs. Indiana Nov. 4 vs. Rutgers Nov. 11 vs. Michigan Nov. 18 at Michigan State

M ARYL AND ATHL ETICS

Ty Johnson

IF THE TERRAPINS make the same progress in 2017 they made in 2016, they’ll be among the best teams in the nation. Going from three wins to six in head coach DJ Durkin’s first season, while encouraging for Terp fans, is less of a leap than doubling the win total from six to 12. Durkin has spent just one season in College Park, but in Tom Herman’s first game as the Longhorns’ head coach, Durkin will have the longer tenure. That extra year means he has greater familiarity with his players and what they can and can’t do. Whoever starts at quarterback for Maryland will be the team’s new field general as 2016 starter Perry Hills graduated last year. Whoever lines up under center in the season opener will be new, so between Herman on the Texas sideline and a new quarterback for Maryland, each team will be dealing with significant transition.

Maryland got outscored last season by an average of 29.5-25.8, and with the uncertainty at quarterback, a new offensive line coach in Tyler Bowen and a wide receiver group that includes D.J. Moore and a bunch of question marks, it’s unclear whether the Terps will be able to increase their scoring. Therefore, Durkin — who went to Maryland after serving as Michigan’s defensive coordinator — will rely heavily on a defense that finished third in the Big 10 with 38 sacks but lost its top three defensive linemen to graduation. Helping the Maryland defense will be a secondary bolstered by the arrival of three new defensive backs — including heralded cornerback Deon Jones, who had fielded offers from 34 schools, including national heavyweights like Clemson, Stanford, Ohio State and Florida — who enrolled early in order to take part in spring workouts.

HEAD COACH: D.J. Durkin STADIUM NAME AND CAPACITY: Maryland Stadium, capacity 54,000 2016 FINAL CONFERENCE STANDING: 5th (Big Ten - East) 2016 RECORD: 6-7 ALL TIME RECORD: 634-574-43

DID YOU KNOW? Maryland holds occasional home games in Baltimore, Md., making the Terps the closest FBS team to Washington D.C.

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SCHEDULE ANALYSIS

GAME

SAN JOSE STATE

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 9 SERIES RECORD: This year marks the first meeting between the two teams

ABOUT THE OPPONENT SAN JOSE STATE 2017 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 vs. USF Sept. 2 vs. Cal Poly SEPT. 9 AT TEXAS Sept. 16 at Utah Sept. 23 vs. Utah State Sept. 30 at UNLV Oct. 7 vs. Fresno State Oct. 14 at Hawaii Oct. 28 at BYU Nov. 4 vs. San Diego State Nov. 11 at Nevada Nov. 18 at Colorado State Nov. 25 vs. Wyoming HEAD COACH: Brent Brennan STADIUM NAME AND CAPACITY: CEFCU Stadium, capacity 30,456 2016 FINAL CONFERENCE STANDING: 3rd (Mountain West - West) 2016 RECORD: 48 ALL TIME RECORD: 483–492–38

The San Jose State football team served unexpectedly with the Honolulu Police Department during World War II. The team had just arrived in Hawaii to play a series of postseason bowl games against the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the Willamette University Bearcats when the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. The team was stranded on the islands for a number of weeks following the attack, and players were employed by the local police department to help improve island defenses.

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THE SPARTANS ARE coming off a 4-8 season which they finished with a road victory at in-state rival Fresno State. However, San Jose State’s year also included lopsided losses to the likes of San Diego State, Iowa State and Tulsa, which resulted in the school firing head coach Ron Caragher. His replacement, Brent Brennan, is beginning his second stint at San Jose State, where he was an assistant coach before spending the last six seasons as wide receivers coach at Oregon State. This game will be a battle of head coaches in their first seasons with their new schools. Hiring a new coaching staff often means many, if not all positions are open for competition, and that appears to be the case at San Jose State. Josh Love and Montel Aaron are expected to wage a battle over the starting quarterback position. Love has the edge in experience after playing in all 12 games

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last season, completing 31-of-60 pass attempts (51.7 percent) for 392 passing yards with five interceptions and a pair of touchdowns. Before Love, Aaron or any other passer can succeed, Brennan and his staff must improve the protection up front. The Spartans gave up 101 tackles for loss and 51 quarterback sacks last season; no team in the country has given up that many sacks in three years. New defensive coordinator Derrick Odum is charged with improving a defense that coughed up 244.6 rushing yards and 34.7 points per game last season. The secondary should be decent, with all four 2016 starters back this year, but the success of any defense starts up front. A year ago, the Spartans managed barely over half the number of tackles for loss (55) turned in by opponents — a trend that has to change for them to enjoy any measure of success.

K-STATE ATH LETICS

DID YOU KNOW?

