With no game to break down this week, and only three regular-season contests remaining in what has been the most interesting and turbulent season in the memories of most, it seems like a good time to take stock of what the Texas football team is generally set to look in what will hopefully be a far-less unusual 2021 campaign. Whether it is under this current coaching staff, or a new one, it's never too early to take a little stock in the future:
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE (including the DE/OLB "JACK")
Starters set to return: DE Moro Ojomo (JR), NT Keondre Coburn (JR)
Starters set to leave: DT Ta'Quon Graham, JACK Joseph Ossai
Contributors set to return: NT T'Vondre Sweat (JR), DT Alfred Collins (SO), DE/JACK Reese Leitao (SR), DE Marquez Bimage (SR-COVID opt-out), JACK Jett Bush (JR)
Contributors set to leave: DE Jacoby Jones
Depth set to return: DE Vernon Broughton (RS FR), DT Daniel Carson (JR), NT Sawyer Gorham-Welch (RS FR), DT/NT Myron Warren (SO), JACK Prince Dorbah (RS FR)
Depth set to leave: JACK Byron Vaughns (JR-transfer portal)
Unsure/Unknown: DE/OLB Peter Mpagi (SO-health concerns)
Incoming 2021 prospects (and position projections as of 11/23): 4-star JACK Jatavion Sanders, 4-star JACK Derrick Harris, 3-star DE Jordon Thomas, 3-star NT Byron Murphy
Thoughts
Obviously, the entire unit takes a huge hit with the loss of arguably the best player on the entire team in Joseph Ossai. As of this writing, Ossai accounts for nearly 14% of the defense's entire production on his own. Replacing him is no easy plug-and-play, either, and really becomes the only sticky subject within a position group that has been recently replenished with excellent contributors and promising depth from the SDE through the interior.
Moro Ojomo returns just as he's beginning to figure out his bull rush with a very intriguing player on the shelf in Vernon Broughton who simply hasn't been able to get on the field in 2020. The loss of Jacoby Jones hurts, but could be largely mitigated by the expected return of ...
READ THE REST OF THE DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN HERE (PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS)
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