Projecting the Texas depth chart for season opener vs. Notre Dame

With the season opener against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish only nine days away, Burnt Orange has decided to unleash our projected two-deep depth chart for the game. You can use this chart as a guide to keep up with the position battles, or to identify players when they take the field September 4th.

* Wide receiver Lorenzo Joe would crack the list if not for his hamstring injury.

The biggest question for the 'Horns may not be who starts at quarterback, but rather which freshman will step up to become starters in general? Current sophomore Holton Hill for example wasn't expected to make a monumental impact for Texas as a freshman, but emerged into being a mainstay at corner now in his second year.

Will No.1 overall safety recruit Brandon Jones earn a starting spot over former walk-on Dylan Haines or former three-star Jason Hall? Will Erick Fowler step up at inside linebacker despite minimal time spent with the team this summer?

Time will tell, but for next Sunday's match up, close position battles will likely go to the veterans, not the youngsters. That includes Tyrone Swoopes. The "Summer of Shane" was glorious, but now as we enter autumn, many writers are predicting that it will be Swoopes who will take the first snap.

Is an underperforming senior preferable to an overachieving freshman? As the reality of the high stakes opener hits, the answer may be: for the first drive, yes.