Reggie Walker

SCHEDULE ANALYSIS

GAME

USC

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 16 SERIES RECORD: Texas 1, USC 4 LAST: No. 2 Texas 41, No. 1 USC 38 (2006)

ABOUT THE OPPONENT USC 2017 SCHEDULE Sept. 2 vs. West Michigan Sept. 9 vs. Stanford SEPT. 16 VS. TEXAS Sept. 23 at Cal Sept. 29 at Washington State Oct. 7 vs. Oregon State Oct. 14 vs. Utah Oct. 21 at Notre Dame Oct. 28 at Arizona State Nov. 4 vs. Arizona Nov. 11 at Colorado Nov. 18 vs. UCLA HEAD COACH: Clay Helton STADIUM NAME AND CAPACITY: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, capacity 93,607 2016 FINAL CONFERENCE STANDING: 2nd (Pac-12 South) 2016 RECORD: 10-3 ALL TIME RECORD: 823–336–54

US C ATHL ETICS/J OH N M CG ILLEN

Sam Darnoldt

TWO OF THE most storied programs in the country will meet for the first time since the national championship game that elevated Vince Young from an icon in Austin to a college football legend. That game was the only time Texas won in five games against the Trojans, but USC fans still wince at the memory of Young racing into the end zone to beat a Trojan team many were calling one of the best in the history of college football. Whether USC has a chance to make a run at another national championship remains to be seen, but the Trojans are loaded in 2017 despite losing five players in the 2017 NFL Draft. USC also appears in the top five on just about every way-too-early preseason national ranking. The offense will need to be retooled after USC lost two starting receivers and both starting tackles from last season, but the cupboard is anything

but bare. Leading the way is Sam Darnold, an AllAmerican candidate at quarterback who completed 246-of-366 passes last season for 3,086 passing yards, connecting on 31 touchdown passes while throwing just nine interceptions. On every list of preseason Heisman candidates, Darnold announced his arrival to even the most casual football fan with a five-touchdown, 453-yard performance in USC’s 52-49 win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Most pundits have said that if he leaves school after the 2017 season, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Darnold will be one of the first players chosen in next year’s draft. The offense always seems to outshine the defense at USC, but the Trojans have exceptional depth on defense and a starting lineup that features defensive end Rasheem Green (team-leading six sacks), linebacker Porter Gustin (team-high 13 tackles for loss) and cornerback Iman Marshall.

DID YOU KNOW? As of 2017, 503 Trojans have advanced their careers to the NFL — more than any other university. USC also has had more players drafted in the first round than any other university, with 80 as of the 2017 draft.

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SCHEDULE ANALYSIS

GAME

IOWA STATE

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 28 SERIES RECORD: Texas 12, Iowa State 2 LAST: Texas 27, Iowa State 6 (2016)

ABOUT THE OPPONENT IOWA STATE 2017 SCHEDULE Sept. 2 vs. Northern Iowa Sept. 9 vs. Iowa Sept. 16 at Akron SEPT. 28 VS. TEXAS Oct. 7 at Oklahoma Oct. 14 vs. Kansas Oct. 21 at Texas Tech Oct. 28 vs. TCU Nov. 4 at West Virginia Nov. 11 vs. Oklahoma State Nov. 18 at Baylor Nov. 25 at Kansas

DID YOU KNOW? Iowa State has won two conference championships in school history (in 1911 and 1912). Both Iowa State conference championships were during their membership in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA), which later became the Big Eight Conference.

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Allen Lazard

THE LONGHORNS KICK off the Big 12 portion of their schedule in Ames against an Iowa State team that jumped out to a 6-0 lead last year in Austin before getting run over by the Longhorns, 27-6. Expectations are high after Iowa State went 3-9 in Matt Campbell’s first season as the Cyclones’ head coach. Fans will look for significant improvement, thanks in large part to an offense that’s thought to be explosive enough to compensate for a defense that might need some time to find its footing. To be fair, a couple of dropped would-be touchdown passes could’ve bumped the Cyclones’ 2016 record to 5-7. They lost four games by seven or fewer points last year, so while their record wasn’t impressive, the team probably is closer to respectability than many realize. Redshirt junior quarterback Jacob Park returns to lead the offense after completing 133-of-225 passes last year for 1,791 yards with 12 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He already has a slew of talented receivers to whom he can throw, a

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group some have suggested is the best in school history. The group is headlined by 6-foot-5, 225pound Allen Lazard, who caught a team-leading 69 passes last season for 1,018 yards and seven touchdowns. The Iowa State offense also features several talented running backs, including David Montgomery and Mike Warren, who ran for 563 and 559 yards, respectively, in 2016. There are those in Ames who are using “the B word” — standing for “bowl” — when predicting the Cyclones’ 2017 fortunes. But to get there, Campbell and his staff will need to shore up a defense that surrendered 452.9 yards — and more importantly, 31.3 points — per game a year ago. Linebacker Willie Harvey, who shared the team lead last season with 78 tackles is back for his junior season. Defensive end JaQuan Bailey also returns, but his 3.5 sacks led a defense that mustered just 19 all year. To reduce the points given up and increase takeaways, the Cyclones will need to generate more pressure up front.

IOWA S TATE ATHLETICS

HEAD COACH: Matt Campbell STADIUM NAME AND CAPACITY: Jack Trice Stadium, capacity 61,500 2016 FINAL CONFERENCE STANDING: 9th (Big 12) 2016 RECORD: 3-9 ALL TIME RECORD: 512-625-46

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SENIOR BIOS

A FEW GOOD MEN TEXAS’ 12 SENIORS LOOK TO MAKE AN IMPACT DURING THEIR LAST SEASON ON THE 40 ACRES

ANDREW BECK

MITCHELL BECKER

THE NEW TEXAS offense needs serious production from tight ends this season and Beck, a fourth-year player with 15 starts in 37 total games since 2014, is the Longhorns’ lone scholarship player at the position. This is good news for Beck, who should see considerable more playing time than he did in 2016, when he caught just four passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. However, in order for that to happen, he’ll need to stay healthy. He missed this season’s spring workouts and the spring game while recovering from a broken left foot. Beck is a productive run blocker for the Longhorns, setting the edge for the Texas backs and helping them get to the corner. He has 12 career catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 13.3 yards per reception. The best case scenario for Beck and the Longhorns this season is for him to stay healthy and catch 30 passes. He’s a viable option for the offense in the middle of the field and in goal line situations. As for the worst case scenario, Beck could not fully recover from his foot injury, forcing the Longhorns to move away from targeting the tight end.

