Jaylan Ford says Longhorns are ready to take the next step
The expectations for success are beginning the pile up for Texas as it enters the 2023 season and senior linebacker Jaylan Ford is quick to say that the team is focused on the task ahead while “clearing out the outside noise.”
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Ford met with the assembled media last week as Texas made its final appearance at Big 12 Media Days in Arlington. The Longhorns (and Oklahoma) will jump to the Southeastern Conference in 2024.
If Texas fulfills its expectations, it should be back at AT&T Stadium for the Big 12 Championship. If they win, the Longhorns will capture their first league title since 2009 and leave the conference on a “statement” note.
“We’re trying to get everyone in the right direction and to believe in ourselves in order to get that chance to compete for the Big 12 and a championship and all that stuff,” Ford said. “I think we’ve done a good job. (Coming back and playing here is) our goal.
“Everything we’ve worked for is to be here in December. So I’m really excited for the season we’re about to have and how we’ve prepared for it.”
Ford, a third-team All-American last season, is back for what’s likely his final campaign on the 40 Acres and leads a talented defense that’s improved each year under coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.
Texas was picked atop the Big 12 preseason media poll for the first time since 2009 and experts consider this Longhorns squad the best since at least 2018.
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Ford said the Longhorns are trying not to worry too much about the expectations are or how people feel about the team.
“At the end of the day, you know, we’re the guys inside the organization, we know what we’re capable of,” he said. “And we know the goal and the direction we’re trying to go. So we’re just focusing on that and continuing to work every day as hard as we can to get the chance to compete for everything.”
A big part of the Longhorns’ success this season will be finding another linebacker to pair with Ford and fill the shoes of DeMarvion Overshown, who is now playing for the Dallas Cowboys.
“A lot of guys understand that even though we lost DeMo the level of the room shouldn’t drop,” Ford said. “So I think a lot of guys have understood that. And a lot of guys have been able to put in the work that they need to so they can get on the field. And when it’s their time, seize the opportunity. I really have a lot of confidence in everybody in that locker room.
“There’s a lot of guys that are reaching their third or fourth year and are growing more and more mature. And we do more and more each year. On defense the biggest thing is you want to be one solid unit, and we’ve definitely been able to do that. We just continue to grow closer and closer.”
