Herman sees progress, room for improvement after Texas' spring camp

Fans in Austin got to see firsthand what Tom Herman has done since being hired in November, as Texas wrapped up its spring camp with the annual Orange-White game on Saturday.

Though Herman noted the changes the team has made on and off the field, he's thankful there are another five months until the season opener.

"We're pleased with the progress that we've made, but thank God we don't have to play a football game tomorrow," Herman said, according to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports.

The Longhorns will benefit from the return of starting quarterback Shane Buechele and freshman Sam Ehlinger, but Herman is still in the market for a grad transfer, and Buechele and Ehlinger are the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, according to Feldman.

Though Buechele threw for 2,958 yards and 21 touchdowns as a freshman, Herman isn't ready to call him his starter.

"I think a healthy fear of losing your job is just that: healthy," Herman said, according to Max Olson of ESPN. "Shane knows we have a lot of confidence in him, and Shane did a lot of things really well this spring. But to say he's won the job in 12 padded practices, when he doesn't even get hit, that would be a bit premature."

Ehlinger was the fourth-ranked quarterback in the 2017 recruiting class and enrolled early to try to get a head start on his career before fall camp and the season starts in just over four months.

During the Orange-White game, Buechele completed 23-of-39 passes for 369 yards and two touchdowns, along with an interception. Ehlinger was 10-of-31 for 148 yards and a touchdown.

If Buechele is eventually picked, as expected, fans will likely see a lot of Buechele-to-Collin Johnson highlights, as the wide receiver caught eight passes for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the contest.

Herman also spoke about Texas' new player lockers, which are valued at $10,500 per stall.

"It says from a facilities standpoint there will be no reason for a recruit to want to go somewhere else," Herman said, according to Feldman.

Herman cited when he was first hired how not having a built-in speaker system was among the little things holding Texas back compared to other big brands.

Now, with Herman on board, Texas fans are hoping all the little things will help the program regain its form from the early 2000s, when the Longhorns were perennial contenders and claimed a national championship.

Standing in the way of beginning that journey is Maryland, the Longhorns' opponent for their home opener in September.