BECKER DID HIS job last season as the backup field goal kicker and kickoff specialist, but he didn’t do it well enough to secure the position full time in 2017 as new Texas coach Tom Herman signed a junior college kicker to assume the starting role. Becker played in all 12 games for Texas in 2016, recording 72 kickoffs, in which he had 27 touchbacks. He also nailed both of his field goal chances (from 24 and 31 yards, respectively), against TCU in Texas’ season finale, scoring six of the Longhorns’ nine points in the defeat. Expect Becker to shine in his kickoff role this season —a strong leg is a terrible thing to waste.

PLACE KICKER

ANDREW BECK PHOTOS: PATRICK M EREDITH/UN IV. OF TEXAS MITCH EL L BECKER PHO TOS : JIM S IGMO N/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

TIGHT END

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SENIOR BIOS

RODERICK BERNARD

ANTWUAN DAVIS

BERNARD, NICKNAMED “HOT ROD” by former Texas coach Charlie Strong, seems to spend most of his time on the 40 Acres injured rather than playing. If the wide receiver/return specialist-turned running back can ever get healthy, he’d become a significant factor for the Longhorns this season, especially in the return game. Bernard missed the entire 2016 campaign after sustaining injuries in a car crash in July. He had one catch for four yards during the 2015 season, missing two games due to injury. And as a freshman in 2014, Bernard earned a spot as one of Texas’ primary kickoff returners, averaging 19.1 yards per return on his nine returns. He played in five games that season before he was injured against Kansas State and missed the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

DAVIS CAME TO Austin as a speedster with a real upside but hasn’t taken that next big step forward. He’s had his chances — Davis started five games in 2015 and has played in a total of 31 games — but most of his work over the past two years was as a reserve and on special teams. Davis already graduated and was a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2015. He ran sprints for the Longhorns track & field team during the 2014 indoor season and competed in two meets, posting a personal-best 7.05 seconds in the 60-meter dash and career-best 22.20 in the 200 meters. For his career on the 40 Acres, Davis has amassed 20 tackles, 16 of them solo, recorded one pass breakup and recovered one fumble. Expect him to continue in the same role as better and more experienced players will hold spots ahead of him on the Texas depth chart.

DEFENSIVE BACK

RO DERICK BERNARD PH OTOS (FROM TOP): B ETHANY W ALTER/UNIV. O F TEXAS , PATRIC K MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS ANTW UAN DAVIS PH OTOS : PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS

RUNNING BACK/RETURN SPECIALIST

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SENIOR BIOS

POONA FORD

ARMANTI FOREMAN

FORD IS ONE of the Longhorns’ most important players. He’s the man in the middle who can clog up an opponent’s run game, get after the quarterback on occasion and occupy two opposing blockers to let his teammates make plays. He has started 17 times (including all 12 games in 2016) in 33 contests for Texas and was fourth on the team with 54 tackles (40 solo) last season. As a junior, Ford had 5½ tackles for a loss and four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two blocked PATs. Those numbers, and an engine that’s constantly in overdrive, were good enough for Ford to be named second team All-Big 12 by ESPN.com and earn an honorable mention All-Big 12 by the league’s coaches. Ford was already garnered preseason All-Big 12 mention by Athlon Sports for the 2017 season and wears the look of the latest Texas defensive tackles that will play at the next level when he’s done in Austin.

FOREMAN, ONE OF highest ranked recruits in former coach Charlie Strong’s tenure, spurned Oklahoma and many others to sign with the Longhorns back in 2014 because Texas agreed to also offer a scholarship to his lesser-considered twin brother D’Onta. Fast forward to 2017 where D’Onta is now playing for the Houston Texans after leading the nation in rushing in 2016, and Foreman, the guy destined to be a can’t miss kid, still has some work to do with the Longhorns. After hauling in 21 receptions for a combined 370 yards during his first two seasons, Foreman’s productivity last season dropped two fold, even as he became more of a possession receiver and had 10 starts. He had only two receptions of 20 or more yards all season. Foreman will get a chance to make up for lost time as one of Texas’ slot receivers in 2017, but roaming the middle is a whole different ballgame than being on an island on the outside with just a cornerback to beat. He certainly has the tools to excel in the role. Foreman is one of the Longhorns’ key players because of his unrealized potential.

WIDE RECEIVER

POONA FORD PHOTOS: PATRICK M EREDITH/ UNIV. OF TEXAS , ARM ANTI FOREMAN (FROM TOP): JIM SIGM ON /UNIV. O F TEXAS , PATRICK MEREDITH/UN IV. OF TEXAS

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

66 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

SENIOR BIOS

JASON HALL

BRANDON HODGES

HALL HAS SEEN a lot of action while at Texas, playing in 34 games with 26 starts over the past three seasons. Yet he has become the forgotten man in the secondary. The Longhorns have a handful of safeties on their roster, all of whom are much flashier than Hall who’s known more for his hard hitting than his coverage skills. Regardless, he’ll be hard to unseat from his starting role as long as he recovers from the hamstring injury that kept him out of most of Texas’ spring drills. He has 152 tackles, 94 of them unassisted, nine pass breakups, one forced fumble, two interceptions (both in his sophomore season) and even two sacks since his debut on the 40 Acres in 2014. He’s a big player (6-foot-3, 222 pounds) that can run well, make up ground when he has to and can hit hard when he catches a receiver. It remains to be seen if Hall’s set of tools and his execution of the basics under new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s defense is enough to allow him to reach his potential.

