Team MVP: This could be the breakout year for Cedric Benson and that is saying a lot since he is coming off of a season in which he rushed for 1,360 yards and 21 touchdowns. Benson was a two-sport star who has recently given up on baseball in order to concentrate solely on football. Benson has to be the main man this season.

Quarterback: Usually when a team has a two quarterback system the quarterbacks have completely different styles. Watching Vince Young and Chance Mock is like night and day but both get results. Mock was the thrower with 16 TD’s in only 184 pass attempts. Young ran for just under 1,000 yards and added 11 touchdowns on the ground. Young has more upside but both will see plenty of action in 2004.

Running Back: Cedric Benson is the catalyst for the offense and one of the early frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy. Selvin Young is the backup but he will continue to do most of his damage on special teams. I like fullback

Will Matthews a lot. Very good blocker who could get some short yardage carries. Look for Cedric Benson to get more than nine catches, the number he had a year ago.

Wide Receiver/Tight End: The biggest question mark for the Longhorns is who will catch the football. The security blanket of Roy Williams and B.J. Johnson was enjoyed for a number of years but both have now moved on to the NFL. Starting wide receivers Tony Jeffrey and Eric Enard had a total of nine catches between them a season ago. Look for both tight ends to be very active catching the football. David Thomas and Bo Scaife can both handle the football and had 30 catches between them a year ago.

Offensive Line: The offensive line at Texas is always among the best in the country and only Oklahoma has a better line up front in the Big 12. Guard Tillman Holloway is the only starter that is not back from last years team and there are a number of backups who have significant playing experience. The line will be led by tackles Jon Scott and Justin Blalock. The average weight for the five starters and their backups is 316 pounds so size is not an issue. This is one of the five best lines in the country.

Defensive Line: Texas gets a pair of defenders back along the defensive line but one may be the best in the country at his position. At 325 pounds, defensive tackle Rodrique Wright is one of the most athletic big men in the NCAA today. Wright can put plenty of heat on the quarterback and he racked up 80 tackles at his position. Tim Crowder is back at defensive end and expect a big contribution from Brian Robison there as well.

Linebacker: While Rodrique Wright is one of the best interior linemen in the country there is little doubt the best linebacker in all of college football is also a Longhorn. Derrick Johnson brings freakish ability to the outside linebacker position. Johnson is a good blitzer and he can cover pass patterns with ease. Johnson had 20 tackles for loss a season ago. The rest of the linebackers are talented but need to show more consistency.

Secondary: Texas was 9^th overall against the pass a season ago but I don’t think they will rank that high this season. The loss of Nathan Vasher will be felt as Tarell Brown steps in to try and replace their most consistent player in the secondary last year. Phillip Geigger is the emotional leader of this crew at the free safety position.

Special Teams: Texas gets high marks in the return game with Selvin Young being the man. Young is s threat to take it to the house on every possession whether it is a punt or a kickoff return. Dusty Mangum and Richmond McGee return to form one of the best kicker/punter combos in  the Big 12.

Final Thoughts: Texas was one of the few teams that made the quarterback rotation work to their advantage a season ago and they will have to do it again. Another 10-win season is quite possible but Mack Brown will still be talked about if he fails to beat Oklahoma again this season.