Texas Longhorns to face Missouri Tigers in the 2017 Texas Bowl
The Texas Longhorns football program will face the Missouri Tigers in the 2017 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl on December 27th.
The Big 12's Longhorns (6-6) will face the SEC's Tigers (7-5) at the NRG Stadium, home to the NFL's Houston Texans.
A number of the program's top players will not feature in the game, however, with some having declared for the 2018 NFL draft in recent weeks.
2016 All-American left tackle Connor Williams, and 2017 Jim Thorpe Award Finalist Safety DeShon Elliott will both be absent for Tom Herman's team.
Defensive tackle Chris Nelson, defensive end Charles Omenihu, cornerbacks Holton Hill and Kris Boyd as 2015 All-American linebacker Malik Jefferson are all reportedly waiting for their draft grades before deciding whether to declare or not.
This leaves their availability for the bowl game up in the air for the Longhorns.
The Longhorns hope to have PJ Locke III, Jeffrey McCulloch and Patrick Vahe all available for the Texas Bowl after the trio suffered injuries during the regular season.
The Tigers will be a difficult opponent for the Longhorns, who have failed to find an offensive identity during Herman's first season as head coach.
A strong run game appears to be the best option for the team, with promising players such as Daniel Young and Toneil Carter both emerging as true freshmen.
Chris Warren III, however, will be unlikely to play in the game as he has decided to transfer from the program - a disappointing loss.
Warren led the team in rushing touchdowns this season with six, but appeared to struggle to gain valuable yards behind an offensive line that suffered a number of injuries to key players this season.
With sophomore Kyle Porter still on the team, the Longhorns have plenty of rushing options and must aim to use them against the SEC-hardened defence of the Tigers.
If the Longhorns end the season with a bowl game victory over an SEC opponent, the already 2nd-ranked recruiting class could be bolstered even further with the future looking brighter at the 40-acres.
