Devy Team Review: Texas Longhorns
Tom Herman became head coach of the Texas Longhorns in November 2016. His four recruiting classes have an average national rank of tenth (fifth when excluding the 2017 class, which he had less than three months to assemble). If it feels like the talent at Texas has improved, it is because it has. The four Longhorn classes before Herman’s arrival had an average national rank of 13th (recruiting figures per 247sports).
There is talent on this roster. Let’s look at the most relevant players for devy and dynasty purposes.
QUARTERBACK
Sam Ehlinger ADP: N/A
Ehlinger was part of Herman’s first recruiting class. He was ranked just outside the top 100 players nationally as the number four dual-threat quarterback. As a three year starter, he has thrown for nearly 9,000 yards (and 68 TDs) and rushed for another 1,500 (and 25 TDs). He also has good size at 6-3, 230 pounds.
Statistics from sports-reference.com.
However, Ehlinger is projected as a day three NFL pick or an undrafted free agent. Lacking draft capital, he should not be a priority in devy leagues.
Other quarterbacks on the roster include 2020 signees Hudson Card and Ja’Quinden Jackson. Both were top 100 overall recruits selected for the Under Armour All-America Game but needn’t yet be considered in devy.
RUNNING BACK
Keaontay Ingram ADP: 38
Ingram was a top-200 overall recruit in 2018. He promptly justified his rating by nearly leading the Longhorns in rushing as a true freshman. His devy stock dipped this past season despite improving in every major statistical category. Perhaps it was due to sharing the backfield with converted quarterback Roschon Johnson.
Statistics from sports-reference.com.
Ingram has dealt with various injuries but has played in 26 games. Listed at 6-0 and 220 pounds, he has soft hands, is a PPR asset and talented runner.
He sits at 38th in the DLF Devy Rankings and projects as a late second-rounder in rookie drafts next season.
Bijan Robinson ADP: 39
The player immediately behind Ingram in our devy rankings has never played a down of college football. But Robinson’s talent justifies his spot as DLF’s number two overall 2023 prospect. He is this year’s top-ranked prep running back and looks the part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYCD479IsM4
However, such a player carries risk. Will his skills translate to the college game, let alone the NFL? Is he worth a devy roster spot for three years? True freshmen are risky propositions in shallow or medium-sized devy leagues. But Robinson’s pedigree and talent suggest he is worth it. He should get opportunities to make plays as soon as this season.
Robinson actually comes in at 27th in the DLF Devy Rankings, suggesting our team is higher on him than ADP.
WIDE RECEIVER
Jake Smith ADP: 66
Smith was named the 2018 National Gatorade Player of the Year as a high school senior. He came to Austin and put up a respectable 25-274-6 receiving line as a true freshman. Yet he remains under the radar of the devy community.
Not much talk of 4⭐️ #HookEm🤘🏾 signee WR Jake Smith despite a top 50 overall national ranking (WR8)
Shows good change of direction, burst and versatility here. Another multipurpose tool for the Horns offense #Devy pic.twitter.com/UuHghZPSHa
— Frank Gruber (@threedownhack) June 17, 2019
Expect that to change this season. Smith has talent and opportunity.
Last year, Devin Duvernay caught 106 passes for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns before being selected in the third round of the NFL draft. No other returning Longhorn caught more than 32 balls in 2019. That player happens to be next on our list.
Brennan Eagles ADP: N/A
Eagles enters his draft-eligible junior season having compiled just a 33-557-6 receiving line in two years in Austin. The good news is that all but one of those catches occurred last season. The wildly athletic, 6-4 and 229-pound receiver appears to be coming on after a slow start. It is encouraging enough to make us wonder if we missed a buy-low window.
Similar to 2nd year NFL players, 2nd year #Devy guys can hold good value, whether they flashed as a FR or were quiet (ex: as a RS).
Over the next few days I’ll be sharing second year Devy guys I like by state/region. Be on the lookout. pic.twitter.com/Wcnwpn1s5z
— Frank Gruber (@threedownhack) April 4, 2019
Every opportunity exists for Eagles to improve his devy (and NFL draft) stock in 2019. He is the team’s top returning pass-catcher. He has a ton of talent and keeps his nose clean. He will catch passes from a four-year starter in Ehlinger who has already thrown for nearly 9,000 yards in college. His size and skillset vary from those of Smith and Jordan Whittington (below) so he is in line for volume. With a good season, Eagles could climb to the second round of dynasty rookie drafts next year.
Jordan Whittington ADP: N/A
Positions in the NFL do not mean what they used to. More receivers are getting carries. Versatility is prized. Look at April’s NFL draft. Multi-skill players such as Laviska Shenault, Antonio Gibson and Lynn Bowden were all taken on day two. Gibson now has the “RB” designation from the NFL and MyFantasyLeague despite playing wide receiver at Memphis. Bowden shares the RB tag though he was a receiver (and quarterback with 79 career pass attempts) at Kentucky.
So it matters little that the Longhorns moved Whittington to wide receiver from running back. Versatility has long been a key part of his game (mini-thread follows).
I like incoming Texas signee & EE Jordan Whittington’s versatility, hands and elusiveness (though speed more on display here) #Devy https://t.co/6aakidpIHZ
— Frank Gruber (@threedownhack) December 21, 2018
He just needs to stay healthy. He earned high praise last summer before aggravating a groin injury from high school and missing the season. The positive reviews resumed this off-season but he is currently sidelined for two weeks with a hamstring injury.
He possesses tremendous upside and is worth monitoring, even in shallow leagues.
Noteworthy
Texas is recruiting at a top-five national level so it stands to reason that its roster includes other talented, high-upside players. They should not be prioritized in devy drafts but they should be on your “watch list.”
The aforementioned Roschon Johnson is an intriguing prospect. At 6-2 and 220 pounds, the converted quarterback rushed for 123-649-7 in his 2019 freshman year. But he is not just a big body. He also caught 23 passes and shows skills surprising for his size.
"When Coach Herman came to me with that situation, I knew what I had to do." – Roschon Johnson#ThisIsTexas #HookEm pic.twitter.com/mE5Z8D89hJ
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 15, 2019
Receivers Troy Omeire, Al’Vonte Woodard and Joshua Moore were all four-star recruits from the state of Texas. If Tarik Black’s name sounds familiar it is because he, too, was a high profile recruit. Black played the last few years at Michigan, where he dealt with multiple injuries en route to a 40-507-2 career receiving line. He is a graduate transfer to Texas and has immediate eligibility.
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