HODGES WAS A stalwart on the Longhorns’ offensive line in 2016 when he started nine games and helped D’Onta Foreman rush to the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Hodges missed parts of Texas spring drills because of academic issues, and that put him behind in his attempt to earn a starting spot when this season begins. Hodges, who’s a load at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, came to the 40 Acres from East Mississippi Community College where he was one of the top-rated players in the junior college ranks. He redshirted his first season at Texas. The right tackle position will be shared by Hodges and fellow senior Tristan Nickelson, with the starting spot going to the player who picks up the new Texas offense the quickest and remains the most consistent throughout the year. Even if he doesn’t start, expect Hodges to see the field plenty; there’s no substitute for depth on the offensive line.

SAFETY

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

Brandon Hodges

68 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

ALL PHOTOS IN TH IS PAGE: PATRICK MEREDITH/UNIV. OF TEXAS

Jason Hall

SENIOR BIOS

NAASHON HUGHES N LINEBACKER

HU HUGHES, WHO’S LISTED as a linebacker but is likely to play defensive eend this season, is regularly lauded by the new Texas coaching sstaff for his leadership, both on the field and in the locker room, his attention to detail and his high-revving motor. He’ll need all h tthose skills to become the rusher off the edge that new defensive ccoordinator Todd Orlando craves, and for Hughes, it’s really putup-or-shut-up time. up We expected Hughes to become a breakout player for the past seasons, but he regressed last year when he recorded just 24 total two se (3½ of which were for a loss) and three sacks after putting up monster tackles (3 numbers b (57 7 tackles, nine for a loss and 5½ sacks) as a sophomore in 2015. Hughes has played in 37 games (starting 26 of them) in his three years on the 40 Acres. Seven of those starts came last season but he’ll be pushed this year by younger, and perhaps hungrier, teammates that want the snaps. The thinking here is that Hughes is in for a monster year and will be one of the keys to the Texas defense.

LORENZO JOE

NAAS HON H UGH ES : JIM SIG MON/U NIV. OF TEXAS , LORENZ O JOE: PATRICK MEREDITH/ UNIV. OF TEXAS

WIDE RECEIVER

JOE IS ANOTHER Longhorns’ player who has battled injuries, but was healthy enough last year to play in seven games and catch eight passes for 102 yards. Most of Joe’s yardage came on one play — a 61-yard catch and run against Baylor — but he was knocked out of the game with a broken collarbone and missed the rest of the year. Joe spent most of his first two years at Texas working on special teams, where he played in all 25 games. He came to the 40 Acres as one of the state’s top-ranked athletes after playing quarterback during his final two prep seasons. With a new coaching staff, Joe will get his chance to make an impact on the field, but in order to steal time from the other members of Texas’ talented receiving corps, he’ll have to take a real step forward and stay healthy.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 69

SENIOR BIOS

DORIAN LEONARD

TRISTAN NICKELSON

LEONARD IS ANOTHER member of the Longhorns’ talented stable of wide receivers. He led the team in touchdown receptions last season (with three) and started the final seven games of the season on the outside. Leonard stepped up last year when the mercurial but stonehanded John Burt dropped his chance to cement the outside receiver spot. Leonard’s stats — 29 catches for 397 yards — were solid if not spectacular, but were eye-opening considering he had just one catch over his first two seasons at Texas. He has big-play potential and the size (Leonard is 6-foot-5) that’s craved in today’s offenses. Leonard could have a big season playing opposite Colin Johnson (another big target) and will often get the first look in the quarterback’s read because he plays on the right side of the offense.

NICKELSON IS BIG (6-foot-10, 310 pounds) and much traveled, both between programs (he transferred from Navarro College prior to his sophomore season and played at Fork Union Military Academy the year after his prep career ended) and on the line (Nickelson has started at left guard and right tackle for Texas). After earning three starts last season, Nickelson went to work with the new Texas offensive staff and is the likely starter this season at right tackle. But that position is the most unsettled of the five on the Longhorns’ offensive line, with fellow senior Brandon Hodges and sophomore Denzel Okafor pushing for playing time. If Nickelson doesn’t start, he’ll provide quality and proven depth in the offensive line — a luxury most teams don’t have on the roster.

OFFENSIVE LINE

NON-SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS GARRETT GRAF OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

ROBERT WILLIS TIGHT END

70 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

DO RIAN LEONARD: JIM S IGM ON/UNIV. OF TEXAS TRISTAN NICKELS ON (FROM TOP): JIM S IGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, PATRICK M EREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS

WIDE RECEIVER

NFL HORNS

ROUGH, TOUGH PROS THESE FORMER LONGHORNS LOOK TO CARRY ON THE WINNING TRADITION INTO THE NFL

LINEBACKER CHICAGO BEARS

After spending four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Acho moved to Chicago where DAÂ†O >A?KIA = Å‚TPQNA KJ defense and special teams for th the pastt ttwo seasons. During 2015 and 2016, he collected 66 tackles and a sack in 31 games. Chicago has a crowd at left outside linebacker, meaning Acho will need to remain a force on special teams.

