The 2015 Texas Longhorns football team, known variously as "Texas", "UT", the "Longhorns", or the "Horns", was a collegiate American football team that represented the University of Texas at Austin as a member of the Big 12 Conference in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team played its home games at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, where the team is based. The Longhorns were led by second-year head coach Charlie Strong. Shawn Watson and Joe Wickline ran the offense. Vance Bedford served as defensive coordinator. They finished the season 5–7, 4–5 in Big 12 play to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place.
2015 Texas Longhorns football | |
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Conference | Big 12 Conference |
Record | 5–7 (4–5 Big 12) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Joe Wickline (2nd season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | Jay Norvell (1st season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread |
Defensive coordinator | Vance Bedford (2nd season) |
Base defense | 3–3–5 |
Home stadium | Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 5 Oklahoma $^ | 8 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 20 Oklahoma State | 7 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7 TCU | 7 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 13 Baylor | 6 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Virginia | 4 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas Tech | 4 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas | 4 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas State | 3 | – | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa State | 2 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | – | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason
editIn 2014, first-year head coach Charlie Strong led the Texas Longhorns to a 6–7 record, including a 5–4 record in conference play and a 7–31 loss against Arkansas in the 2014 Texas Bowl. In the aftermath of the bowl game, Strong described it as well as a 10–48 loss to TCU a month prior an "embarrassment to the program" and stated that a competition between players for the quarterback position as well as other positions was needed to improve the team as a whole after quarterback Tyrone Swoopes received heavy criticism following the game.[1] On December 31, 2014, then-tight ends coach Bruce Chambers and wide receivers coach Les Koenning were released from their coaching duties. Bruce Chambers had been the only coach to have been retained following Charlie Strong's hire earlier in 2014.[2] On January 16, 2015, the Longhorns hired former Oklahoma wide receivers coach Jay Norvell to the same position at Texas. Norvell had been fired from Oklahoma earlier that month following the fallout from the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl.[3]
On February 6, less than two days after National Signing Day, defensive-line coach Chris Rumph left Texas to coach the same position at the Florida Gators after just one season with the Longhorns.[4] A week later, Texas hired Brick Haley and Jeff Traylor to fill the team's coaching vacancies at the defensive-line and tight end. Haley was the defensive-line coach at LSU at the time of hire and had previously coached the same position with the Chicago Bears, Mississippi State, and several other schools.[5] Traylor was previously a 15-year head coach at Gilmer High School, where he amassed three state championship titles.[6]
Spring game
editRecruiting
editA total of 28 players pledged non-binding commitments to the 2015 Texas Longhorns football team during the 2015 recruiting cycle.[7] However, these players would not officially become part of the team until they signed their National Letter of Intent on National Signing Day, which occurred on February 4, 2015.[8] However, junior college recruits could sign earlier, and as a result all three of Texas' junior college prospects signed their letters of intent on December 17, 2014 and became the first recruits to sign on the Longhorns' 2015 recruiting class.[9] Six players joined the Longhorns as early enrollees, meaning that they would be able to train with the team during the spring of 2015.[8] One player did not sign with the team and instead elected to grayshirt, meaning that they would not be officially part of the team or receive financial aid from the athletic department until the spring semester of 2016 (on August 7, 2015, after more scholarships became available, Merrick was offered an immediate full scholarship).[10][11] The first player to commit was offensive guard Patrick Vahe, who committed on July 28, 2013. Three commits came from a players in either junior or community colleges, while the rest came from high schools.[7]
Of Texas' 29 commitments, 14 were listed on the ESPN 300, which lists the 300 top recruiting prospects nationwide according to the network's metrics.[7] According to ESPN, Rivals.com, Scout.com, and 247Sports.com, linebacker Malik Jefferson was the Longhorns' highest rated prospect; Jefferson was considered the third best linebacker nationwide and fifth best prospect overall in Texas.[12] Three players announced their commitments to Texas at two nationally televised high school all-star games, including one at the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game held on January 2, 2015 and two from the 2015 US Army All-American Bowl held the following day.[13] Among Texas' recruits in 2015 were a group of five players from Florida who visited Texas in 2014 as they played West Virginia in Austin. Given the moniker of the "Florida Five", the five—Cecil Cherry, Devonaire Clarington, Davante Davis, Tim Irvin, and Gilbert Johnson—were heavily sought after during the recruiting process and were all eventually committed to Texas by January 4, 2015.[14] However, Tim Irvin would decommit from Texas on January 18[15] and Gilbert Johnson was unable to gain academic eligibility for The University of Texas.[16] Throughout the recruiting process, five players revoked their former Texas-commit status.[15][17][18][19] However, one recruit, John Burt, recommitted to Texas on January 26, 2015.[20]
Texas' 2015 recruiting class was ranked 9th, 12th, 7th, and 10th by ESPN, Rivals.com, Scout.com, and 247Sports.com, respectively. These rankings also placed Texas as having the best recruiting class in the Big 12 Conference.
