Setting the stage

In 2009, freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert won't contribute in the same way that Barrett Matthews could contribute in helping the first-team offense win games -- for Gilbert, it's more about laying a foundation for taking over in 2010. Mack Brown has made it abundantly clear that he regrets not playing Colt McCoy as a true freshman, setting up the overly conservative game plan and loss at home to Ohio State in 2007. The propensity of Brown and company to retreat into "let's not lose the game mode" on offense was a constantly nagging factor leading to Brown's reputation for having an inability to win big games. The handling of Garrett Gilbert in the fall is a perfect opportunity to manifest those learnings though major philosophical adjustments.

Avoiding past mistakes

Long-winded ground setting aside, there's a difference between meaningful and meaningless snaps. Sorry, there's still some more ground setting: The "Lightning" package in 2007 lead by John Chiles and the second-team unit was conceived, but never made a priority until the Holiday Bowl rolled around. Abortive, just like the "Q" package the following season. That's 0-for-2 in attempting to develop John Chiles.

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...a little over two years ago, on a beautiful and sunny Friday afternoon, I both graduated from the University of Texas and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.  Delaying my military service to get my law degree, I've been lucky enough to celebrate with the UT graduates and military commissionees each of the last two years.

Every year, thousands of students graduate from UT, and I never really thought this year's class contained any special emotional significance to the average UT fan.  However, I was dumbstruck when I heard someone at a graduation party mention that their favorite memory at Texas was when we won the national title during their freshman year.  It blew my mind that this year's Senior Class was the last group of UT students to have a direct connection with Vincent Paul Young, Jr.  The seniors of next year encompasses the first group of students to enter UT after our national title.

After the jump, I'm going to make some additional observations based on this revelation and offer a few comments over Memorial Day...

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Ever since I started writing about fixing the Texas running game for the Eyes of Texas preview magazine, I've been intrigued by the talents of 2009 commit Barrett Matthews, a tight end/h-back/fullback from Galena Park North Shore. Given how much Greg Davis valued Chris Ogbonnaya's scheme versatility and talk of going no-huddle, which requires a base personnel package that can attack the defense in a variety of ways, Matthews seems like one of the most likely freshman to contribute in 2009. Add in the recurring problems at tight end and Matthews could even play a large role in the offense.

Scheme Versatility

Essentially, scheme versatility means that a player can fill multiple roles in a base personnel package, eliminating the need for the offense to substitute and allowing it to keep the defense from substituting. Such a package puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the defensive coordinator to have a package on defense with the same versatility, especially at linebacker -- easier said than done for most schools.

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For much of the first half against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, the prolific Texas offense struggled to move the football against the fast and physical Buckeye defense. Then, in the second half, Greg Davis made a strategic decision foreshadowing the direction of the 2009 offense. Going no huddle with Chris Ogbonnaya in the backfield, the Longhorns increased the tempo and went under center to create a downhill running game. The strategy worked, as the Longhorns finally got the running game going and put the Ohio State defense on their heels.

Such a look is not new to the Big 12. Oklahoma successfully implemented the no-huddle offense in 2008 in an effort to run more plays and combat the clock rules put in before the season. It wasn't always a smooth transition, as OU quarterbacks threw six interceptions in their spring game, including three from the normally mistake-free Sam Bradford, prompting Bob Stoops to wonder how much the Sooners would be able to use the offense. Turns out Stoopsy didn't have much to worry about.

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More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Rak is ready to eat some professional QB meat. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Drafted in the 7th Round by the St. Louis Rams, Chris Ogbonnaya will get his shot at making the team and playing in the NFL. Could not happen to a better kid and I'll be rooting hard for him to stick. One of my favorite all-time 'Horns.

Congratulations, Chris. Keep making us proud.

Earlier in the day Texas DT Roy Miller was selected in the third round by Tampa Bay, while DE Henry Melton was snapped up by Chicago in Round 4. I'm happy for both players and love their chances to have productive careers.

[UPDATE] Cedric Dockery signs FA deal with New Orleans.

[UPDATE] KEYE-TV reporting Quan Cosby will sign with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Howdy friends. Wish I were around more, but gotta get through finals and the football annual done in time for press. Speaking of which...

A question for the gallery. I'm writing the roster preview for the annual right now, working on the running backs today. There's plenty to say about this group -- maybe too much, even, as it occurred to me that there's no clear-cut tailback around whom everyone's rallying.

I've got my own thoughts, but I'd like to know more about yours. Who do you like this year? Would you rumble with Cody Johnson? Are you an insta-fan of Whaley? Hopeful that McGee will thrive in the I-form? Do you believe in the Fozzy Monster? Mix Hills into the rotation a bit more?  Can Mack Brown release a depth chart with seven <or>s?

Talk to me.

There's a reason the Longhorns took Garland linebacker Tevin Jackson early in the 2010 recruiting process - he was the linebacker in the state of Texas with the best combination of size, speed, and striking ability in a deep linebacker class. In football, there will always be a need for linebackers with Jackson's skill set.

The other top linebackers, Corey Nelson and Aaron Benson, are both smaller, faster linebackers more highly rated than Jackson (for now, at least), with Nelson in particular looking physically more like a safety than a linebacker as a junior.

Is that a problem? Should Nelson or Benson be punished for not fitting cleanly into the traditional stereotype of their positions? In a word - no. Throw out the old prototype of big linebackers with two-gap responsibility asked to take on fullbacks in the hole - there's a new sheriff (or pirate, if you prefer) in town who likes playing in the wide-open places on the field. 

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Each of the three returning Longhorn running backs competing for the starting job struggled in at least one of the aspects last season in which OG excelled -- scheme versatility, vision, hands, and blitz pick up. McGee and Whittaker struggled picking up blitzes. McGee and Johnson struggled catching the ball out of the backfield, with neither one a threat when split wide were the offense to go to an empty backfield.

Trailing Johnson and McGee on the depth chart, Whittaker may be forced into the role of third-down back out of sheer necessity, but his size will always limit his ability to pick up blitzes -- the main concern of the offensive coaching staff and a large enough concern within the offense that it may keep Whittaker off the field in third-down situations. He did, however, demonstrate his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, with 10 catches on the year for 51 yards -- not big plays, but catching check downs are essentially running plays in the Texas offense.

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