Strong's Summer Recap

VIDEO: Strong talks summer time on the 40 Acres

AUSTIN — The most important thing you need to know about the current state of Texas football is this: Shane Buechele pestered Charlie Strong at 10:30 pm earlier this month until the head coach opened the indoor practice facility.

The precocious freshman wanted an after-hours session with the likes of WR Collin Johnson and no, it couldn’t wait until morning. It underscores the sense of urgency that now permeates the program.

“The lights are out,” Strong told Buechele. “Tomorrow morning, they’ll be on.”

Replied Buechele: “No, coach. We can go right now.” Strong agreed.

After all, his third season in Austin will either be one when the program returns to the limelight… or it’s turn off the lights, and the party’s over. That’s where things stand when you’re saddled with an 11-14 record and yet bolstered by consecutive Top 10 recruiting classes.

It speaks volumes about Buechele who, two months removed his opening statement at the Spring game, apparently does not expect to spend much time relaying hand-signals from the sideline on game day. And if Strong survives the hottest seat in all of college football, it’s because Texas finally ends its six-year drought at QB. All the other pieces are pretty much in place. Strong said as much when he met with media Wednesday on campus.

“We have enough bodies now where we can play two units on both sides of the ball,” Strong observed, before adding, “I feel like we’ve got competition at every position.”

But how far from resolution is the competition at quarterback?

Strong may have handed Buechele the keys to the facility, but he’s yet to hand him the keys to the offense. Last February, Strong said the QB-position would naturally work itself by the end of the spring.

Now, Strong expects the starter will emerge early in August camp.

Strong endured two mediocre seasons at Louisville before taking the great leap forward in his third year. Still, you can’t over-emphasize the emergence of QB Teddy Bridgewater in propelling Strong’s Cardinals program into the next level.

Obviously, neither Tyrone Swoopes nor Jerrod Heard have sealed the deal despite combining for 23 starts. Buechele staked his claim with 299 yards and two TDs during the spring’s rain-shortened, half-scrimmage (In essence, it amounted to one quarter’s worth of work given that Buechele swapped series with Swoopes).

On Wednesday, Strong applauded the two candidates for their work ethic, but with this caveat: “They know who Shane is and just how hard he works and what he brings to the team.”

Buechele isn’t the only Longhorn operating with a sense of urgency. It stems from a “totally different attitude” among players, Strong said. I asked him to elaborate.

“When you talk about the attitude it’s, overall, how they’re working right now,” Strong told Inside Texas.

“The players have a sense of knowing what we’ve got to get accomplished. In order for this to happen, we’re going to have to build and we’re going to have to come together as a team. When you look at leaders, it may not always be a starter. You look at a guy like (senior MLB) Tim Cole who has the respect of his teammates, and Tim is an unbelievable leader.”

Strong continued,” On the offensive side, guys like (RT Kent) Perkins never say anything but guys watch how he works. I just think that, with the end of the (2015) season with that Baylor game, they were thinking they had another (bowl) game left. No, the season was over. Now, we know we’re a better football team than what we’ve shown.”

Strong said last spring he would not hesitate to start at true freshman when Texas opens the 2016 campaign September 4th in a made-for-TV, prime-time tilt against Notre Dame. Regardless of who’s behind center, Strong expects a much better showing than the 38-3 beatdown his program suffered last year at South Bend. He also vowed his approach to the game will be healthier.

“I told our players that I didn’t think I did a good job last year with that game. I made too much about it, early. Now, we’re going to approach it like it was any other game.”

This, despite the fact that the game looms not only as a referendum on the starting QB but also on Strong’s future.

“What we have to do,” Strong said, “is not put this on one person. We have to make sure we prepare our team in the right way and they’re set to go play the game. Even if the focus gets on me, I will shift it off and make sure our team understands how important this season is.”

Strong could not speak directly about (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) any player who might have recently flipped his commitment from another program to become the feather in the cap of Texas’ 2016 recruiting class, other than:

“Recruiting is 24/7, 365-days. You don’t ever stop. You’ve got to go, go, go.”

Asked if UT would be adding any others to the 2016 class if Baylor releases signees from their LOI, a giant smile came over Strong’s face.

“You know, hopefully we’ll be able to get somebody,” Strong said. “I’m optimistic.”

More on the newest Longhorn, Devin Duverany.