Texas' Strong: 'I kind of know' who will start at QB

Charlie Strong has a secret, but he's in no mood to share it - at least, not yet.

As the crawl toward the new season continues, Strong acknowledged Saturday he's close to naming a starting quarterback for Texas, if he hasn't picked one already, but he's not going to disclose the choice.

"I kind of know," Strong told reporters Saturday when asked about a winner in the quarterback race.

That was about all he was willing to divulge.

Strong did add that he and offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert are on the same page about the decision, which has boiled down to Shane Buechele, Tyrone Swoopes, or Jerrod Heard.

Buechele, the touted true freshman, would be the fans' choice, but Strong has maintained all offseason he isn't going to throw his prized prospect into the fire simply because it's what the faithful wants.

Swoopes, the senior, brings more experience to the table but struggled with injuries and inconsistencies last year.

Heard, meanwhile, appears destined for a permanent position switch, as he's been taking more reps at wide receiver this fall.

Strong's eventual quarterback announcement will be a pivotal one. After two ugly seasons at Texas, the coach is unlikely to survive another one and desperately needs solid quarterback play to get through a stacked early-season schedule.

The Longhorns open the season Sept. 4 against Notre Dame.