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Elite DBU company awaits Jahdae Barron

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•04/24/25•

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Jahdae Barron
Jahdae Barron (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Fourteen defensive backs from the University of Texas have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Before last year, it was difficult to envision someone like Jahdae Barron joining their company.

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Barron had posted quality numbers during his Longhorn career. He flashed in 2020, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone at Texas Tech for a touchdown. He saw his role increase in the following seasons, eventually solidifying himself as the Star, or nickel corner, in Pete Kwiatkowski‘s defense.

His play was always strong, but it was never first-round strong. Part of that had to do with Barron being banged up for chunks of his career. Part of it also had to do with the position.

Barron elected to return to Texas for 2024 for a number of reasons. He wanted to give it one more chance at playing for a national championship after falling short in 2023. He wanted to play alongside fellow Austinites Michael Taaffe and Andrew Mukuba. He had personal goals too, like winning the Thorpe Award and earning a place in the first round of the draft.

While Texas finished its 2024 season in a familiar spot, Barron accomplished almost everything he set as a goal ahead of his fifth and final year in college. He joined Aaron Ross and Michael Huff as Longhorn Thorpe Award winners. Robbed of a unanimous All-American selection, he earned consensus first-team All-American status.

And by the end of Thursday night, odds are he’ll add his name to the following list and become the fifteenth Longhorn defensive back selected in the first round of the draft.

Texas likes to fancy itself as DBU, and that claim has a lot to do with the past. In a 15-year run from the 2001 draft to the 2015 draft, Texas put six defensive backs into the first round of the draft and 15 DBs total into the NFL. Since 2015, the Longhorns have had defensive backs drafted, but the number is significantly lower at five. None of those players have been first-rounders, either.

Barron’s likely first-round selection, Texas’ first since Kenny Vaccaro in 2013, solidifies his place among the all-time best to play defensive back in burnt orange. That status is likely to be confirmed on Thursday night when an NFL franchise deems Barron to be a player worthy of a first-round selection.

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Texas first round defensive backs

  • 1948 – Max Bumgardner – Chicago Bears – No. 10
  • 1977 – Raymond Clayborn – New England Patriots – No. 16
  • 1980 – Johnnie Johnson – Los Angeles Rams – No. 17
  • 1980 – Derrick Hatchett – Baltimore Colts – No. 24
  • 1984 – Mossy Cade – San Diego Chargers – No. 6
  • 1985 – Jerry Gray – Los Angeles Rams – No. 21
  • 1991 – Stanley Richard – San Diego Chargers – No. 9
  • 1997 – Bryant Westbrook – Detroit Lions – No. 5
  • 2002 – Quentin Jammer – San Diego Chargers – No. 5
  • 2006 – Michael Huff – Oakland Raiders – No. 7
  • 2007 – Michael Griffin – Tennessee Titans – No. 19
  • 2007 – Aaron Ross – New York Giants – No. 20
  • 2010 – Earl Thomas – Seattle Seahawks – No. 14
  • 2013 – Kenny Vaccaro – New Orleans Saints – No. 15

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