By all accounts, the Texas quarterback battle doesn't appear to be too close as fall camp winds down.

In the Longhorns' practices open to the media, Tyrone Swoopes appeared to be leading the competition with redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard. That's apparently continued during the team's closed practices with Charlie Strong praising the junior quarterback for Tuesday for doing everything demanded of him and then some.

“He's really controlling he offense,” Strong said. “He's throwing the ball well, hasn't thrown many interceptions out there. That's what I told him the other day, I said, 'What's been surprising is you haven't thrown a bad ball and you're putting the ball in the right people's hands.'”

One aspect of Swoopes' game where he's made the big steps forward is in his confidence and body demeanor, things the coaching staff asked him to fix coming out of spring football. Strong said Tuesday there's enough around Swoopes, who he added appears to be practicing with a chip on his shoulder, to prove he can be a successful and consistent quarterback at this level without putting all the pressure on him.

Perhaps then it's been improvement along the offensive line along, a stable of running backs emerging behind Johnathan Gray and guys like Daje Johnson, John Burt, DeAndre McNeal and Armanti Foreman emerging as weapons in the passing game as to why Strong has seen a different Swoopes on the practice field.

“It's not one of those where he walks around with his head down,” Strong said. “He can't do that anymore and I told him that. There's none of that anymore.”

Swoopes appears to be winning the race, but Heard continues to work. Strong reiterated Tuesday both quarterbacks will play in the season opener against Notre Dame and Heard has done what the coaches have asked of him during camp.

Strong recalled a conversation in which he joked with Heard about the two-time state champion quarterback having a short leash once he goes into a game. The feistiness Heard showed in his response is part of the reason why coaches and players are said to be excited to see what he can do once the lights come on and he's got the ball in his hands.

“I said, 'Let me tell you right now, when you go in that game and something happens, if it isn't good I'm just going to do that right there [making a pointing gesture] and that means just keep going to the locker room,'” Strong said. “He said, 'I'll show you, coach. I'll show you.' That's what you want from him.”

Heard remains confident and focused, but it appears as though Swoopes has the inside track to be Texas' starter when the Longhorns take the field against Notre Dame on Sept. 5.