Texas Big 12 Media Day Representatives Won't Include Either Quarterback

When the Big 12 Media Days kick off in two days at the Westin Galleria in Dallas, neither contender for the starting quarterback job will be in attendance for the Texas Longhorns. Instead, junior cornerback Carrington Byndom, junior linebacker Jordan Hicks, and junior offensive guard Mason Walters will be joining head coach Mack Brown.

Of course, senior defensive end Alex Okafor and senior safety Kenny Vaccaro would have been likely choices, but will not attend due to their incident on Sixth Street back in May.

While it makes sense that Byndom, Hicks, and Walters will be in attendance as emerging team leaders, the absence of the quarterbacks is just one more reminder of Brown's refusal to name a starter, even though the word coming out from the team is that there's no way that Case McCoy will start this season. Why drag the competition into fall camp and why continue to shelter one or both from the media?

The Longhorns are one of just three teams in the conference not to take a quarterback to the event. David Ash needs to be the starter, he's going to be the starter, and at some point, he'll have to assume a bigger leadership role on the team. While it might not make much actual difference in the lockerroom, there's some serious symbolic value in being the face and voice of the team for the first major media event of the 2012 season.

It's past time for the Longhorn head coach to acknowledge what virtually everyone knows and respond accordingly.