CALEB BLUIETT

TIGHT END JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

The good news for Bluiett is Jacksonville sometimes uses a two-tight end set. The bad news is the undrafted rookie with FQOP ?=P?DAO @QNEJC DEO 1AT=O career will ill have h to t beat out several candidates to claim one of probably two backup spots behind unquestioned starter Marcedes Lewis.

PAUL BOYETTE JR.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE OAKLAND RAIDERS

Undrafted free agents often face long odds just to make a roster, and that description Å‚PO KUAPPA &B DA I=GAO PDA team, heâ€™ll be one of two professional f i l athletes thl in his family; his wife, BKNIAN 1AT=O >=OGAP>=HH OP=N &I=JE KUAPPA EO = center with the WNBAâ€™s Chicago Sky.

MALCOLM BROWN

Brown is just that for the Patriots, an anchor in the middle of the defensive line. He has played in 32 games in two seasons, starting 25, while N=?GEJC QL P=?GHAO =J@ OET O=?GO

at around 250 pounds, Foreman was asked to lose weight to increase his quickness. Heâ€™ll compete with Alfred Blue to be Lamar Millerâ€™s backup.

JAMAAL CHARLES

MARQUISE GOODWIN

1AT=O D=O LNK@Q?A@ OKIA CNA=P running backs and Charles is on the short list. After nine AT?ALPEKJ=H OA=OKJO EJ (=JO=O City, Charles, if healthy â€” injuries i j i have h limited li him to just eight games over the past two seasons â€” should push C.J. Anderson to become Denverâ€™s top rushing threat. Anderson is younger and bigger, but Charles will try to prove his health and LNK@Q?PEKJ IANEP EJ =J ATPAJOEKJ >AUKJ@ DEO one-year deal.

Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson and Pierre GarÃ§on represent the Ninersâ€™ effort to get faster KJ KBBAJOA 1DA BKNIAN 1AT=O BKKP>=HH =J@ PN=?G Å‚AH@ athlete thl t escaped dB Buffalo after four years, and is ATLA?PA@ PK OP=NP =DA=@ KB /K>EJOKJ =O PDA ANOÂ† top deep threat; now the question is whether Brian Hoyer and the rest of the quarterbacks have the arm strength and accuracy to hit Goodwin deep.

PHIL DAWSON

LINEBACKER PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

RUNNING BACK DENVER BRONCOS

KICKER ARIZONA CARDINALS

With 18 NFL seasons on his rÃ©sumÃ©, Dawson isnâ€™t assured of making the team after 14 seasons in Cleveland and four in San Francisco â€” incumbent D=J@HAN D @H =P=JV=NK DEP KB Å‚AH@ CK=HO H=OP UA=N >QP FQOP KB ATPN= LKEJPO 1DAJ again, people have spent years writing off !=SOKJ SDK I=@A KB Å‚AH@ CK=HO H=OP year and has made 404 in his career, ranking 10th in NFL history.

QUANDRE DIGGS

CORNERBACK DETROIT LIONS

RUNNING BACK LOS ANGELES RAMS

Barring a catastrophic injury to indisputable starter Todd Gurley, Brown and the rest of the Ramsâ€™ running backs have no illusions about claiming th the starting t ti position. i The 5-11, 227-pound second-year player should make the team in 2017, get some third-down carries and begin contributing on special teams.

Diggs averaged 41 tackles LAN OA=OKJ EJ DEO Å‚NOP PSK years with the Lions. He took over last year as the starting nickel corner, shadowing the KLLKJAJPOÂ† ODEBPU OHKP NA?AERANO &JFQNA@ EJ SAAG P Â† DEBP 13 last season, Diggsâ€™ role isnâ€™t guaranteed, >QP SEPD DEO ATLANEAJ?A EJ PDA OUOPAI =J@ PSK years remaining on a team-friendly contract, he should be part of the rotation.

MALCOM BROWN

Dâ€™ONTA FOREMAN

DEFENSIVE TACKLE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

1A=IO OLAJ@ Å‚NOP NKQJ@ LE?GO KJ LH=UANO ATLA?PA@ PK contribute immediately and take over starting positions. 72 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

RUNNING BACK HOUSTON TEXANS

The lone Longhorn to get drafted, Foreman ended up with the team closest to 1AT=O EPU DEO DKIAPKSJ After playing last season

WIDE RECEIVER SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

JORDAN HICKS

The Eaglesâ€™ second-leading tackler closed the season last year with 85 tackles. The RANO=PEHA %E?GO EO ATLA?PA@ PK move around more in 2017, relying l i on his hi smarts and versatility to move all over the defense. A third-round draft choice in 2015, Hicks is viewed as a budding star on the Philadelphia defense.

TREY HOPKINS

GUARD CINCINNATI BENGALS

A backup lineman who started the 2016 season on the Bengalsâ€™ active roster before being moved over to the practice squad, H Hopkins ki played l d in one game last season after originally joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

LAMARR HOUSTON LINEBACKER CHICAGO BEARS

Houston has evolved from the undersized defensive tackle drafted by Oakland to Chicagoâ€™s burly starter at the other outside linebacker spot. His second Hi d ACL tear in three seasons ended his 2016 season in the second game, but much is ATLA?PA@ KB %KQOPKJ SDK D=O P=?GHAO =J@ 25 sacks in his career.

