Stock Down: Malcolm Brown
Brown received zero touches in the second half against Kansas State. Zero. After six carries for 21 yards, he was sidelined for the rest of the afternoon as junior Johnathan Gray and freshman D’onta Foreman got the touches. This is the same running back that got 19 carries in the two previous weeks and looked to be the feature back. Head coach Charlie Strong jumped around the question in his press conference, as he leaves the rotation up to his coordinators. But, even when he gets touches, Brown isn’t doing too much behind the young offensive line. While he is averaging a solid 3.8 yards per carry, he has yet to crack 80 yards in a game and is a non-factor to catch balls out of the backfield.
Stock Up: Quandre Diggs
The Texas secondary had a rough game, especially on third downs, but the senior held his own. His draft stock is rising fast and for good reason. You sometimes forget he’s out there, which is a good thing for a defensive back. Although junior cornerback Duke Thomas struggled mightily against Kansas State’s senior receiver Tyler Lockett, and senior defensive back Mykkele Thompson struggled last week against Iowa State, Diggs has been consistent. There weren’t many bright spots against the Wildcats, but the senior had himself a game.
Stock Down: Marcus Johnson
What a disappointment this guy has been. Johnson came into the year as the No. 2 receiver on the depth chart, but he simply hasn’t produced. Last year, the junior receiver had big-play ability with Case McCoy throwing to him. He had three receptions of over 30 yards. This season, he has just one. He also only has two games with more than two receptions. Without much depth at the wide receiver position, a lot was expected from Johnson. He simply hasn’t stepped up.
Stock Up: Hassan Ridgeway
It’s hard finding positives after the debacle in Manhattan, Kanasas, but sophomore defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway played a great game. Early on, Ridgeway made his presence felt. He generated solid pass rush and had a sack and three tackles for loss. But, as the game wore on, Ridgeway and the Longhorns got very little pressure on Kansas State senior Jake Waters, which can be partly attributed to the offense’s inability to stay on the field and give the defense some rest. But Ridgeway’s first half was a good one, and, if he can keep that up for a full 60 minutes, he’ll be a nice addition to an experienced Texas defensive front.