Recruits
editCollege recruiting information (2015) | ||||||
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Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
Kris Boyd CB |
Gilmer, Texas | Gilmer HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | 4.48 | January 30, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 81 | ||||||
John Burt WR |
Tallahassee, Florida | Lincoln HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | – | January 26, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 81 | ||||||
Cecil Cherry MLB |
Lakeland, Florida | Victory Christian Academy | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 231 lb (105 kg) | – | December 15, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 78 | ||||||
Devonaire Clarington TE |
Miami, Florida | Booker T. Washington HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 224 lb (102 kg) | – | January 3, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 84 | ||||||
Davante Davis CB |
Miami, Florida | Booker T. Washington HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | – | January 1, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 81 | ||||||
DeShon Elliott S |
Rockwall, Texas | Rockwall-Heath HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 204 lb (93 kg) | 4.51 | March 18, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 83 | ||||||
Breckyn Hager MLB |
Austin, Texas | Westlake HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 213 lb (97 kg) | – | September 24, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 74 | ||||||
Holton Hill CB |
Houston, Texas | Lamar HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | 4.62 | January 30, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 | ||||||
Brandon Hodges OT |
Aberdeen, Mississippi | East Mississippi CC | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | – | – |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
Tristian Houston HB |
Houston, Texas | North Shore HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | – | April 14, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 81 | ||||||
Malik Jefferson OLB |
Mesquite, Texas | Poteet HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 217 lb (98 kg) | 4.39 | December 19, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 87 | ||||||
Gilbert Johnson WR |
Homestead, Florida | Georgia Prep Sports Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 193 lb (88 kg) | – | Jan 4, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 75 | ||||||
Kirk Johnson RB |
San Jose, California | Valley Christian HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | – | April 17, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Du'Vonta Lampkin DT |
Houston, Texas | Cypress Falls HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | – | July 28, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
P. J. Locke S |
Beaumont, Texas | Central HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | – | February 4, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
Kai Locksley ATH |
Baltimore, Maryland | Gilman School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | – | February 4, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Ronnie Major OT |
Huntsville, Texas | Huntsville HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | – | February 22, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
DeAndre McNeal ATH |
Mesquite, Texas | Poteet HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | – | December 19, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Matthew Merrick QB |
Irving, Texas | Cistercian Preparatory | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 186 lb (84 kg) | – | November 21, 2014 |
Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 78 | ||||||
Ryan Newsome WR |
Aledo, Texas | Aledo HS | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 4.5 | Feb 4, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 | ||||||
Tristan Nickelson OT |
League City, Texas | Navarro College | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 309 lb (140 kg) | – | November 8, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 74 | ||||||
Charles Omenihu DE |
Rowlett, Texas | Rowlett HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 223 lb (101 kg) | – | February 24, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 78 | ||||||
Garrett Thomas OT |
Many, Louisiana | Many HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 308 lb (140 kg) | – | July 9, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Cameron Townsend LB |
Missouri City, Texas | Ridge Point HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 202 lb (92 kg) | – | October 26, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 | ||||||
Patrick Vahe OG |
Euless, Texas | Trinity HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 296 lb (134 kg) | – | July 28, 2013 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 | ||||||
Quincer Vasser DE |
Nyack, New York | Navarro College | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 264 lb (120 kg) | – | December 3, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 78 | ||||||
Chris Warren III RB |
Rockwall, Texas | Rockwall HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | – | Feb 4, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 83 | ||||||
Anthony Wheeler MLB |
Dallas, Texas | Skyline HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 223 lb (101 kg) | – | January 2, 2015 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 84 | ||||||
Connor Williams OT |
Coppell, Texas | Coppell HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 273 lb (124 kg) | – | September 4, 2014 |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 78 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 8 Rivals: 13 247Sports: 11 ESPN: 7 | ||||||
