Texas football roster countdown: Nos. 34-25

The countdown clock is now under 30 days as the Texas Longhorns prepare for their season-opener against Colorado State. Inside Texas looks at the players wearing Nos. 34-25 to continue our series as we approach kickoff on August 31.

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• Roster countdown: Nos. 99-95
• Roster countdown: Nos. 94-85
• Roster countdown: Nos. 84-80
• Roster countdown: Nos. 79-75
• Roster countdown: Nos. 74-70
• Roster countdown: Nos. 69-65
• Roster countdown: Nos. 64-60
• Roster countdown: Nos. 59-55
• Roster countdown: Nos. 54-50
• Roster countdown: New additions previous editions missed
• Roster countdown: Nos. 49-40
• Roster countdown: Nos. 39-35

No. 34 – Retired for Ricky Williams

One of the greatest players both in the history of the Longhorns and college football, Williams was a two-time Doak Walker Award winner, two-time Big 12 offensive player of the year, and two-time unanimous All-American. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 as part of a season that saw him eclipse Tony Dorsett’s all-time NCAA rushing record. He remains the Longhorns’ all-time leading rusher with 6,592 yards and his No. 34 is one of six retired numbers for Texas football.

No. 33 – David Gbenda, SR

The only remaining member of the Longhorns’ 2019 class, Gbenda returns for one more year to improve his game ahead of what he hopes is a NFL career.

“The feeling I had when we were going to and winning the Big 12, going to the Sugar Bowl, and proving everybody wrong, it was a great feeling,” Gbenda said in the spring. “I was just sitting down thinking to myself, I trusted Coach Sark, I understood that it was going to be a younger team. With what I know and what I brought to the team last year, I felt like I could bring a little bit more and also improve my game. It was just a no brainer for me, honestly.”

Likely the starter at the Longhorns’ Will LB position, Gbenda will be looked to for both super-senior leadership and quality play in the middle of the defense working alongside Anthony Hill.

No. 32 – Brady Sarkisian, SO

Sarkisian, the son of head coach Steve Sarkisian, did not play during the 2023 season but is one of the Longhorns’ options at Sam linebacker. He could play special teams during the course of his sophomore season, too.

No. 31 – Nik Sanders, FR

Sanders, who joined the football program after one year with Longhorns baseball, is part of the running back room. Football was not his primary focus in high school, so Sanders’ learning curve is worth watching. He’ll likely end up as part of the scout team.

No. 30 – Jackson Duffey, FR

Duffey, a defensive back from Smithson Valley, will contribute as part of Texas’ scout team efforts.

No. 29 – Reid Watkins, FR

Watkins, a running back from Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal, was a standout at Brock before joining the Fort Worth private school. He’ll be a scout team contributor.

No. 29 – Carson Marshall, JR

Marshall, a defensive back from Katy, has yet to play in his two-year career.

No. 28 – Santana Wilson, FR

Wilson was one of a handful of summer enrollees for the Longhorns. Though talented, the presence of a number of accomplished upperclassmen and transfers may put a damper on his conventional down playing time. Wilson could contribute on special teams but he’ll be asked to elevate his game for Monday-Friday work preparing the Longhorn starters.

No. 27 – Colin Page, JR

Page, a local running back product, is one of the elder statesmen in the Longhorn roster’s walk-on ranks. He played against Texas Tech last year and could see similar action in blowout victories if not possible special teams snaps.

No. 27 – Wardell Mack, FR

Running with the third team in recent practices, Mack could move up depending on DB deployment ahead of him but he’s likely to be a special teams contributor and scout team asset in 2024.

No. 26 – Tre Wisner, SO

Wisner is the third running back behind CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue. After a surprising freshman season in 2023 where he was one of the more spirited special teams players, Wisner could still be an X-factor in the third phase but he’ll likely be utilized more often on conventional down offense. His strong running against Texas Tech in the regular season finale in 2023 is a small but effective preview of his possible contributions.

No. 26 – Ty’Anthony Smith, FR

Smith was recently praised by Sarkisian for his work in becoming a more well-developed physical presence. He’s likely to be a special teams contributor this year.

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No. 25 – Jelani McDonald, SO

McDonald, once thought to be destined for linebacker with the Longhorns, instead focused on playing defensive back as a safety in the Texas defense. His athleticism translated to success with the Texas special teams in 2023, but he was recently seen running with the first-team defense at field safety in tandem with boundary safety Michael Taaffe at Longhorn football practices. If his processing matches his athleticism, then the Longhorns could have a special player in the coming years in the form of McDonald.