Colt McCoy is the undisputed leader of the Texas offense. But who is the leader of a defense that's bid farewell to the likes of All-American Brian Orakpo and Roy Miller?
The defensive duo put up some impressive numbers, but their most significant contributions may have been the leadership and accountability they brought the 2008 Longhorn defense. By all accounts, Miller and Orakpo raised the bar and held teammates to a higher standard. They were coaches on the field who were no less intentional in developing the kind of camaraderie that players say had been missing from the underachieving 2007 team.
Said head coach Mack Brown: "I thought two of the best leaders I've ever seen -- really, three: Quan Cosby, Roy Miller and Brian Orakpo -- stepped up last year and turned the attitude of that team. It was not a very confident team starting the year and seemed to develop that throughout the year. We've worked really heard this summer and throughout the spring trying to make sure we continue to develop leadership. Somebody's got to step up and take those places."
But who?
"I don't try to be a leader," DE/SLB Sergio Kindle told Inside Texas this week. "I just lead by example. I'm just another teammate. I don't want them to see me as anything higher than that."
It's a rather surprising comment. It comes from not only one of the few defensive seniors on this year's team but also one of the most high-profile players of the Mack Brown era. Kindle clarified his remarks: "I want my teammates to feel like they're on the same level as me, even though my name may get mentioned more often."
The soft-spoken Lamarr Houston has emerged as a vocal leader this summer, Kindle said.
"I would be more of a vocal leader," Kindle explained, "but my voice doesn't hit it. If I want something said, I whisper in Lamarr's ear."
Assuming that Kindle's off-the-field missteps may, indeed, result in players perceiving him as "just another teammate," one can expect that the eyes of the Texas defense would naturally look to WLB Roddrick Muckelroy for leadership. The senior led the team with 112 total tackles last year en route to second-team All-Big 12 honors. Teammates also gravitate to his affable, homespun persona.
These days, Muckelroy likes what he sees from his fellow Horns.
"You start seeing the identity of the team in (August) camp," Muckelroy said. "Really, you've seen it all summer. We've been in 7-on-7s and have worked out together. We've had six a.m. workouts and then guys coming in before two o'clock and running with the group. The chemistry there carries over. We're all out there working and trying to get better as a team. It will carry over to two-a-days. We've just got to keep it rolling and get everybody on the same page. It's going to be exciting to see."
Admittedly, it's hard to expect a secondary that includes seven sophomores in the two-deep to fill much of the void in leadership. However, safety Earl Thomas has already been mentioned as a pre-season All-American while LCB Aaron Williams may be the most talented DB on the field. Safety Blake Gideon functioned as a coach on the field last year because of his grasp of schemes.
How soon will we know who is the leader (or leaders) of the pack on the Texas defense? It may take until the October 17 seismic clash with Oklahoma.
"I don't think you know what effect your leadership has on your team until you have a team that's behind in a tough game and they have to come back and win," Brown noted.
Players officially report to Austin on August 8.
