Quarterback
No news on any transfers, although there have been some rumors floating around out there.
Backfield
-Fozzy Whittaker says he is 100 percent healthy after a stinger rendered him ineffective for most of last season.
“Those are frustrating because there’s nothing you can really do to stop them from happening,” he said. “But I feel good now.”
-Head coach Mack Brown said that the verdict is out on the two incoming backs, Malcolm Brown and fullback Joe Bergeron, until the pads are on.
-Cody Johnson will be the fullback.
Wide Receiver
-Malcolm Williams is probably going to make the move from wideout to H-back, a tight end-like position in Bryan Harsin’s offense. “He’s strong enough to block and quick enough to flex out,” Mack Brown said.
Tight End
-Some good news for Texas fans. Blaine Irby is at full health, as is D.J. Grant. Those two will join Dominique Jones and Barrett Matthews in the tight end rotation. “You play two in Bryan Harsin’s offense, so you really need four,” Mack Brown said.
-Trey Graham is still injured after a nasty knee tear during last year’s fall camp.
Offensive line
-Offensive tackle Luke Poehlmann, who missed almost all of last season with a knee injury, is healthy and looking good.
-Mason Walters is the one mentioned when we asked the guys about standouts along the offensive line.
-Freshman Sedrick Flowers will stay on the offensive side of the trenches, according to Mack Brown. It was rumored as a possibility that Flowers, who played both ways in high school, could be moved to defensive tackle.
Defensive line
-Jackson Jeffcoat is fully healthy after being hampered last season with a high ankle sprain and will join Alex Okafor as the bookends along the defensive line.
-As far as the tackle situation goes, the players say that somebody needs to step up and take hold of the No. 2 defensive tackle spot (Kheeston Randall is firmly entrenched as the No. 1 guy). Calvin Howell, Ashton Dorsey and freshman Desmond Jackson are coming on gradually though. Taylor Bible wasn’t mentioned in the conversation. Bible came into Texas last year as a highly regarded recruit but has had problems trimming some of his weight (a reported 6-foot-3-inch, 310 pounds) and lacks the stamina to stay on the field for more than a down or two.
Linebacker
-Keenan Robinson will be Texas’ middle linebacker this year, and Emmanuel Acho and Jordan Hicks will man the outside spots. It was previously thought that Acho would man the middle (he started seven games there last season). But, according to Acho, new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz thought it be best to plug Robinson in the middle after reviewing tape of the two players.
-Acho says that Hicks is coming along strong.“Jordan is finally healthy, and he can be one of the better outside linebackers in the conference,” he said.
-Demarco Cobbs has caught the eye of players and coaches after an offseason position change from safety to linebacker. Acho even went as far to call him “the fastest linebacker in the nation.”
Cornerback
Sophomores Carrington Byndom and Adrian Phillips will start at corner, with true freshman Quandre Diggs and sophomore A.J. White serving as the backups.
Safety
With senior Blake Gideon entrenched as one of the two starters at safety, it’s a battle between incumbent Christian Scott and Kenny Vaccaro for the other spot. So far, Vaccaro is leading that race (in fact, all of the defensive players listed Vaccaro as THE defensive standout of the summer).