COURTESY USA TODAY

SAM ACHO

NFL HORNS

DERRICK JOHNSON

LINEBACKER KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

One of the greatest defensive players in team history, Johnson has piled up 1,080 tackles and 27.5 sacks in 12 seasons, all of which he has OLAJP EJ (=JO=O PE ( EPU 4EPD PSK UA=NO NAI=EJEJC on his contract, the 34-year-old Johnson is not going anywhere, but heâ€™ll approach the 2017 season cautiously after rupturing an Achilles tendon in December.

MARCUS JOHNSON

WIDE RECEIVER PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

A late cut during the 2016 preseason, Johnson was added to the Eaglesâ€™ practice squad in December, thereby allowing him to spend the offseason getting i better b acclimated to the offense. Offseason signees Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith join Jordan Matthews to give Philadelphia a potent trio of starters; Johnsonâ€™s chance of making the team likely hinges on special teams.

COLT MCCOY

QUARTERBACK WASHINGTON REDSKINS

The Redskins were so unsure EB OP=NPAN (ENG KQOEJO SKQH@ return that they gave McCoy a three-year contract â€” long for a backup but an economical pact iff C Cousins i leaves l and McCoy takes over. McCoy has played in just seven games and attempted 139 passes in three seasons in Washington, where heâ€™s revered as a smart, reliable insurance policy.

thrive under Tennessee defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

ADRIAN PHILLIPS

SAFETY LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Phillips is one of those underdog stories coaches cite as inspiration to players. 2J@N=BPA@ KQP KB 1AT=O DA did his time on the practice squad db before f b being i elevated to the active roster, playing in 26 games â€” starting eight â€” over three seasons. Phillips has 58 tackles and a pair of interceptions in his career, and will need to chip in on special teams to remain a role player for the Chargers.

BRIAN ROBISON

LINEBACKER MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Since Minnesota chose him in the fourth round of the 2007 draft, Robison has @AÅ‚A@ PDA OGALPE?O SDK suggested repeatedly that the th Vikings Viki would replace him. When he signed a new two-year deal in March, he acknowledged that this contract might be his H=OP &J +#) OA=OKJO DA D=O LH=UA@ BASAN than 16 games only twice (playing 15 each time), and quietly has piled up 269 tackles and 56 sacks.

KEENAN ROBINSON

LINEBACKER NEW YORK GIANTS

After three seasons in the nationâ€™s capital, Robinson I=@A PDA IKRA QL & H=OP year and became arguably the must underrated cog in PDA PD $E $E=JPOÂ† P Â† @ABAJOA @ B Å‚JEODEJC BKQNPD KJ PDA team with 83 tackles. Heâ€™ll battle Jonathan Casillas for time at the Will linebacker spot in an effort to turn his new one-year contract into a long-term payday.

NICK ROSE

KICKER SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

1DA BKNIAN 1AT=O GE?GAN signed a futures contract in January with San Francisco, but will have to unseat longtime Chicago Bears star R Robbie bbi G Gould ld tto make the team.

GEOFF SWAIM

TIGHT END DALLAS COWBOYS

0S=EI Å‚J@O DEIOAHB EJ = unique position in Dallas. Future Hall of Famer Jason Witten refuses to age, and delaying Swaimâ€™s entry into th b the race ffor a backup role is offseason foot surgery that likely will keep him shelved until

ALEX OKAFOR

LINEBACKER/DEFENSIVE END NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Okafor heads to the Big Easy after four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he accumulated 75 tackles and d 13 13.5 5 sacks. k A Assuming he makes the team, Okafor will be asked to do more of the same: rush the passer from an outside rush position â€” either as a standup linebacker or with a hand down as a defensive end â€” and contribute on special teams.

BRIAN ORAKPO

COURTESY US A TODAY

LINEBACKER TENNESSEE TITANS

1DA BKNIAN 1AT=O @ABAJOERA end has established himself as a stellar professional linebacker, starting all 103 of the games in which he has played l d over eight i h seasons, and collecting 57.5 sacks and 351 tackles. The Titansâ€™ leader in sacks in both seasons since coming over from the Washington Redskins, Orakpo continues to FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 73

NFL HORNS training camp starts in July. When he does CAP >=?G KJ PDA Å‚AH@ 0S=EI SEHH D=RA PK >A=P KQP 'ABB %=JJ= KN AT HARAH=J@ NKSJ KJJKN Hamlett, as well as Rico Gathers, the former Baylor basketball player with whom Dallas owner Jerry Jones appears enamored with.

TYRONE SWOOPES

TIGHT END SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

As part of the quarterback rotation in Austin, Swoopes showed he has the size and speed to run with the ball â€” either around people or, when h th the situation it called for it, through them. Swoopes is an outstanding athlete, but to make the switch to his new position, heâ€™ll have to show he can run routes, catch passes and block. Heâ€™ll learn from one of the best in star Jimmy Graham, but the Seahawks likely will carry only two tight ends after Graham =J@ /E?A AT )QGA 4EHHOKJ IA=JEJC 0SKKLAO might be headed to the practice squad as he learns his new role.

DUKE THOMAS

CORNERBACK DALLAS COWBOYS

The Dallas secondary will look far different in 2017 after Morris Claiborne, Brandon Carr and Barry Church all bolted for big-buck deals as

free agents, but Thomas still needs to have a OPNKJC ?=IL PK I=GA PDA PA=I &J PDA Å‚NOP ,1 O (Organized Team Activities), Thomas worked at right cornerback, getting reps behind free agent acquisition Nolan Carroll, second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie and Sammy Seamster, a free agent trying to make his fourth team in three years.

