Projecting the Texas depth chart for the Orange-White game

Unfortunately, the current weather projections for Saturday in Austin predict a 90-percent chance of thunderstorms, but at this point the Texas Longhorns will still play the Orange-White game during the evening hours.

With the spring scrimmage marking the final practice until preseason camp begins, it’s worth making a projection of how the depth chart will look this weekend.

*denotes injured players

• The question marks here in terms of injuries are Kyle Porter, who missed most of the spring but returned to practice last week, and Tristian Houston (knee), along with offensive linemen Mikey Grandy (concussion) and Patrick Hudson (knee). Kirk Johnson (ankle) isn’t likely to play, but Cameron Townsend (ankle) might be available. Cade Brewer is still rehabbing his knee injury.
• The expectation is that Sam Ehlinger will start with the ones, but Shane Buechele will probably also get some first-team reps.
• Expect to see Lil’Jordan Humphrey as the fourth wide receiver in 10 personnel and perhaps even in the slot in 11 personnel. He’s probably one of the team’s three best receivers.
• Two walk ons will play at center and right guard, but Elijah Rodriguez and Derek Kerstetter would serve as the back ups at center if the season started this weekend.

• Injuries will also play a role on defense with linebackers Gary Johnson and Edwin Freeman already rule out, leading to their exclusion from the depth chart here. Chris Nelson is still recovering from the elbow injury he suffered before the Texas Bowl, so it’s unclear whether he’ll be cleared for contact during the game. Davante Davis injured his ankle recently, while Montrell Estell had a sprained foot earlier in spring practice. PJ Locke III “probably” won’t play after suffering a stinger during the last scrimmage.
• At linebacker, expect to see Malcolm Roach and Jeffrey McCulloch get some time at linebacker — they’ve been working there this spring due to the lack of depth. In the starting roles, Anthony Wheeler and Dele Adeoye could switch roles. It’s also possible that Demarco Boyd is in front of Adeoye, but the coaches would probably like to get an extended look at the early enrollee during the scrimmage.
• The secondary is the most difficult to predict. There are multiple injuries there and a lot of flexibility with players like John Bonney and Caden Sterns, as well as the nickel and Lightning packages that feature different personnel groupings and roles. So especially at safety, the rotation during the game may look quite different from the depth chart above.
• Josh Rowland is the currently the only place kicker on campus and will likely get some opportunities on Saturday. Based on last year’s format, fans may not get a chance to see Michael Dickson’s cousin Ryan Bujcevski work at punter.