Add another voice to the growing list of analysts who believe that Texas may exceed expectations this year. And for Longhorn fans, this one comes close to home.

Former Texas linebacker Brian Jones, a college football analyst for CBS Sports, went on Inside College Football this week and said that the Longhorns would win the Big 12.

Jones, of course, took some ribbing for his allegiances, but settled down to make a case.

“Listen, I think they’re going to be much better,” Jones said. “You just said it, seven wins a season ago, but they were oh-so-close in so many games. They had just some inexplicable losses. But I like both quarterbacks coming back, [Shane] Buechele, [Sam] Ehlinger, if they can stay healthy, that’s been an issue, and if they can find a running game. That’s going to be the key.

“Second-year [coordinator] Todd Orlando’s defense, the defense will be more proactive than reactive,” Jones continued. “And they led the conference last year in yards per carry rush [defense].

“The Longhorns are back and are for real, they will win the Big 12,” Jones concluded. “Write it down, take a picture. They’re winning the Big 12.”

Jones knows a thing or two about what a conference-winning Texas team looks like: He earned All-SWC honors in 1990 as the Longhorns won the league. But more importantly, he hit on what the Big 12-winning ‘Horns could look like.

Sam Ehlinger will be the starting quarterback, and if he can stay healthy — an ‘if,’ given his rough-and-tumble style of play — he ups the team’s ceiling. In the six games he had more than 20 passing attempts, Ehlinger threw for an average of 276.3 yards per game. And he averaged just under 20 carries per game in four games starting in mid-September.

That’s why the establishment of that running game will be so key — anything that can take some of that burden off Ehlinger’s legs will be vital to keeping him fresh all season. The addition of California transfer Tre Watson and blue chip freshman Keaontay Ingram, the No. 6 running back in the 247Sports Composite, helps to deepen a group that brings back Daniel Young. And the offensive line, boosted by Rice graduate transfer Calvin Anderson, could give those players more holes than were available last year.

Of course, the key to everything is the defense. Texas really seemed to find something a year ago with its ‘Lightning’ package, which gave the Longhorns the pieces to match up with the league’s spread offenses. And with plenty of talent back and another year in Orlando’s system, Texas could put together that kind of defensive performance all year in 2018.

If those things come together, there’s no reason to expect that Texas wouldn’t have the horses to compete for the league title.