This morning, the offensive unit breakdowns of Phil Steele. Now, the defense.
Defensive Line
Texas #3
I'm with Steele on loving this unit, and his glowing remarks didn't even get include the names Brian Orakpo, Lamarr Houston, Brian Ellis, or Ben Alexander. Andre Jones is a keeper, but with the big three in front of him, I won't be surprised if we see a redshirt.
Phil's Top 10 Defensive Line Units: LSU, USC, Texas, Florida State, Georgia Tech, UCLA, TCU, Virginia Tech, Iowa, Virginia
Linebackers
Texas #9
Our first big surprise of the review, as Steele buries last year's disappointing season from the linebackers and projects the '07 group as a top 10 unit.
While there are certainly questions about this unit, I think Steele may be right. Especially if Bobino can take a step forward and be more consistent in the middle.
Phil's Top 10 Linebacker Units: USC, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, LSU, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Oregon State, Texas, Virginia
Defensive Backs
Texas Not Ranked In Top 30
It's the offensive line on one side of the ball and the secondary on the other. Make or break units for this Texas team, and possibly determinative in terms of BCS bowling. If either or both perform well, Texas should win the Big 12. If both struggle, buckle up - it could be a disappointing season.
--PB--