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Texas not ready to name a starting quarterback

Graham Watson

Texas football is still looking for a starting quarterback.

Coach Charlie Strong said senior Tyrone Swoopes would take first-team reps this spring, but offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert isn’t ready to hand him the starting role. Gilbert said the competition between Swoopes, Jerrod Heard and Shane Buechele would continue through the spring and that a starter might not be named until the Longhorns’ Sept. 3 season opener against Notre Dame.

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“You play the best guy,” Gilbert said on Tuesday, “then the people around him, they’ve got to raise their play and do a good job as well.”

The competition may get jumbled as well. The school announced Heard suffered a right shoulder injury during Tuesday's practice and was being evaluated.

Both Swoopes and Heard played last season with mixed results. Together they threw for 1,751 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions while completing just 55.2 percent of their passes.

Gilbert, who is installing a new up-tempo offense, said the player who is able to show the best football IQ would earn the starting job.

“They’ve got to be intelligent,” Gilbert said. “Obviously, they’ve got to be able to throw it around and be accurate with the ball, and just understand what we do.

“If you’re an intelligent guy with a high football IQ and you equate those things, then you’ve got a guy that’s got a chance to be successful with what we do.”

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The only quarterback on the roster not involved in the competition is Kai Locksley, who redshirted last season. Gilbert was not ready to say whether Locksley would switch positions.

For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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