Longhorns Take Long Look at Roster

Texas officials are pretty sure all of the Longhorns are who they say they are. They learned the hard way.

A year ago, while preparing to play Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, Texas came up short a cornerback and special-teams player when it was revealed that junior Ron McKelvey was actually 30-year-old Ron Weaver, whose eligibility had been exhausted at Sacramento State seven years earlier.

The Longhorns raced to a 10-0 lead over Virginia Tech, only to lose, 28-10.

Since then, closer scrutiny has been made of players offered scholarships, particularly junior college transfers. Weaver/McKelvey had come to Austin from Los Angeles Pierce College.

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Texas defensive tackle Chris Akins will start against Penn State, though he has torn cartilage in his left knee.

Penn State cornerback Brian Miller, an All-Big Ten selection, is not as fortunate. He missed the season’s last four games because of a hamstring injury and last practiced on Thursday.

If he can’t play, Shino Prater starts at left cornerback, where he will match up against Texas’ Mike Adams, a teammate at Arlington (Texas) Sam Houston High.

Prater is godfather to Adams’ 4-year-old son, Jordan.