EARL THOMAS

SAFETY SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Some players shine in college and still elevate their play to a new level as a pro; perhaps nobody has done so more than Thomas, the Seahawksâ€™ star ?AJPAN Å‚AH@AN SDK D=O ?=NAAN P=?GHAO =J@ P Å‚ H@ D interceptions in just seven seasons. Cornerback Richard Sherman might be the headliner, but itâ€™s Thomas who turns the secondary into the Legion of Boom for the Seahawks, who are hopeful to have their defensive leader back for the start of the season after watching him go down in 2016 with a broken leg.

JUSTIN TUCKER

KICKER BALTIMORE RAVENS

Whether Tucker is the best kicker in NFL history is up BKN @A>=PA Â… SEPD FQOP Å‚RA seasons on his rÃ©sumÃ©, itâ€™s quite possible heâ€™s only one-

third of the way through his career. But a look at the record book and itâ€™s clear he already >AHKJCO EJ PDA ?KJRANO=PEKJ %EO ?=NAAN Å‚AH@ goal percentage of 89.84 is the best in league DEOPKNU =J@ KJ PDA Å‚AH@ CK=HO DA D=O DEP Â… those kicked from 40 or fewer yards â€” he has a ridiculous 92-of-94. Most teams bring in at HA=OP KJA ATPN= GE?GAN PK ?=IL JK I=PPAN SDK the incumbent is. The Ravens know better than to waste everyoneâ€™s time.

MYKKELE THOMPSON SAFETY NEW YORK GIANTS

Another role player who signed as an undrafted free agent and now hopes to play a larger part for his team, Thompson played in just one game as a rookie in 2016. No one will unseat Landon Collins and Leon Hall as the Giantsâ€™ starting safeties, so like the others in his situation, Thompson will have to show the RANO=PEHEPU PK Å‚HH IQHPELHA NKHAO KJ @ABAJOA =J@ on special teams.

KENNY VACCARO

SAFETY NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Vaccaro started 55 of the 56 games he has played over four seasons in New Orleans, with Å‚RA EJPAN?ALPEKJO =J@ = C=Q@U 325 tackles. Versatile and able tto cover receivers i or come up to play the run, the hard-hitting Vaccaro is the heart of the Saintsâ€™ secondary. Another strong season and the free agent-to-be will be staring at a hefty raise in 2018.

FOZZY WHITTAKER

RUNNING BACK CAROLINA PANTHERS

COURTESY USA TODAY

The NFL Draft marked something of a demotion for Whittaker, albeit through no fault of his own. A reliable backup last year to Jonathan St Stewart, t Whitt Whittaker k ran 57 times for 265 yards, caught 25 passes for 226 yards and proved to be a valuable blocker and special teams ?KJPNE>QPKN QP =NKHEJ= OLAJP EPO Å‚NOP NKQJ@ pick this year on Christian McCaffrey, who either will complement or replace Stewart as the teamâ€™s primary runner, relegating Whittaker to more of a utility role in 2017.

74 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

PUNDITS’ PICK THE PUNDITS’ PREDICTIONS ARE IN NAME

2017 BIG 12 CHAMPION

BIG 12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BIG 12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BIG 12 FRESHMAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MOST UNDERRATED BIG 12 TEAM

