Players to watch out for

Malcolm Brown ““ Freshman running back

The bruising freshman back will look to use his 6-foot, 217-pound frame to the Longhorns’ advantage on Saturday. Coming out of Byron P. Steele II High School in Cibolo, Texas, Brown has seen action in two games this season, rushing for 86 yards on 16 carries against Rice and 68 yards on 14 carries against BYU. He will be an integral part of the Longhorns’ ground attack and someone Joe Tresey and the Bruins’ defense will need to plan for.

Jaxon Shipley ““ Freshman wide reciever

Younger brother to Texas alum and current Cincinnati Bengal Jordan Shipley, Jaxon Shipley has tallied five receptions in two games so far, and has reeled in one touchdown. The younger Shipley is not as fast as his brother, but makes up for it with his strength and route running ability. UCLA’s corners and safeties will need to tackle, and tackle well, in order to contain Shipley and limit his yards gained after the catch.

Case McCoy ““ Sophomore quarterback

UCLA will have not one, but two quarterbacks to try to contain on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Texas coach Mack Brown has declared McCoy and freshman David Ash co-starters at quarterback against UCLA this weekend. Junior Garrett Gilbert had originally earned the starting spot in camp, but Brown has decided the younger quarterbacks will play against UCLA. Ash is mostly a running quarterback and leads Texas’ option attack. McCoy is considered the better passer and is expected to make the majority of throws in the game.

Emmanuel Acho – Senior outside linebacker

Acho is the heart and soul of a young but talented Texas defense. Against UCLA last season, he was one of the few bright spots on a defense that gave up 34 points and 264 rushing yards. He finished the game with seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery. So far this season, Acho has had 23 tackles in two games along with two tackles for loss. The defense will rely on him for a big game against UCLA when it comes to organizing the defense and getting pressure in the backfield.

Jackson Jeffcoat – Sophomore defensive end

The sophomore defensive end was one of the top recruits in the nation in 2010, and he did not disappoint in his freshman campaign. Jeffcoat appeared in eight games and accumulated 15 tackles, six for loss and 2.5 sacks in an effort that earned him an honorable mention for Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. Arguably his best game last season was against UCLA, where he had four tackles (two for loss) and a sack. He has started off a little slow with only five tackles in two games, but there is no doubt that a talent like Jeffcoat will eventually break out.

Quandre Diggs ““ Freshman cornerback

While he is only a freshman, Diggs is one of the most talented players in the Longhorns’ secondary. In his first start last week against BYU, he had three tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. Diggs, who was considered one of the top corners in the 2011 recruiting class, stands at only
5-foot-10 and that may be a factor this week against UCLA, where he will be asked to cover bigger wide receivers like Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree. Still, this young defensive back could play a major role in this week’s game against the Bruins.