Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba commits to Texas
He’s coming back home. Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba committed to Texas out of the transfer portal on Monday. Mukuba, who has two years to play one season, is a product of Austin’s LBJ High School.
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Mukuba was coached by current UT director of high school relations Jahmal Fenner at LBJ. A 2021 On3 True Freshman All-American, Mukuba appeared in 35 games for the Tigers with 31 starts. He was the first freshman defensive back to start a season opener for Clemson dating back to 1973.
During his freshman season, Mukuba played in 13 games and started 10. He tallied 47 tackles with 2.0 for loss and 1.0 sacks. He also recorded seven passes defended.
He followed up his standout first year with a strong 2022, starting 11 games and appearing in 12. He recorded 54 tackles with 0.5 for loss, four passes defended, and one interception.
This past season for the Tigers, he started 10 games and recorded 42 tackles with 2.0 for loss. He also added six passes defended. According to Pro Football Focus, Mukuba played 315 snaps at slot corner during 2023 with 158 at free safety.
A member of the class of 2021, Mukuba was ranked as the No. 123 overall prospect, the No. 6 safety, and the No. 19 player in Texas according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
On3 rated Mukuba the highest among the four major recruiting services. He was the No. 43 overall prospect, the No. 2 safety, and the No. 6 player in Texas according to On3.
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As a transfer portal prospect, Mukuba has a rating of 92.08, good enough for four-star billing.
Mukuba is the second transfer portal addition for the Longhorns in the 2023-24 portal cycle, joining Matthew Golden
Excerpt from the Recruiting Notebook:
Andrew Mukuba was one of “the ones who got away” during the Tom Herman era at Texas. Despite hailing from Central Texas, he played safety at Clemson where he was immediately effective as a freshman and sophomore but was mixed in as a nickel in 2023. Where Jahdae Barron was a versatile cornerback who proved to have the ability to process and play physical near the box, Mukuba was a versatile safety who proved to have the change of direction and coverage skill to match a slot receiver. He’s rangy enough to play field safety in the Texas scheme but would be most valuable replacing Barron at the “Star” nickel position where his blend of coverage, tackling, and general ball-finding ability would protect the Longhorns from a stark drop-off in play. – Ian Boyd
Coach Says:
Strengths — Muscular defensive back with good size. Fluid hips with exceptional change of direction and good lower body explosiveness. Great vertical. Translates well to a nickel position but could play corner or safety if needed. Aggressive box player. Not afraid of contact and likes to mix it up. Quick to diagnose the play, and quick to break on the ball. Very good range for a field safety. Disruptive at the catch. Good hands.
Areas for Improvement / Concerns — Takes aggressive angles in the run game which is a good thing as long as he’s right. Throws shoulders when I’d like to see him wrap up. Not a lot of stats to point to his effectiveness but the benefits of his play may not show up as measureables. The frame has more room for bulk, so he looks a bit leaner than expected.
