No. 15 DeSoto (Texas) - Team preview / Preseason photo gallery
Strengths: Typically, this category is reserved for DeSoto's high-octane offense. But in 2013, the team's strong point could be its defense. According to head coach Claude Mathis, the team's defensive line will be the strongest that he's had. That unit features massive defensive tackle
Bryce English. Only a junior, he's already committed to Texas.
Shaquel Jackson will once again line up alongside him. A speedy group of linebackers and a defensive secondary led by
Nick Orr are other reasons for optimism. Perhaps the biggest factor in DeSoto's success this year will be the play of quarterback
Desmon White. He's back after accounting for nearly 5,000 total yards as a junior.
Question marks: Ohio State signee Dontre Wilson is nearly impossible to replace. However, look for
Jatory Sparks-brown to surprise people this fall. The team's offensive line needs to be retooled, but that's nothing new at DeSoto. Taylor Young, the Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year, also leaves big shoes to fill.
Outlook: DeSoto has dispelled any and all myths that it's a collection of talented players who fold under pressure. This team hammered Coppell and defeated Southlake Carroll before running into the buzzsaw that was Allen last year. With a highly successful quarterback, a loaded defensive line and young, emerging playmakers, DeSoto will be a fixture on the national scene for 2013 and beyond.
