Position Battles to Watch as Fall Camp Gets Underway:

The 2013 season is underway, what with the Longhorns beginning fall camp, and for the first time in three years there is no quarterback battle to argue about. There are, however, other spots to fight for. Let’s take a look at some of them.

(Also see: Johnathan Gray: On the Road to Greatness)

Running back – Apologies to Joe Bergeron, but this is a two-man race between Johnathan Gray and Malcolm Brown. Both are former five-star recruits and each has the distinction of having led the team in rushing during their freshman season; Brown in 2011 and Gray in 2012. The loser here won’t be relegated to mop-up duty and, unless one really lights the conference by fire, neither will finish with 1,000 yards rushing. Brown has battled with injuries in his two years on campus and only played eight games last season. When he’s healthy, he’s a balanced runner with strong vision who tends to fall forward to pick up an extra few yards. Gray is quicker and more explosive, with perhaps more versatility in the passing game — although his blitz pickup will need work — who can also moonlight in the Wild formation.

Slot receiver (Z) – Kendall Sanders is in the lead and likely will start the season here with Marcus Johnson, Bryant Jackson and John Harris a few pegs behind. Also keep an eye on true freshmen Montreal Meander and Jacorey Warrick.  [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] The latter two can fly, but so can Sanders, who only caught two passes last season but was quite productive at Athens High School, hauling in 58 passes for 1,310 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final two years. He has the potential to be a more of a consistent force than Marquise Goodwin, if only because there’s now an increased dedication to spreading the ball around and going deep with Major Applewhite at the helm.

Left tackle – Back in June, after an availability with Mack Brown to kick off the summer session, I texted a source within the program with an idea. Brown had been raving about the versatility Trey Hopkins — who has played guard and tackle in his career. With the massive Desmond Harrison (6-foot-8) on the way, I was wondering how the Longhorns could incorporate Harrison in the lineup at left tackle while also keeping incumbent starter Donald Hawkins among the five. My solution would be to slide Hopkins one spot over to center, to replace the solid but undersized Dom Espinosa, slide Hawkins a spot to left guard to take Hopkins’ spot and then plug Harrison in. The right side, with Mason Walters at guard and Josh Cochran at tackle, would remain unchanged.

Here’s the response I got:

“If Trey was as good at center as he is at guard, and Donald Hawkins as good at guard as Trey is, it would work. However, I’m not sure that’s the case.”

Well, after two open practices, it’s clear the coaches are at least tinkering with the idea. Hopkins has worked at center both days. If he can get the position down — and he’s certainly smart enough — it would give Texas its best offensive line, I think, since 2006.

Defensive tackle – Malcom Brown will be the nose tackle and he’s on the cusp of a breakout season. Next to him will either by Ashton Dorsey, Desmond Jackson or Chris Whaley, the former running back who has excelled in pass-rushing scenarios. I’d keep Whaley in that role and save his energy for third downs. The victor of the Dorsey-Jackson battle will still have to rotate snaps with the other. For now, Desmond is the man to beat. He started 11 games last season and was very productive, especially for an interior lineman, as the season wore on: four tackles each against Kansas State and Oregon.

Middle linebacker – Dalton Santos plays with his hair on fire while Steve Edmond looks lackadaisical at times. Both are athletic, Santos being a more natural middle linebacker with better fundamentals while Edmond has a skill set — long arms, quick first step — yet to be fully developed. Santos might have the edge, just because Edmond’s last outing, against Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl, was a clinic on how not to play the run. Neither will play as much as the other linebackers, Jordan Hicks and Peter Jinkens, because the Longhorns will spend much of their time in the nickel against spread-based conference opponents.

Free safety – Mykkele Thompson is a physical specimen who doesn’t play physically. His tackling technique was awful at times last season (check this and this out) but, a former high school quarterback, that’s not all too surprising. But Thompson’s a junior now and such lapses can’t be taken as bumps on a learning curve. Josh Turner is a more reliable option with a tendency to make the big play, but he’s undersized and as of now hampered by a hip injury.

Kicker – Nick Jordan was shaky last season, missing five of his six attempts from 40 yards or more. But he has a big leg and more in-game experience than Nick Rose, who took care of kickoffs in 2012. With some tough games early on — BYU, Ole Miss, Kansas State — it’s very possible Texas will have to make some high-pressure kicks. Jordan might be the best bet, if only because he’s hopefully gotten all the butterflies out during his freshman campaign. Penn State transfer Anthony Fera should stick to punting duties.

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