BIG 12 COACH OF THE YEAR

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

NATIONAL CHAMPION

2017 HEISMAN TROPHY

TEXAS 2017 SEASON RECORD

TEXAS MVP

TEXAS OFFENSIVE MVP

TEXAS DEFENSIVE MVP

TAYLOR GRAFFT Section Editor Horns Illustrated

OKLAHOMA

BAKER MAYFIELD, Oklahoma

DORANCE ARMSTRONG JR., Kansas

JALEN REAGOR, TCU

TEXAS

TOM HERMAN, Texas

ALABAMA vs. OHIO STATE

ALABAMA

LAMAR JACKSON, Louisville

10-3 with bowl game

COLLIN JOHNSON

SHANE BUECHELE

BRECKYN HAGER

SEAN ADAMS On-Air Personality AM 1300 The Zone

OKLAHOMA

BAKER MAYFIELD, Oklahoma

MALIK JEFFERSON, Texas

TREY SERMON, Oklahoma

TEXAS

TOM HERMAN, Texas

ALABAMA vs. USC

ALABAMA

SAM DARNOLD, USC

9-3

MALIK JEFFERSON

SHANE BUECHELE

MALIK JEFFERSON

MIKE BARNES Sports Director KVUE

OKLAHOMA STATE

MASON RUDOLPH, Oklahoma State

MALIK JEFFERSON, Texas

CHUBA HUBBARD, Oklahoma State

WEST VIRGINIA

MIKE GUNDY, Oklahoma State

ALABAMA vs. FLORIDA STATE

ALABAMA

JALEN HURTS, Alabama

9-4

SHANE BUECHELE

CHRIS WARREN III

MALIK JEFFERSON

STEVE HABEL Senior Editor Horns Illustrated

OKLAHOMA STATE

MASON RUDOLPH, Oklahoma State

TRAVIN HOWARD, TCU

JALEN REAGOR, TCU

TCU

MIKE GUNDY, Oklahoma State

ALABAMA vs. PENN STATE

ALABAMA

LAMAR JACKSON, Louisville

9-4 with bowl game win

CHRIS WARREN III

PJ LOCKE

BRIAN DAVIS Beat Reporter Austin American Statesman

OKLAHOMA STATE

MASON RUDOLPH, Oklahoma State

OGBONNIA OKORONKWO, Oklahoma

CHARLESTON RAMBO, Oklahoma

TEXAS

MIKE GUNDY, Oklahoma State

ALABAMA vs. FLORIDA STATE

ALABAMA

SAM DARNOLD, USC

9-4

COLLIN JOHNSON

SHANE BUECHELE

PJ LOCKE

KIRK BOHLS Columnist Austin American Statesman

OKLAHOMA STATE

MASON RUDOLPH, Oklahoma State

JORDAN THOMAS, Oklahoma

OMAR MANNING, TCU

WEST VIRGINIA

MIKE GUNDY, Oklahoma State

ALABAMA vs. FLORIDA STATE

FLORIDA STATE

DEONDRE FRANCOIS, FSU

9-3

SHANE BUECHELE

PJ LOCKE

JOHNY WALKER

TEXAS

BAKER MAYFIELD, Oklahoma

MALIK JEFFERSON, Texas

GARRY JOHNSON Texas

IOWA STATE

TOM HERMAN, Texas

ALABAMA vs. OHIO STATE

ALABAMA

LAMAR JACKSON, Louisville

10 - 2

CHRIS WARREN III

MALIK JEFFERSON

VEGAS ODDS TO WIN 2017 COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (1/8/18) TEAM

ODDS

TEAM

ODDS

TEAM

ODDS

ALABAMA

3/1

GEORGIA

33/1

STANFORD

OHIO STATE

15/2

LOUISVILLE

33/1

TCU

80/1

USC

15/2

FLORIDA

33/1

WASHINGTON STATE

100/1

FLORIDA STATE

8/1

TEXAS

36/1

UCLA

100/1

OKLAHOMA

10/1

TEXAS A&M

50/1

WEST VIRGINIA

125/1

MICHIGAN

14/1

VIRGINIA TECH

66/1

N.C. STATE

150/1

LSU

16/1

KANSAS STATE

66/1

NEBRASKA

150/1

PENN STATE

20/1

MIAMI, FLA.

66/1

IOWA

200/1

CLEMSON

25/1

WISCONSIN

50/1

COLORADO

200/1

OKLAHOMA STATE

28/1

NOTRE DAME

66/1

MICHIGAN STATE

250/1

AUBURN

28/1

TENNESSEE

80/1

BOISE STATE

300/1

WASHINGTON

28/1

OREGON

80/1

ODDS AS OF JULY 2 AT VEGASINSIDER.COM FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 75

76 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 77

78 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

%KNJO &HHQOPN=PA@ Ä &00+ 3KHQIA +QI>AN KLUNECDP Äª >U 1AT=J *A@E= LLC. All rights reserved. Published seven times a year (monthly in January/February, March/April, May/June, July-September, October, November and December) in the United States by Horns &HHQOPN=PA@ 0KH=J= 3EOP= )KKL QOPEJ 15 0Q>O?NELPEKJ &JMQENEAOÄ¡ 0AJ@ JAS KN renewal notices or change of address (send both KH@ =J@ JAS =@@NAOOAO PK %KNJO &HHQOPN=PA@ - , KT QOPEJ 15 HHKS SAAGO for change of address. Subscription Problems: Call 855-246-7677. Subscription Costs: U.S. and its possessions, one year basic rate, $39.00. Periodicals Postage Paid =P QOPEJ 1AT=O =J@ =@@EPEKJ=H I=EHEJC KBÅ‚?AO POSTMASTER â€“ send address changes to Horns &HHQOPN=PA@ - , KT QOPEJ 15 Tel. (855) 246-7677. Publisher disclaims all responsibility to return unsolicited editorial matter, and all rights in portions published vest in publisher. )APPANO PK %KNJO &HHQOPN=PA@ I=C=VEJA KN EPO A@EPKNO are assumed intended for publication in whole or in part without permission from the writer. Any similarity between persons or places mentioned EJ PDA Å‚?PEKJ KN OAIE Å‚?PEKJ =J@ NA=H LH=?AO KN persons living or dead is coincidental. Single copies: $4.95 in U.S. FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 HORNS ILLUSTRATED 79

FINAL SCORE

On a day meant to recognize them for their time on the 40 acres, it was the seniors who stepped up. Texas Baseball rode a first-inning Kacy Clemens grand slam and a three-RBI day from fellow senior Zane Gurwitz to a 9-4 win over West Virginia at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Moments after the 2017 senior class was honored on the field, Clemens found himself in a bases-loaded opportunity, and the first baseman delivered. On the first pitch, Clemens hit an opposite field blast to give the Longhorns a 4-0 lead. The slam was the second of the season for Clemens, who reached safely in all four of his trips to the plate on that day. Clemens opened the seventh inning with a walk — one of three he drew on the afternoon — and Gurwitz followed with a ground rule double to plate him and make it 5-3 in favor of the Longhorns. Two batters later, pinch-hitter Ryan Reynolds singled through the left side to extend the lead to 6-3. West Virginia answered with another solo homer in the eighth, but Texas plated three — thanks to both Gurwitz and Reynolds — to push its lead to 9-4 and seal the series win.Texas finished sixth in the Big 12 Conference standings this season.

80 HORNS ILLUSTRATED

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017

PATRICK MEREDITH /UNIV. OF TEXAS

ESTABLISHING SENIORITY