Andrew Mukuba is "all business" as he prepares to battle his former team

The Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers have never faced each other in American football, but one of the key players for Steve Sarkisian‘s squad on Saturday joined the UT football program after a successful three-year career at Clemson.

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Texas safety Andrew Mukuba, an Austin (Texas) LBJ product who signed with Clemson in the 2021 class, starts for the Longhorns and will be depended on greatly as Texas tries to advance in the College Football Playoff. Though there’s some affinity for his old teammates, players Mukuba said he received calls and texts from, and for Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, that affinity will be on pause during the 60 minutes of game time on Saturday.

“At the end of the day, we’re both trying to win,” Mukuba said Monday. “It’s all business, but after the game we’ll be cool again.”

Mukuba never took a visit to Clemson before signing there in 2020 as part of the 2021 class. Both he and Swinney spoke since the first-round College Football Playoff matchup was announced about the unique COVID-affected recruiting process that made Mukuba’s arrival on the Clemson campus their first time meeting in person.

What drew Mukuba to Clemson, aside from the successful football, was the type of people who filled the Tigers’ football facilities in the years following two national championships and countless ACC titles.

“Just how Coach Swinney runs the program, what he values, what he’s all about, and the kind of guys that he’s got inside the building,” Mukuba said. “That’s what gets the program running, people that’s in the building. There’s nothing but good people inside the building, and I feel like that plays a big role in why Clemson has been so successful over the last decade.”

Upon entering the transfer portal and looking for a new destination after a three-year career where he earned Freshman All-American honors and played a key role on the Tigers’ 2022 ACC Championship team, Mukuba found something similar to Swinney’s program on the 40 Acres.

“I don’t really see a lot of differences to be honest,” Mukuba said. “I mostly see a lot of similarities like I said and like I mentioned earlier. It’s just good people in this building that gets this thing rolling, and it’s good people in their building that helped them get things rolling. You’ve got two good, outstanding head coaches in charge. I believe that really helps the team and the program.”

There was familiarity elsewhere. Mukuba had trained for years with fellow Austinites Jahdae Barron and Michael Taaffe, who were among the first to welcome him and ensured Mukuba fit right in. The trio has boosted Texas to No. 1 in pass defense and No. 2 in pass efficiency defense, as well as top marks in other advanced metrics. Their on- and off-field chemistry has been critical in helping Mukuba fit right into his darker shade of orange.

“I know he’s ready,” Barron said Monday. “He knows some of those guys up there. It’ll be good for him. I know that team over there, they’re very on the culture standpoint because we have Drew. I’ve been knowing Drew, but just to see his transformation from high school to college and what he experienced over there, you can see that he had a leadership role over there and he’s grown into a right man over there. I know they’re doing a good job over there.”

Mukuba’s also extremely familiar with Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. Mukuba, who wore No. 1 at Clemson, dressed right by Klubnik who dons No. 2. The two bonded over their Austin roots and became friends in Swinney’s program. Mukuba knows Texas will have its work cut out for it on Saturday against Klubnik, a product of Austin (Texas) Westlake.

“He’s a competitor,” Mukuba said. “That’s one thing about him that I respect a lot. He’s a guy that’s going to compete no matter what, and he’s a guy that’s a true leader.”

There may be some pleasantries extended pregame, as well as a quick meeting between Swinney and Mukuba. A lot of fond memories were created by Mukuba in Clemson, but the fond memory he’s looking to create Saturday is one he wants to come at Clemson’s expense.

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“But you know, those are my guys,” Mukuba said. “I’m still kind of cool with some of them on the team. It was good to go through that with them because I was on the same side as them at one point. So it’s going to be exciting now.”