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Texas Longhorns: Jerrod Heard has Proved Himself as the Starter

By Cole Mentzel

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The Texas Longhorns came into their third game with a general idea of who they might be using at QB for the rest of the season. After his performance against Cal, it was obvious that Jerrod Heard was going to be the long-term starter.

Though Tyrone Swoopes beat out Jerrod Heard in the offseason, he lost his credibility after the disaster against Notre Dame that started the season. In their second week, the Horns gave back-up Jerrod Heard the chance to get some reps in against Rice. He performed well and ended up leading the Longhorns to victory.

However, not many people expected to see what Longhorns fans saw from Heard against Cal. In his breakout performance this season, Heard had 527 yards of total offense, the most from any Texas player — EVER. What made it more incredible was the fact that it was only Heard’s third college football game.

Whether it was his effective rushing or great passing, he was able to get the job done. The Longhorns eventually fell short due to a late missed field goal, but Heard led the charge in the 4th quarter and helped the Longhorns score 20 unanswered points in what was almost an epic come-from-behind victory. His late 45 yard touchdown run highlighted his day and reminded fans of the days of Vince Young.

It’s great that the Longhorns have found a player with potential, but also disappointing to think that Tyrone Swoopes likely won’t get another chance to prove himself. Texas passed on so many other players that have turned into stars in order to get Swoopes. After a below average 2014 season, and the start of the 2015 season, it just seems like it’s never going to work out.

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Texas’ head coach, Charlie Strong, is known as a defensive-minded coach, so if he can build a great defense and pair it with Heard’s explosive offense, the Longhorns could be back in business in the coming years. They have been searching for a young player that can get them back over the hump and if Heard continues to perform like he has in his first few starts, Texas will have a very bright future ahead.

One player Heard seems to like playing with is wide receiver John Burt. He has connected with him for a touchdown and seems to favor him as a target. The great thing about this possible match is that they are both freshman, enabling a good bond that could carry over into their sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

Heard still has many great tests coming up in the season. The Longhorns are set to face TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech, as they always do, and they have their annual game against Oklahoma, another team that looks good behind their young quarterback. These games will test his ability to play against some of the more elite defenses in the nation.

Overall, the Longhorns look to have finally found themselves a quarterback that can come in and change their team, something they have struggled to find since Colt McCoy left in 2009. As a freshman, Jerrod Heard has a lot of room to improve and can turn into something special for the city of Austin as long as he takes things slowly and learns all of the necessary skills he needs to lead one of the most popular colleges in the nation.

Next: Malik Jefferson Energizes The Longhorns Defense

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