Sources:
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Personnel
editRoster
edit2015 Texas Longhorns football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Roster |
Depth chart
editSchedule
editDate | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 5 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 11 Notre Dame* | NBC | L 3–38 | 80,795 | |
September 12 | 7:00 p.m. | Rice* | LHN | W 42–28 | 86,458 | |
September 19 | 7:30 p.m. | California* |
| FOX | L 44–45 | 91,568 |
September 26 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 24 Oklahoma State |
| ESPN | L 27–30 | 87,073 |
October 3 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 4 TCU | ABC | L 7–50 | 48,694 | |
October 10 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. No. 10 Oklahoma | ABC | W 24–17 | 91,546 | |
October 24 | 11:00 a.m. | Kansas State |
| FS1 | W 23–9 | 88,283 |
October 31 | 6:00 p.m. | at Iowa State | FS1 | L 0–24 | 53,616 | |
November 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Kansas |
| LHN | W 59–20 | 92,529 |
November 14 | 11:00 a.m. | at West Virginia | ESPNU | L 20–38 | 56,736 | |
November 26 | 6:30 p.m. | Texas Tech |
| FS1 | L 45–48 | 94,299 |
December 5 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 12 Baylor | ESPN | W 23–17 | 48,093 | |
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Game summaries
editAt Notre Dame
edit
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Vs. Rice
edit
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Vs. California
edit
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Vs. Oklahoma State
edit
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At TCU
edit
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Vs. Oklahoma
edit
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Vs. Kansas State
edit
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At Iowa State
edit
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Vs. Kansas
edit
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At West Virginia
edit
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Vs. Texas Tech
edit
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At Baylor
edit
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2016 NFL draftees
editPlayer | Round | Pick | Position | NFL Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hassan Ridgeway | 4 | 116 | Defensive tackle | Indianapolis Colts |
References
edit- ^ "Arkansas quotes". University of Texas at Austin Department of Athletics. December 30, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
- ^ Burton, Bobby (December 31, 2014). "Strong Makes Coaching Moves". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
- ^ Autullo, Ryan (January 16, 2015). "Texas Hires Former Oklahoma Assistant Jay Norvell to Coach Receivers". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- ^ Hinnen, Jerry (February 6, 2015). "Texas DL Coach Chris Rumph Heads to Florida, Longhorn Signees Unhappy". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Haley Named Defensive Line Coach at Texas". University of Texas at Austin Department of Athletics. February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Traylor Named Tight Ends and Special Teams Coach at Texas". University of Texas at Austin Department of Athletics. February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c "2015 Texas Longhorns Recruiting Class". ESPN. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ a b "Football Announces 2015 Recruiting Class on National Signing Day". University of Texas at Austin Department of Athletics. February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ Wilkerson, William V.; Higdon, Jason (December 17, 2014). "Longhorns Ink Three JUCO Players". Scout.com. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ Hooper, A. J. (February 4, 2015). "QB Matthew Merrick Will Grayshirt with the Texas Longhorns in 2015". SB Nation. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ Eberts, Wescott (August 7, 2015). "Texas Awards QB Matthew Merrick a Scholarship for 2015 Season". SB Nation. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ "Malik Jefferson". ESPN. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ Johnson, Chris (January 5, 2015). "Breaking Down Every Commitment from High School All-America Games". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ Eberts, Wescott (January 2, 2015). "Texas Longhorns Recruiting: Florida Five About to Rid". SB Nation. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Eberts, Wescott (January 18, 2015). "US Army All-American S Tim Irvin flips from Texas to Auburn". SB Nation. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ Hummer, Chris (August 6, 2015). "Texas Signee Gilbert Johnson Will Not Enroll at Texas in 2015". 247 Sports. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ Donahue, John (December 10, 2014). "Jordan Stevenson Decommits from Texas: What's Next for Longhorns, 4-Star RB?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
- ^ Smith, James (December 16, 2015). "Texas OL Toby Weathersby Has LSU in His Top 3, Report Says". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans: NOLA Media Group. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ Sinor, Wesley (January 7, 2015). "John Burt, Auburn's Top Wide Receiver Target, Decommits from Texas". The Huntsville Times. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ Sinor, Wesley (January 26, 2015). "Auburn Misses on Elite WR John Burt Again". The Huntsville Times. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ^ "2012 NFL Draft". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 28, 2016.