Texas Spring Game 2024: 5 storylines to watch out for during annual practice event
Barring cancellation due to threatening weather, the Texas spring game on Saturday will mark the end of the Longhorns' spring practice. The Longhorns are coming off an excellent final season in the Big 12 and will make the transition to the SEC this year. The 12-2 Longhorns will be looking to get back to the College Football Playoff.
Here are five big stories to watch for the Texas spring game in 2024.
5 storylines to watch out for during Texas spring game
#1. Manning time (or how to use two QBs)
Texas won't have a quarterback controversy, as returning starter Quinn Ewers is one of the top quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference and the nation. But that's not to say backup Arch Manning won't be a guy to watch. Manning, the latest member of his legendary QB family, is now a redshirt freshman. A year ago, he played little, completing two of five passes for 30 yards.
But second-year Manning could have a bigger impact. The possible model here is Tim Tebow, who saw meaningful freshman snaps while Chris Leak played the majority of the time at Florida. Can Manning co-exist with Ewers? Will he spend another year on the bench? A chance to see Arch operate in the Texas spring game could answer a few questions.
#2. Who steps up at receiver?
A season ago, Texas leaned heavily on Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington in the passing game. All three are gone, and the Longhorns have to rebuild a group that returns less than half of the catches, receiving yards or touchdowns from last year.
There are plenty of returning standouts, but Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond might be the top guy to watch. Bond, one of the top targets from the transfer portal, could be the deep threat the Longhorns need in 2024. He's certainly worth watching on Saturday as the Texas spring game plays out, but so is the position group as a whole.
#3. Cameron Williams' tackle tryout
Texas returns four-fifths of its offensive line from a year ago but does have to find a new right tackle after Christian Jones went to the NFL. Williams, who is a massive mountain of a man at 6-foot-5, 360 pounds, is the likely suspect to replace him.
Williams has paid his dues at Texas. In 2022, he played on the place-kicking unit, and in 2023, he saw the field in nine games with a single start. That start, at right tackle against Kansas State, presaged no real issues, as UT rolled up nearly 500 yards that day. Still, Williams will be the new guy, and it's worth seeing how he does as a projected starter in the Texas spring game on Saturday.
#4. Trey's intrastate shuffle
One of the few areas where Texas needed to improve was the pass rush. A season ago, Washington had no trouble going to the air to end the Longhorns' season. The Longhorns wanted to tune it up and didn't have to look far for an answer.
Texas-San Antonio's Trey Moore had a whopping 17.5 sacks a year ago and is a plug-and-play guy for the Longhorns. Moore was highly ranked in the portal rankings, but as a high school recruit in 2021, his profile was lower than average. He's proven he can play, but can the 6-foot-3, 242-pounder leverage the edge against SEC tackles? The spring game will be a good place to assess that question.
#5. A safety to watch
The back end of the pass defense issues noted above came in the secondary, particularly at safety. Again, the Longhorns didn't waste time addressing a need. They nabbed Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba. Mukuba went to high school in Austin, so this move was a coming-home opportunity for him.
He was highly regarded both as a high school recruit and a transfer. Mukuba started 31 games in three seasons at Clemson. Mukuba played safety and corner at different times in his Clemson career, but he's experienced, talented and versatile. Plugging him into the Longhorn secondary should help ease the transition to the SEC.
What Longhorns stories will you be watching in the Texas spring game this Saturday? Share your thoughts below in the comments section!