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Texas football roster countdown: Nos. 49-40

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•07/22/24•

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Vernon Broughton
Vernon Broughton (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

As the last week of offseason conditioning begins, Texas is 40 days away from taking the field on August 31 against the Colorado State Rams. Inside Texas looks at the players wearing Nos. 49-40 to continue our series as the countdown clock gets closer to zero.

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No. 49 – Thatcher Milton, SR

Milton, who scored a long touchdown during the Orange-White game, is an important leadership presence in a wide receiver room that is filled with players mostly in their first or second years on the 40 Acres. He may not make much of an impact this season as far as playing time, but he does help to set the standard on and off the field in Chris Jackson‘s wideout group.

No. 49 – Ian Ratliff, SO

Ratliff, a punter from Humble (Texas) Atascocita, did not see game action last season. He’ll compete with scholarship freshman Michael Kern to be the starting punter.

No. 48 – Not issued

No. 48 was last worn in 2023 by walk-on tight end Patrick Bayouth.

No. 47 – Charlie Feris, JR

Feris, a third-year player from Cypress (Texas) Cy-Ranch, has yet to see game action during his career.

No. 46 – Spencer Barnett, FR

Barnett is a walk-on kicker from Austin (Texas) Westlake who kicked a school-record 59-yard field goal for the Chaps in the 2023 season.

No. 46 – Tausili Akana, RS FR

Akana was recruited to Texas to be a designated pass-rusher, but he has shifted his focus ahead of his sophomore season to off-ball linebacker. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he has the capability to play Sam but his only real playing time last year in the season opener against Rice saw him playing Mike or Will for a handful of plays in Pete Kwiatkowski‘s 2-4-5.

How much has Akana learned about off-ball linebacker play? Will a 220-pound frame work when thinking about the rigors of down-to-down action against the opponents on the Longhorns’ schedule?

David Gbenda, Anthony Hill Jr., Morice Blackwell, and Liona Lefau are seemingly in Johnny Nansen‘s circle of trust at the LB position. If Akana can break into that group and/or excel at Sam during the course of the preseason camp, it’ll bode well for Akana’s chances at increased playing time.

No. 45 – Vernon Broughton, SR

Broughton, along with Alfred Collins, is one of the two elder Longhorn statesmen in the defensive tackle group. Those two have waited behind NFL players like Moro Ojomo, Keondre Coburn, T’Vondre Sweat, and Byron Murphy. Now, the opportunity to be Texas’ starting defensive tackles belong to Broughton and Collins. They won’t be handed the roles, however.

Bill Norton, Jermayne Lole, and Tia Savea are all on campus as are returners Aaron Bryant and Jaray Bledsoe. Broughton has the capability to hold off all those additions and prior teammates to be the man at defensive tackle. He’ll have to be more consistent against the run and his same quality self against the pass to be DT1.

It’s an important season for Broughton, one that could boost his draft stock during the Longhorns’ first trip through the SEC. Top-billing is there for the taking, but as mentioned, it won’t simply fall to him.

No. 45 – Bert Auburn, SR

Auburn enters the 2024 season on scholarship after he was given one earlier in the summer. After two strong seasons in 2022 and 2023, Auburn has a chance to be one of the most statistically prolific kickers in UT history.

No. 44 – Not issued

No. 44 was last worn by walk-on linebacker Tannahill Love.

No. 43 – Eric Garza, FR

Garza recorded 107 tackles with 7.0 for loss, 1.0 sack, and an interception returned for a touchdown for Southlake (Texas) Carroll in 2023. He is a member of the Longhorns’ walk-on contingent.

No. 42 – Ben Armstrong, JR

Armstrong, a walk-on from Leander (Texas) Rouse, has not played in his first two seasons with the Longhorns.

No. 41 – Ziky Umeozulu, FR

The brother of Zina and Neto Umeozulu, Ziky tallied nine interceptions for Allen in 2023. He is a part of the Longhorns’ walk-on corps.

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No. 40 – Derion Gullette, RS FR

Gullette missed his senior season at Teague (Texas) due to injury and spent much of 2023 recovering. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds he has the requisite size to play in the middle against the Longhorns’ schedule. What’s not quite as clear is if Gullette, who many schools recruited as a hybrid EDGE, has the ins and outs of the Kwiatkowski defense down pat as an off-ball player. Because of his athleticism, he should factor on multiple special teams units this season as a redshirt freshman. If he’s able to break through and join players like Gbenda, Blackwell, Hill Jr., and Lefau in the linebacker rotation depends on his preseason camp.

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