A farewell to the super seniors, Texas Longhorns who wouldn't be here without the COVID year

In an era of college football with more uncertainties than absolutes, five Longhorns enter Saturday’s game against Kentucky knowing they’ll be playing their final regular season game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

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The five players, defensive tackle Jermayne Lole, linebacker David Gbenda, defensive tackle Bill Norton, defensive tackle Alfred Collins, and defensive back Jahdae Barron, are all playing for the Longhorns in 2024 as a result of the year of eligibility relief provided by the NCAA in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They’ve all played for multiple head coaches, at least two,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said Wednesday. “Their ability to be adaptable to change is something they should be commended for. I think their ability to develop over time, we can all agree they’re not the same players today they were four years ago and may even five or six years ago.”

He’d continue, “I think there’s a wealth of experience that our younger players can lean into from them.”

Lole is not just the elder statesman, he’s the eldest statesman. A member of the class of 2018, the same high school class that featured Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Caden Sterns, Jaylen Waddle, and DeMarvion Overshown, Lole overcame two different season-ending injuries during the course of his career at Arizona State and Louisville. The Longhorns also had to overcome an Oklahoma commitment, but they did just that to bring Lole to Austin. This season, he’s been a steady contributor on the defensive line and has turned a corner over the last few games.

Norton isn’t too far behind him. A one-time Georgia Bulldog who made his way to Arizona, Norton came to the 40 Acres about the same time that former Wildcat defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen migrated from Tucson to Austin. Norton has nine tackles this season and has been an immovable presence in the trenches.

Those two came from other institutions and Texas represents their third college football program. The remaining three super-seniors have been in Austin for at least five seasons.

In the case of Gbenda, this is year six.

Gbenda was a member of the Longhorns’ class of 2019, playing two years under previous head coach Tom Herman. He has heard four different voices leading his position group in his time on the 40 Acres, but none of those coaches are responsible for instilling the desire to play with the maniacal effort Gbenda brings on a consistent basis.

The two remaining Longhorns are fifth-year players who burst through the four-game redshirt threshold and are only around because of the COVID season.

Barron is arguably the best player on the Longhorn defense this year and is a leading candidate for a number of awards including the Nagurski, the Thorpe, and first-team All-America honors. His presence as the boundary corner has shut off his side of the field for opponents. Just ask Carson Beck.

Collins has anchored a defensive front that opponents continually struggle to run or pass against. He’s one of the best defensive tackles in the nation, and is benefitting greatly from extra year of college football.

The COVID senior is becoming scarce in number. A few Longhorns could come back next year using that year of eligibility relief, but a number of factors are likely to preclude that from happening like a desire to reach the professional ranks, or just a general want to hang up the cleats after an accomplished career. Now that most seniors are from the class of 2021, fewer and fewer players on the Longhorn roster and in college football in general will have this free year at their disposal. By 2026, the COVID senior will be a relic of early 2020s college football.

For the Longhorns that have the distinction of spending their entire careers in Austin, Gbenda, Collins, and Barron, they have seen everything during their time at Texas. Whether that be two bowl wins, a pandemic, a 5-7 season, or a conference title, their five or six years have been eventful to say the least.

“The part that I love is a lot of these guys when they got here didn’t get to compete for a conference championship,” Sarkisian said. “Last year, they got a chance to win one in the Big 12. This year, we’re in the middle of the fight to try to get another one. They’ve been to the College Football Playoff.”

Usually college careers are four years. In rare instances they are five.

For these five Longhorns, a NCAA decision with a pandemic as the backdrop allowed for them to spend one more season in burnt orange. Sarkisian was confident on Wednesday that it was all worth it for that quintet.

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“That’s all part of the process, that we’re able to create some of these memories for them that’ll last a lifetime and hopefully forge relationships for them that’ll last a lifetime as well,” Sarkisian said.