How much improvement can we expect from Texas this fall?

The 2010 season was far from a banner year for Texas football. A final mark of 5-7 saw the Longhorns miss a bowl game for the first time under Mack Brown and the season was filled with low water marks for one of the top programs in the country. So it wasn't surprising when Brown made several changes to his staff in the off-season, including bringing in new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Of course, the departure of ex-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to Florida forced Brown to hire a new DC but it looks like new coordinator Manny Diaz is well qualified and he does inherit a pretty talented group. As for the offense, it will be co-coordinated by ex-Boise State offensive whiz Bryan Harsin and ex-UT QB Major Applewhite. But how much better can Longhorn fans expect the '11 Burnt Orange to be? DEFENSE: Mostly Intact If there was a bright spot for UT in 2010, it was their defense, which ranked as the best "D" in the Big 12 Conference. Texas was second toughest against the pass and third toughest against the rush. The Longhorns also ranked fifth in scoring defense. Of course, the biggest loss is lineman Sam Acho, who led the team with nine sacks and was UT's lone first-team all-conference selection on either side of the ball. But Acho isn't the only key departure. The Texas secondary will have to replace both Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams. Brown finished a solid collegiate career last fall while Williams bolted a year early for the NFL. The good news is that Blake Gideon, who tied for the team lead with two picks in 2010, is back and provides some veteran leadership in the secondary. And while one Acho has graduated, younger brother Emmanuel Acho, a linebacker, is back. He had 87 tackles last year. Also returning to the linebacking corps is senior Keenan Robinson, who led the team with 113 stops and tied for the team lead with two picks. Defensive tackle Kheeston Randall is another key senior for UT. The Texas defense isn't completely a veteran group. Sophomores Jordan Hicks, a linebacker, and end Jackson Jeffcoat, both come off impressive performances as freshmen and will look to make even bigger contributions as sophomores. So while the loss of Sam Acho, Brown and Williams are pretty tough vacancies to fill, the bulk of this group returns intact. That could mean that once again in 2011, the Texas defense will have to carry this team until the offense gets things together. OFFENSE: Change, Change, Change With Harsin and Applewhite sharing the duties of calling the offensive plays, UT backers wonder what their offense will look like this fall? Will it again center around QB Garrett Gilbert, who has some pretty stiff competition for the starting job or will they choose to go with a more ground-based attack, instead choosing to utilize the talent of last year's top rusher Cody Johnson as well as incoming freshman Malcolm Brown, who has immense potential even in his first year. As for the receiving corps, James Kirkendoll, last year's top pass catcher, has graduated but the cupboard is far from bare. Mike Davis was rock solid as a true freshman and could make a serious leap as a sophomore. Also returning is the ultra-athletic Marquise Goodwin, who also stars for the UT track team. Malcolm Williams is back for his senior season and he too figures to have a fair share of balls thrown his way in 2011. Texas' offensive front does have two pretty notable vacancies, both at tackle. Kyle Hix was the starter at left tackle last year and he has graduated. It's a similar story on the opposite side, where Britt Mitchell started all 12 games for the 'Horns in 2010. But as always seems to be the case in Austin, there is never a shortage of two things-depth or talent. Among the top candidates to step up at offensive tackle are Paden Kelly, who played in seven games last year, converted defensive tackle Kyle Kriegel and Luke Poehlmann, who played just two games last fall as a sophomore due to a knee injury. Poehlmann did see time in 14 games in 2009 as a redshirt freshman. And there is also a solid group of incoming freshmen who could step right in and start on the o-line. This group includes Josh Cochran, Taylor Doyle, Sedrick Flowers, Garrett Greenlea and Marcus Hutchins. OUTLOOK: Wait and See At least on paper, it looks like the Texas defense again figures to be the Longhorns' biggest strength in 2011. Once again, that is a unit that could be among the best if not the absolute best in the Big 12. But there are a number of questions on the offensive side of the ball? The biggest of those is under center, where many wonder if Gilbert can rebound from a highly disappointing 2010 season or if he will even be the starter when UT opens the '11 campaign against Rice. But other than their opener with the Owls, the non-league schedule is a bit tougher than last year. After facing Rice, the 'Horns host BYU, always a tough opponent, in Austin before traveling to Westwood to face UCLA the following week. UT then opens Big 12 play in Ames against Iowa State. But the good news is they do get Oklahoma State and Kansas State, two teams that beat them in 2010, in Austin. The toughest road trips are to Missouri and to Texas A&M. Realistically, this could be a 7-5 or a 6-6 team.