Can Texas boast more 'spike club' members in 2025?

After the 2024 SEC Championship and before the on-campus first round games of the College Football Playoff, the Texas defense boasted three players who were members of “the spike club.”

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The spike club is composed of players who give up an NFL passer rating of under 39.6 when targeted. Why 39.6? That’s what a quarterback’s passer rating would be if he spiked the football every down. This is all according to Pro Football Focus. The minimum snap threshold to be worthy of consideration was 150 coverage snaps.

At the time, the three members from Texas were Jahdae Barron, Andrew Mukuba, and Michael Taaffe. Mukuba’s passer rating allowed on December 12 was 27.3. Barron’s was right behind at 28.0. Taaffe was at 30.5.

Barron and Mukuba remained in the spike club throughout Texas’ playoff run. Barron ended the year with a 34.2 passer rating against. Mukuba? He finished with an astonishing 12.1.

Taaffe lost a spot in the club. PFF said the passer rating against him when targeted for his entire 2024 season was 65.2. Cade Klubnik logging a 143.8 passer rating for Clemson when targeting Taaffe didn’t help things.

That said, entire regular season run from the Longhorns’ main defensive backs where throwing the ball into the dirt was a better proposition than throwing into the Texas secondary was impressive. Can Texas boast multiple members again this year?

Here are all the returning players who had a passer rating when targeted of under 70. The second number is PFF’s total coverage snaps.

• Derek Williams Jr. – 65.3 – 50 coverage snaps
• Michael Taaffe – 65.2 – 474 coverage snaps
• Jordon Johnson-Rubell – 56.3 – 38 coverage snaps
• Ty’Anthony Smith – 53.8 – 49 coverage snaps
• Colin Simmons – 45.2 – 66 coverage snaps
• Warren Roberson – 42.4 – 14 coverage snaps
• Xavier Filsaime – 39.6 – 13 coverage snaps
• Wardell Mack – 8.3 – 14 coverage snaps

You can see why the threshold was set 150 coverage snaps. Mack was only targeted four times and logged an impressive interception during those reps.

Finding players at all three levels to at least approach the spike club is a key part of elite defense. Notre Dame, Florida, and Alabama all had players in the club. Heisman Trophy winner and two-way star Travis Hunter didn’t join the spike club, just 0.3 points away.

There are names missing from the above list. What about other projected starters or significant contributors for Texas?

• Anthony Hill Jr. – 102.3 – 408 coverage snaps
• Jaylon Guilbeau – 100.9 – 418 coverage snaps

This would appear worrisome for the 2025 defense, but Hill Jr. was an All-American and Guilbeau is making the move to corner. Their positions in the middle of the field create difficult matchups as opponents often have two-way go’s against them. That’s somewhat reflected in the fact that Hill Jr. led the team in a PFF stat called “stops” with 20 while Guilbeau was third with 14.

Moving down the list?

• Kobe Black – 99.1 – 58 coverage snaps
• Liona Lefau – 92.3 – 253 coverage snaps
• Trey Moore – 85.4 – 75 coverage snaps
• Malik Muhammad – 77.8 – 521 coverage snaps
• Jelani McDonald – 72.9 – 257 coverage snaps

How do you square these stats? Well, don’t think that Muhammad’s 77.8 is a low quality score. Quinn Ewers‘ passer rating in 2024 was 149.0. Arch Manning‘s was 184.0. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe had a passer rating of 148.8. First-team All-American and first overall pick Cam Ward posted a 172.2 rating. Michigan part-timer Alex Orji had a passer rating of 92.5 and he completed just 53 percent of his passes. Even numbers in the 100s associated with Texas defenders can be considered good.

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Texas has the potential to play high quality defense yet again. While they may not have anyone on defense now who opponents are better served grounding the ball against, they have players who make passing a difficult venture. And who knows? Maybe the Longhorns do boast a few players under 39.6 by the end of the year.