Big shoes to fill: Texas defensive players at the ready to replace those lost to NFL
Eleven former Texas players showed their athletic prowess last week at the NFL Combine in an attempt to impress team scouts and personnel staffs as they make their step up to the highest level of the game.
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Those players leaving the 40 Acres have left considerable holes to be filled on coach Steve Sarkisian’s squad. But the Longhorns’ staff, recruiting specialists’ and talent evaluators’ hard work and success rate on landing talent and depth means Texas’ cupboard will be far from bare.
Here’s a list of the defensive players that need to be replaced as the Longhorns head into Spring Drills on March 19 and a look at some of the returners set to step into their starting roles:
Defensive tackle
Gone: Byron Murphy, T’Vondre Sweat
Returning/Replacement: senior Alfred Collins, senior Vernon Broughton, senior Tiaoalii Savea, sophomore Jaray Bledsoe, redshirt freshman Sydir Mitchell
The Longhorns got a boosts when Collins (who earned honorable mention Big 12 kudos after appearing in all 14 games with six starts and totaling 22 tackles with two tackles for loss, two sacks and two pass breakups in 2023) and Broughton (who established career highs with 17 tackles (seven solo) 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery last season) decided to return to the 40 Acres.
Savea, a transfer from Arizona, will contribute at the position. He played in 12 games, with two starts, in the 2023 season and amassed 22 total tackles (six solo), six tackles for a loss of 24 yards and 1.5 sacks.
The best is still to come from Bledsoe (who played in eight games last year) and the massive (6-foot-6, 335 pounds) Mitchell.
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Linebacker
Gone: Jaylan Ford
Returning: sophomore Anthony Hill
The uber-explosive Hill is the next in the line of great Texas linebackers, forcing his way onto the field as a true freshman last year and earning spots on the FWAA Freshman All-American team while being named co-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and honorable mention All-Big 12. He played in all 14 games with six starts and finished with 66 tackles (40 solo), 8.0 tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, four quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. He will move to the middle to replace Ford.
Defensive back
Gone: Ryan Watts
Returning: sophomore Malik Muhammad
Muhammed all but took over for Watts when the latter struggled with injuries though the middle of last season. Muhammed appeared in all 14 games with two starts and totaled 31 tackles (21 solo), an interception, four pass breakups and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Kickoff returner
Gone: Keilan Robinson
Returning/Replacement: junior Matthew Golden, junior Jaydon Blue, junior Savion Red
Golden returned 20 kickoffs in his two years with the Houston Cougars for 437 total yards (an average of 31.2 yards per return) and two touchdowns (both last year). He is a threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball.
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Blue, perhaps the fastest player on the team, had three returns last season for average of 26.7 yards per chance. Red had two returns for a total of 29 yards in 2023.
