The Texas Longhorns are focusing on two things this year: developing and finishing.
"We want to develop positively better athletes in terms of getting bigger and stronger and faster. We want to develop as football players in terms of understanding the game and the techniques and the situations that arise in the game," Texas head coach Tom Herman said.
The Longhorns have been putting in major work in the weight room this offseason.
"We have 60 members of our football team right now that can vertical jump over 30 inches, we have 42 players on our football team that can power clean over 300 pounds from the floor. We have 34 guys that can squat over 500 pounds. We have three guys that actually can squat over 600 pounds," Coach Herman added.
But, strength is just one part of the mix.
"Every drill that we do, every workout that we have, everything that we do has a finish component to it. Meaning we require our guys to be at their very best when the game is on the line, and I think our guys have really taken to that," Coach Herman said.
Herman is confident in the depth of his quarterback room. The two older guys, Buechele and Ehlinger, have been working on particular parts of their game.
Ehlinger has been tightening up his release, while Buechele has been shaping into a vocal leader.
"As I tell him, you're not the third-string violinist, you are a conductor of the orchestra and he really improved in that area," Coach Herman added.
The Longhorns also have two young faces on the roster under QB. Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson are giving the older guys a run for their money.
"They came in, they should have been seniors in high school and they came in, they did not look out of place," Coach Herman said.
Herman describes his program as parental.
"We're going to shower you with unconditional love. We're going to give you every tool and resource and education on the face of the planet in order to help you succeed. But, we're also going to hold you to some very, very, very high standards, and we're going to hold you accountable if those standards aren't met," Coach Herman added.
Herman said the team is buying in and ready for Big 12 competition.
"Our culture is firmly ingrained, our guys are in as good a shape as I've every seen them," Coach Herman said.
Copyright 2018 KXXV. All rights reserved.
