Longhorns Around the Web

Each Friday, we'll be offering up a sampling of Longhorn- and Big XII-related sports coverage making its way around the Web.

2009 Watch List-Watch List: A week after Colt McCoy was named to the O'Brien Award watch list (national quarterback award), senior offensive linemen Adam Ulatoski and Chris Hall were named to the Outland Trophy watch list (best interior lineman), followed later in the week by Jordan Shipley being named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list (top receiver). Texas has never had a Biletnikoff Award winner, and its last Outland Trophy winner was Brad Shearer in 1977.

Fall Camp did open this past week, and while a majority of the starting positions are a lock for several returning starters and upper classmen, lots of intriguing battles remain for playing time in backup roles, as well as a mob of potential starters at running back.

Video: In case you weren't able to make it out to either of the Horns' open practices this past week, Texas officials have got it all on tape. At least from Wednesday night's session. Even better, this year Coach Mack Brown is updating his official blog at least until opening opening day. It would be a good idea to add this to your bookmark collection.

While Colt McCoy's heir-apparent Garrett Gilbert has received the most press among Texas' incoming freshmen class, no one, save perhaps the Sooners and Aggies, hopes to see the Austin product taking too many significant snaps this season. Opportunities do exist for other first year players however, particularly as the quartiary and quintiary receiving options and at tight end, where Blaine Irby is out for the season. Jason Suchomel of Orangebloods tracks the performance of some of the prominent freshman in camp so far.

Is the tight end position at Texas under a curse? Not only is Irby out for the season, but one of the promising young players who hoped to fill that spot, redshirt freshman D.J. Grant, was injured during the first week of practice and will be out for the season. Adding insult to injury, Grant, a high school All-American at LBJ High School, got the news on his birthday.

Could nine Big 12 teams really earn bowl berths when all is said and done this season? Yes, according to Big 12 guru Tim Griffin. Regardless of whether or not it could actually happen, it's always a good day in Austin when Baylor harbors greater bowl aspirations than the Aggies.

Tim Griffin, again, with three predictions for the Longhorns' season, including thoughts on the running back situation, some love for Muschamp's D, and an unfavorable outcome for Texas' trip to Stillwater.