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Herman: Texas unlikely to add QB in 2017

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Herman doesn't expect Texas to add another signal-caller before the 2017 campaign, leaving Shane Buechele, Matthew Merrick, and incoming freshman Sam Ehlinger to compete for the starting job next season.

"We don't have a lot of numbers," the coach said Friday in a radio interview on 104.9 The Horn, as transcribed by Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman. "We are a bit thin there. I don't see us adding to that room this year. Obviously next year we'll sign a quarterback, if not two, in the 2018 class."

Herman added he feels "great" about the Longhorns' quarterback situation, despite only having three scholarship pivots on the roster. Speculation grew upon Herman's hiring that Texas could acquire a quarterback on the transfer market, or might hit the recruiting trail hard in hopes of finding another before the new season.

Last year's starter, Buechele, showed great promise early, but fizzled down the stretch, leading Herman to declare an open competition going into next season.

"Again, I have not watched one single snap of game film from last year simply because I want to make sure that every player earns their respect through the winter conditioning and offseason and earns their place," Herman said. "There are no starters. There is no depth chart right now. Those places will be earned through how hard they work and how accountable they are through this winter conditioning."

Buechele, the former Charlie Strong prodigy, tossed for 2,958 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a true freshman in 2016. Merrick has yet to see the field in his brief career, while Ehlinger is the fourth-ranked dual-threat quarterback on the ESPN 300 for the 2017 recruiting class.

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