In this edition of The Daily 5 I'll look at five Texas players who earned praise from Charlie Strong recently for their performances during spring practice.

Leonard is someone Strong singled out for his hard work and his energy in practice every day.

1. Dorian Leonard, WR, Sophomore

Texas needs a replacement for John Harris on the outside at receiver and while Gilbert Johnson and John Burt are two strong candidates for the job, Leonard seems to be making the most of his opportunity. He's the biggest of the outside receivers regularly in the rotation and he's gone viral since practice started with his one-handed catch that made its way onto social media.

That tidbit aside, Leonard could very well have been rejuvenated and ready to thrive thanks to the arrival of Jay Norvell, who heavily recruited Leonard during his previous job at Oklahoma.

“Dorian is one of those guys who comes out every day with a smile on his face,” Strong said. “He just works an has a lot of energy, talks – doesn't mind talking – he talks all the time, but he's one of those guys who never gets tired.”

Leonard has a little bit of Harris' style in his own game as a big receiver who relies on deceptive athleticism to work defensive backs. He was seldom used and not given much of a chance to shine last season, but he could enter the summer as the guy Johnson and Burt are chasing in order to earn reps.

2. Shiro Davis, DE, Senior

Longhorn fans have been waiting so long for Davis to bust through the wall that he's fallen behind others along the defensive line in terms of the ability to generate excitement in the offseason. He opened up last season as the starter at Fox, but he lost his job by the time the Big 12 opener rolled around and never earned it back.

Now he's getting a chance to shine at Strong end, which is where he backed up Cedric Reed last season.

Catalon is working with D'Onta Foreman behind Johnathan Gray while battling through a knee issue that's had him limited some.

“Shiro, with the defense line, is probably the most surprising right now,” Strong said. “Just how hard he is working and doing everything we ask him to do.”

That position is key to not only get after the passer (Davis is tied with Caleb Bluiett for the second-most sacks among returning players), but being a good against the run, which is where coaches have praised Davis for his abilities in the past. That said, Oscar Giles and Chris Rumph couldn't get Davis to put it all together in the past.

Maybe Brick Haley, the defensive line coach at LSU who saw Davis leave the state and sign with the Longhorns, can get the Louisiana native to finally make the climb to reach his ceiling.

3. Donald Catalon, RB, Redshirt Freshman

Strong pointed out Catalon as a someone in the same mold of Johnathan Gray; a slasher with the ability to pop the big run once he gets on the edge. That said, Strong wants a back who can get it done between the tackles, and it sounds like Catalon, who has battled a knee issue, is showing him he can be that guy.

“When we go tackling drills he's one of those guys that can run behind his pads, because he's ran over linebackers,” Strong said. “When you keep him in a contained area, he's not afraid to just lower his head and shoulders and run you over.”

It's never been, and likely won't be, a matter of talent regarding whether or not Catalon is able to get it done on the field. He proved to be a tremendous natural runner of the ball in high school and played with a unique blend of speed and physicality, but he's got to be able to stay healthy and show some durability while he competes with D'Onta Foreman for reps behind Gray.

4. Jacorey Warrick, WR, Junior

Warrick has a chance to provide the explosive play element Strong has been talking about wanting to have for quite some time now.

“I mean, he catches a ball [on Wednesday] and makes about three or four guys miss on defense and takes it in for a touchdown,” Strong said. “If they tackle him it is a fourth down, but he makes them miss and gets the first down and goes in and scores. You know you look for guys like that to just go make plays and guys to step up.”

The play Strong was referring to might not have been this play, but whatever the case, Warrick is doing what Strong wants to see in a receiver. All season long he made it known he wants a receiver who can take a short hitch or a slant and break it off for a long run.

Early indications are Daje Johnson hasn't been as consistent as the coaches would like him to be and Armanti Foreman has battled a hamstring injury. Warrick was another recruit Norvell was fond of while he was in Norman and, like Leonard, he's had a tremendous start. Strong has called him the most consistent of the receivers in practice.

5. Tyrone Swoopes, QB, Junior

“Swoopes is a lot better,” Strong said. “If I look at him from the end of last season to where we are right now, he's a lot better football player. How much better? That's yet to be determined.”

Swoopes' continued development needs to happen. Whether he's starting or not, Texas is going to need Swoopes at some point this season.

Jerrod Heard is going to push Swoopes, but if he wins the battle and earns the job it should be taken as a positive. That doesn't mean Swoopes will be ready to set the world on fire, but as long as he keeps improving it's all for the betterment of the program.