Texas Longhorns: Johnathan Gray Faces Another Tough Season

Senior running back Johnathan Gray may hold the keys to success for the Texas Longhorns in 2015, but expect a tough season for the former Texas high school star.

There’s several reasons for this fact, but I’m going to stick to just a couple that could prevent Gray from ever rushing for so much as 1,000 yards wearing burnt orange.

More from Dallas Sports

Who would have thought that just a few years ago?

Yes, this season will be all about running the football at University of Texas, and right now there’s nobody in Austin who’s better at that than Gray.

Well, let me clarify – a healthy Gray.

The senior ball-carrier is looking for basically his first complete, healthy season as the starting tailback for the Longhorns. While the 2013 Achilles injury is well behind him, its effects were definitely a more long-term situation for the former Aledo High School superstar to deal with.

Gray has stated publicly that the start of his junior campaign in 2014 wasn’t exactly what he had hoped for. Still less than a year from the season-ending injury suffered against University of West Virginia two years ago, Gray had some soreness and discomfort in his Achilles during much of the first half of last season.

The biggest question facing Longhorns fans and faithful is which Gray is going to be seen this season?

Will it be the one who appeared ready to tear up college football two seasons ago prior to the injury.

Or, will it be the one who broke the century mark just once a year ago while finishing with just 637 yards on the ground to go with seven touchdowns?

No, Gray has never really lit up the Longhorns the way so many assumed he would before arriving in Austin back in 2012.

This is a player that holds the all-time national record for touchdowns with – wait for it – 205. Gray is tied for first, nationally, with 70 touchdowns in a single season and also in 100-yard games in a season with a jaw-dropping 16.

Lots of Texas high school playoffs happening for Aledo back then.

How does a runner like Gray go for 10,908 over four years of high school, but he can’t crack the 1,000-yard barrier once in college?

Well, the injury speaks for itself, as does the coaching change which saw Charlie Strong take over the reigns for national championship-winning head coach Mack Brown.

Perhaps moving into a different offensive structure will help Gray. Texas plans to utilize more of a spread formation that is so prominent throughout Texas high school football these days, yet it’s believed that a firm commitment to a physical running game will still remain.

Yes, a healthy Gray should be able to thrive in this environment, but there’s still one huge question beyond health.

Exactly who will be playing quarterback – and is anybody good enough to take pressure off of Gray by forcing eight-man fronts to back off?

Well, with Strong indicating that he’s wanting a clear-cut starting quarterback for the season opener against No.11 Notre Dame in South Bend, I think it’s safe to hold some level of doubt on that idea – and so much for a soft season-opener in order to get the blood pumping and the timing down for Big 12 competition.

One way or the other, Gray has one chance remaining to stake his claim as one of the great running backs to come out of UT, and it’s not like there isn’t plenty of talent surrounding him at this high profile program.

Given the cascade of changes and other circumstances happening in Austin right now, there’s a strong likelihood that Kansas City Chiefs tailback Jamal Charles will remain the last running back to go for over 1,000 for the Longhorns – that was 2007.

Think about that.

More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

Next: UNT: Can Darrien McNair Change Fortunes Of Mean Green?

Home/Dallas Sports