Freshman Shane Buechele looking like Texas’ QB solution

7:27 AM ET

AUSTIN, Texas — The most interesting comments made by Texas coach Charlie Strong about quarterback Shane Buechele came before the true freshman even made his debut in the spring game.

Last week, Strong sat down for a Longhorn Network interview with Ricky Williams. He was asked whether Buechele has a chance to see significant playing time this fall. One might expect a carefully worded and prepared response, right?

“Oh, Buechele?” Strong replied. “Oh God yes. Yes. Oh yes. Oh, he will play in the fall, yes. He will play.”

Strong was actually chuckling as he said this. After what he had witnessed over more than a dozen spring practices, there was no need to be vague. The kid can play.

Strong likes to fondly call his freshman passer a gym rat. After Buechele threw for 299 yards and two TDs in the spring game, Strong told reporters his players are calling the newcomer a baller. Some staffers have admiringly said he’s a “dude.” You get the gist: he’s got some “it” factor.

But the reason Buechele looks like the new front-runner in Texas’ quarterback race seems much easier to define. Consider another answer from that candid LHN interview, one that might have been easy to miss.

Williams asked Strong what makes Buechele so special. And here was the first thing that came to his mind: “Well Buechele, if you think about it, he’s a quarterback. And he’s been in this offense before, so he really understands it.”

If you think about it, that response might say something about …

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