Texas football: Position preview - running backs

For the first time under Tom Herman, the Longhorns have a chance to be great at this position

From Earl Campbell to Ricky Williams all the way up to D'Onta Forman Texas football has one of the strongest running back traditions in all of college football. 

Yet for all its historical greatness  the team hasn't produced a 1,000-yard rusher under Tom Herman. 

This could be the year that all changes. 

The Longhorns are loaded with front end talent this season as Keaontay Ingram looks to take the next logical step in his progression as a player. 

Armed with 20 pounds more muscle than he had a year ago as a true freshman, Ingram will be the No. 1 back int he offense after rushing for 708 yards and three touchdowns a year ago and adding 170 yards and 27 catches out of the backfield. 

With a more power added to his home run burst expect to see Ingram getting the lion's share of the carries in the Texas backfield, but he won't be alone by any means with highly-touted true freshman Jordan Whittington continuing to gain hype as the season approaches. 

Whittington set the record for most yards rushing in a state championship game just a few months back when he led Cuero to the 3A state title in Dallas and now he's set to become an fun new weapon in the Herman and Tim Beck's offense. 

A high school wide receiver, Whittington has game-changing speed and versatility. He can line up in a two-back set with Ingram, then flex out to a slot position or come back the other way to confuse defenses and keep them off balance. With the ball in his hands he's a virtuoso. 

Tom Herman said he's never seen a guy take to a new position as quickly as Whittington in all of his years of coaching and Texas fans are salivating over all the ways he can change the offense. 

Providing depth will be Daniel Young, who rushed for 153 yards and a score a year ago. He's mostly been religated to journeyman status, but has gained some momentum in the offseason and may see more significant time once he returns from a high ankle sprain suffered in practice this week. 

If you want to see what Texas can do with a game changer at running back, go back and watch the Ohio State-Alabama National Championship game and see how Tom Herman used Ezekial Elliot to fluster Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. 

This is not saying that either Ingram or Whittington are up to the crazy standard a once-in-a-lifetime athlete like Elliot set, but to imply that Herman's pro spread offense clearly works better with a big-play threat lining up at tailback.