AUSTIN — Texas has finally made official what’s been obvious for months — Tyrone Swoopes will be the Longhorns’ starting quarterback when they open their season at Notre Dame on Saturday.
Swoopes, the junior who was forced to start UT’s final 12 games last year after David Ash’s career-ending head injury, was listed atop the Longhorns’ opening-week depth chart released on Monday. Head coach Charlie Strong said Swoopes clearly “won over the team” during his preseason competition with redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard, who rarely received repetitions with the starters.
Still, Strong said Heard will receive playing time against the Fighting Irish, and said there’s a specific plan for when Heard will enter the game.