Horns’ Offense Will Be As Good As Its Wideouts

Habe on the Horns

By Steve Habel

Much of the focus of the offseason for the Texas football team has been the status of quarterback David Ash and his ability to bounce back from the concussion that sidelined him for most of the 2013 season and then his progress from a broken foot that kept him out of the last third of spring drills.

But when Texas coach Charlie Strong dismissed two wide receivers [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] – junior Kendall Sanders and sophomore Montrel Meander – the big question changed from Ash’s ability to throw to exactly whom he was going to throw to.

The situation was exacerbated a week into fall camp after Jaxon Shipley, the Horns’ top returning receiver, pulled a hamstring and went into the dreaded “limited availability” category in the run-up to the Horns’ season opener on Aug. 30 against North Texas.

Now, with the Longhorns working on their upcoming opponent rather than installing plays and the schemes of UT’s new coaching staff, is the time for someone from the Horns’ younger players to step up and make things happen. If they can turn a few heads and catch wayward passes or beat one of the UT veterans in coverage, a world of opportunity could open to them.

Junior Marcus Johnson is penciled in as one of the wide receivers, while Shipley – once he’s ready to go – will play mostly in the slot. Senior John Harris, who played a tight end last year, and sophomore Jacorey Warrick look like the favorites to see the most playing time as the other wideout.

Texas wide receivers coach Les Koenning, himself a former receiver for the Longhorns, said freshmen and sophomore wide receivers are among the group of young players that can get on the field the soonest by making some great plays in practice.

“Skill positions, such as wide receivers, are able to play early,” Koenning said. “It comes down to how much they can learn. Working with them in the summer in the meeting rooms and going through those situations has really helped the kids develop.”

Those that are trying to draw some of the coaches’ attention include freshmen Lorenzo Joe, Dorian Leonard, Garrett Gray, Roderick Bernard and Armanti Foreman.

“The big thing is that those young guys are getting acclimated to the speed of the game and the amount of reps that they can get done,” Koenning said. “Those are the big things. Our deal is to get them in the right spots. We have got of schemes, and we are just refining techniques.”

Shawn Watson, Texas’ quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach for offense, said he’s excited about the whole group of young receivers.

“The whole bunch has bought into an opportunity,” Watson said. “And 2011 at Louisville [where Watson was the offensive coordinator for new Texas coach Charlie Strong], we played with nine freshmen on the field and that whole receiving corps was all freshmen.

“Three years later, those guys are lights out,” he added. “A year later, they were lights out. So I’ve got no problem with it. We are going to coach what’s available to us, and the best guy is always going to play. To me, it’s a non-issue.”

It may be a non-issue to Watson right now, but let’s take stock again after the Horns have played a few games. If Koenning and Watson can find a receiver among the kiddie corps that can make some plays and catch a few touchdown passes, Texas may surprise a few of the teams that are gunning for them.

It’s a tall order for a bunch of kids who’ve ever been under such pressure but it may hold the key to the Horns’ ultimate success in 2014.

Just sayin’, ya know?

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