All-American honors are pouring in for T'Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy, Xavier Worthy, Ja'Tavion Sanders
While the No. 3 Texas Longhorns await their Sugar Bowl battle with No. 2 Washington, a number of Horns received All-America honors this week.
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Defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, wide receiver Xavier Worthy, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders notched awards after stellar performances in 2023.
Sweat, a 6-foot-4, 362-pound senior from Huntsville (Texas), netted USA Today first-team, The Athletic first-team, Sports Illustrated first-team, and CBS Sports first-team All-America honors. He has been the anchor in the middle of the defensive line for Texas as part of the nation’s fifth-best rushing defense and one of the best red zone defenses in the sport. He has notched 43 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, seven hurries, four pass breakups, and a blocked kick.
Murphy, a 6-foot-1, 290-pound Desoto (Texas) junior product who was honored on Senior Day, tallied 26 tackles with 10 of them solo and set career bests with 8.0 TFLs and five sacks. During the Longhorns’ win over Wyoming, Murphy hauled in a one-yard touchdown pass to become the fourth Longhorn lineman to score an offensive touchdown. He notched Sports Illustrated second-team, The Athletic second-team, and CBS Sports second-team All-America honors.
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Worthy, a product of Fresno (Calif.) Central, was an All-Big 12 first team selection as a wide receiver and return specialist. In addition he grabbed The Athletic first-team, USA Today second-team, and CBS Sports first-team honors as a utility player and punt returner.
The junior caught a career-high 73 passes for 969 yards and five touchdowns, and returned 20 punts for 358 yards including a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown against BYU. He leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation averaging 17.9 yards per punt return, while ranking second in the conference in receiving yards and receiving yards per game (73.6), and third in receptions and receptions per game (5.6). He is just the second Longhorn to have three seasons of 60-plus receptions along with Roy Williams, his punt return average ranks second in program history (Bobby Dillon – 22.3, 1950) and his 358 punt return yards are the seventh-most in a season for a Longhorn.
Sanders, a Denton (Texas) Ryan graduate, notched CBS Sports second-team honors after a breakout season on the Forty Acres. He collected 607 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 39 catches in 2023. His 54 catches in 2022 were the most for a tight end in Texas Longhorn history. Sanders entered 2023 as a preseason all-league and All-America pick according to numerous publications. He topped the 100-yard mark in Texas victories at Alabama and Baylor.
