Caden Sterns Talks Which Players Will Lead Texas in 2020

Texas fans have the right to be excited when they look at the talent their team has coming back.

Sixteen starters from last year's squad return with even more players back in the two-deep. After battling injuries all year Texas has battle-hardened players all over the field ready to contribute and the NCAA's active career leader in most important passing categories returning under center in Sam Ehlinger.

Still the Longhorns face the question many teams do going into a new season - who will step up and become the team leaders.

Sure, we all know Ehlinger will set an example, hold players accountable and help the team form a bond, but it's hard to quantify the hole guys like Zach Shackelford, Collin Johnson, Malcolm Roach, Devin Duvernay and Brandon Jones leave behind in the leadership department.

If you were to take a poll of Texas players and coaches, Roach would have been considered the heart and soul of the team in 2019. When things were going well he was leading the celebration. When things weren't, he was there to rally the troops. Players rallied around Roach's investment in the team and it played a major role in keeping things from going completely off the rails when injuries decimated the lineup.

Shackelford, Johnson, Jones and Duvernay all played big roles in that as well.

So who are the new guys ready to help Sam Ehlinger lead this team into the fire? One of the players expected to help fill the hole left by a strong group of senior leaders is Caden Sterns. The former Freshman All American is feeling good again after missing extended time last year with an injury.

He talked about leadership with the media during a teleconference on Tuesday, it's clear he thinks there are plenty of guys ready to step into bigger roles.

"Really, there's a lot of dudes at each position that are leaders. Up front, you've got (Ta'Quon Graham) and you've got (Joseph Ossai) at linebacker," Sterns said. "In the secondary, a lot of people have played. There's no excuse, there's no reason why we shouldn't be one of the top secondaries or best defenses, because, top to bottom, the talent is there and the leadership is coming along. Josh Thompson is a huge one. Getting him back and him taking on that leadership role is huge. You've got Jalen Green.

"There's so many dudes. You've got D'Shawn (Jamison), B.J. (Foster), Chris Brown and that's just in the secondary. The list, it's there. It's about just putting it together and coming together as a team. We're doing that and taking steps in the right direction with the leadership that we have."

While all those guys are battle-tested, the character of this year's team is still being shaped. A lot of the leadership questions won't be answered until the team gets a chance to take the field together in its first real practice since before the Alamo Bowl, but Sterns' belief in his teammates should be an encouraging sign for Texas fans.