Which Texas Longhorns freshmen will play this season?

Since a number of members of the 2012 class came in an played early for the Texas Longhorns, the number of freshman who played last season dropped and there won't likely be a lot of freshmen play this year.

Which recent signees will see the field in 2014? Let's take a look.

Quarterback Jerrod Heard

Likelihood of playing: Low

The scoop: After a spring that saw Heard draw buzz for working with quarterback guru George Whitfield during two different sessions, the inevitable infatuation period for Texas fans followed. And when starter David Ash went down during the spring and USC transfer Max Wittek didn't get his studies completed to become a graduate transfer, the odds of Heard playing in 2014 went up substantially.

But despite his relative polish compared to sophomore Tyrone Swoopes, Heard just wasn't quite advanced enough during fall camp to earn the back-up job that went to his older counterpart.

Play caller Shawn Watson said on Tuesday that Heard is still learning to execute plays instead of just running them, but that his young quarterback is right where he expects him to be.

So unless there are injuries in front of Heard, he'll spend his time learning the offense and honing his skills.

Prediction: Redshirt

Running back Donald Catalon

Likelihood of playing: High

The scoop: Known as Duke, the receiving skills of Catalon were reportedly on display early in fall camp, an attribute that could make him a versatile threat when he sees the field. But the slashing runner suffered an injury early on and may not play in the opener against North Texas.

Not only is running back a position that typically translates quickly to the college level, but the lack of scholarship running backs and the injury histories of senior Malcolm Brown and junior Johnathan Gray mean that Catalon will certainly see the field at some point in the near future.

Prediction: Rotation player

Running back D'Onta Foreman

Likelihood of playing: Medium

The scoop: The bigger of the Foreman twins had to take a class that stretched into fall camp in order to become eligible, but he managed to avoid the worst-case scenario of heading to a junior college for two years and made it to campus recently.

He'll probably need some time to get adjusted to the offense after his late start, but the same lack of depth that will result in playing time for Catalon will likely result in a few carries at some point for Foreman, too.

Prediction: Rotation player

Wide receiver Roderick Bernard

Likelihood of playing: Low

The scoop: On the more raw end of the spectrum compared to the other members of the large 2014 wide receiver class, Bernard hasn't drawn much buzz this fall. However, he is intriguing because he carried the ball quite often for Sharpstown in high school, so it's possible that he could see some time at running back if there are a number of injuries at that position.

Prediction: Redshirt

Wide receiver Armanti Foreman

Likelihood of playing: High

The scoop: No other wide receiver has drawn as much mention during fall camp as Foreman, who has apparently taken advantage of his reps to make plays. He's a slot receiver who may be the best on the team at taking a short pass and turning it into a big gain.

As a result, he should see action in the wide receiver screen game and become a candidate to catch hitch passes and make a defender miss.

Prediction: Rotation player

Wide receiver Garrett Gray

Likelihood of playing: Low

The scoop: Along with Bernard, Gray has received the least mention of the freshman wide receivers, which is hardly a surprise since he was late to come to football.

Prediction: Redshirt

Wide receiver Lorenzo Joe

Likelihood of playing: High

The scoop: A two-year starter at quarterback for Abilene Cooper, Joe worked hard during his high school career to stay sharp at wide receiver, even winning wide receiver MVP honors at the Dallas NFTC in 2013. The work clearly has paid off, as multiple players and coaches have predicted that Joe will make an impact this season.

Prediction: Rotation player

Wide receiver Dorian Leonard

Likelihood of playing: Medium

The scoop: Often mentioned in the top group of wide receivers with Foreman and Joe, Leonard projects as a possession receiver who works hard in the blocking game. The resurgence of John Harris as a senior probably doesn't help Leonard, who is also likely behind Joe at the moment. There's a chance that he sees the field, but if he's not going to play much, it might be worth it to preserve his redshirt.

Prediction: Redshirt

Tight end Andrew Beck

Likelihood of playing: High

The scoop: The early enrollee was a candidate to make the move to tight end coming out of high school with limited depth at the position and made the move there in fall camp after the injury to senior Greg Daniels. With Daniels out for an undetermined length of time, Beck has taken advantage, receiving praise from Watson for his natural pass-catching ability, his functional speed, and his ability to learn quickly.

