It has been a rough week for the Texas Longhorns fan base. First, wide receivers Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander were suspended by Charlie Strong amid allegations of sexual assault. Sanders was expected to be a starter for the upcoming season. Now, four players have been permanently dismissed from the program. All four were suspended for violation of team rules.
Running backs Joe Bergeron and Jalen Overstreet, safety Josh Turner, and defensive back Chevoski were all dismissed by head coach Charlie Strong. Turner was expected to start at costless safety after starting three games and recording 37 tackles in 2013. Collins was not expected to contribute significantly, but was expected to provide depth.
The losses of Bergeron and Overstreet put a dent into the depth at running back. According to Burnt Orange Nation, Malcolm Brown and Jonathan Gray are the only running backs that have carried the ball in college. There are also concerns about two of the incoming freshmen and that will put a strain on the rest of the running backs if there is little depth.
Bergeron was not in the good graces of Strong during spring practice and was not present near the end of spring practices. However, Strong said that Bergeron was "back in the mix" at Big 12 Media Days earlier this week.
With the dismissal of these four players, that makes a total of six thus far under Charlie Strong's time at Texas. In March, Strong dismissed fullback Chet Moss and safety Leroy Scott for violation of team rules.
The dismissals could continue, according to Max Olson of ESPN. Up to five more players may be kicked off the football team when all is said and done.
In related news, linebacker Kendall Thompson is no longer with the football team as well. He has suffered after multiple concussions in his career, which did not allow him to participate in spring practices.