Prediction: Rotation player

Tight end Blake Whiteley

Likelihood of playing: Medium

The scoop: The injury to Daniels has increased the likelihood that Whiteley will play this fall despite his own injury during fall camp that set him back. Based on the buzz coming out of the program, it seems that Beck may have passed him on the depth chart, but since there are only five tight ends on the roster and the Horns are expected to run a lot of heavy sets, it's unlikely that Whiteley will get buried to the extent that a redshirt makes sense for him.

Prediction: Rotation player

Offensive guard Alex Anderson

Likelihood of playing: Low

The scoop: Another early enrollee, Anderson is a favorite of offensive coordinator Joe Wickline as one of the late pickups in the class, but he hasn't threatened the two deep.

Prediction: Redshirt

Center Terrell Cuney

Likelihood of playing: Low

The scoop: An undersized linemen coming out of high school, Cuney will also have to overcome his lack of ideal height before he sees the field for Texas.

Prediction: Redshirt

Offensive tackle Elijah Rodriguez

Likelihood of playing: Low

The scoop: Rodriguez was considered a relatively raw prospect coming out of high school and though he's closer to an ideal weight to play tackle, it would take a number of injuries for him to have a chance to see the field with redshirt freshmen Jake Raulerson and Darius James emerging as options at tackle, along with junior Marcus Hutchins, the former defensive tackle.

Prediction: Redshirt

Defensive tackle Poona Ford

Likelihood of playing time: Low

The scoop: Unlike Foreman, Ford was able to resolve his eligibility issues before fall camp, so he didn't miss as much time. And despite the fact that there isn't a great deal of depth at defensive tackle, there hasn't been enough buzz around Ford to suggest that he's going to crack the rotation.

Prediction: Redshirt

Defensive tackle Chris Nelson

Likelihood of playing time: Low

The scoop: Always less likely to play than Ford, Nelson hasn't received much mention, either.

Prediction: Redshirt

Defensive tackle Jake McMillon

Likelihood of playing time: Low

The scoop: Seen as a potential swing player coming out of high school, McMillon put on weight so quickly that he's now up to 290 pounds, 50 more than his listed weight at Abilene. He's likely undergoing an adjustment period playing closer to the ball and still faces questions about whether he can maintain his athleticism with all the added weight.

Prediction: Redshirt

Defensive end Derick Roberson

Likelihood of playing time: Low

The scoop: Once seen as a potential early contributor, as soon as it became apparent that Roberson wasn't close to the 230 pounds he was listed at in high school and was instead 219 pounds, the odds of him seeing the field this fall dropped drastically since he would have to play in a pure edge-rushing role. But redshirt freshman linebacker Naashon Hughes is bigger than Roberson, has more experience at Texas, and is more used to that role going back to his high school days.

Prediction: Redshirt

Linebacker Cameron Hampton

Likelihood of playing time: Low

The scoop: At one of the biggest positions on the entire team in terms of numbers and experience, Hampton never had much of a shot to play coming in and doesn't look like a potential special teams contributor, either. It may be several years before he's ready to make plays for the Horns.

Prediction: Redshirt

Defensive back John Bonney

Likelihood of playing time: Medium

The scoop: Bonney came out of high school as a versatile prospect who spent time at cornerback and safety for Houston Lamar. At Texas, he's already spent some time at cornerback and could be an option as the back up to senior cornerback Quandre Diggs in the nickel. He's also a candidate to see playing time on special teams.

Prediction: Rotation player

Safety Edwin Freeman

Likelihood of playing time: Low

The scoop: Now up to 220 pounds, linebacker is increasingly in the future for Freeman, who played the position his last two years of high school. There hasn't been as much buzz about him as the other young defensive backs, so unless he can find a way to get on a special teams unit, he's headed for a redshirt.

Prediction: Redshirt

Safety Jason Hall

Likelihood of playing time: High

The scoop: The most surprising player so far in the entire class is Hall, a guy who didn't crack the top 100 safeties in the country by 247Sports. Big, physical, and capable of playing in man coverage, Hall has impressed coaches with his willingness to learn and his ability to do so quickly. As a result, he's in a battle with sophomores Adrian Colbert and Dylan Haines for the safety position that was vacated by the graduation of Adrian Phillips.

Prediction: Starter

Cornerback Jermaine Roberts

Likelihood of playing time: Medium

The scoop: As expected, Roberts has drawn some praise for his toughness and ability to play bigger than his size. With limited depth at cornerback, the Louisiana product stands a reasonable chance of earning playing time at cornerback or on special teams since he has ability as a return man.

Prediction: Rotation player