The Leftovers: The Players from 2021 Who Have Stayed

It was surprising to hear Steve Sarkisian say that 11 scholarship players from the 2021 loss to Arkansas are still on the roster—and nine are starting. With the remaking of the team’s culture and talent since that bleak night in Fayetteville, it can feel as though a Stalin-style purge has happened. There’s been turnover and reloading, but credit is due to the players who stuck around and remade themselves into the image Sark was trying to build.

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Here they are:

Jahdae Barron (CB): When you’re rebuilding, you need people who will do it all and wear multiple hats. Barron has been that guy for Sark and Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense. Barron is long, rangy, and ubiquitous. While he was primarily a special teams player in 2020 and 2021, he became more of a contributor as the season went on after the Arkansas loss. It’s obvious why he committed to Matt Rhule and was nearly lured away by Dan Lanning—he’s an NFL star caliber player. Barron has six career picks, three touchdowns, and has played every position in the defensive backfield. He’s a surefire lock in the conversation about DBU greats. That’s rare company, and he deserves it.

Michael Taaffe (S): was a true freshman walk-on from Westlake unloved by recruiting services, but famous for picking off future teammate Quinn Ewers in the State Championship game. He didn’t contribute in 2021 but has become a linchpin of the Texas defense. Back then, most typecast him as someone who should be playing for Rice or a service academy. Not even close. Jamal Adams and Michael Taaffe – both SEC stalwart safeties. Who knew? He did. 

Jake Majors (C): The loss to Arkansas showed Sark and Kyle Flood how badly they needed Big Humans on the O-Line. The fact that Majors has been able to fend off all competition for three seasons speaks to his leadership and how much he’s bought in. If Ewers is Texas’ deputy, Majors is the Mayor.

Hayden Conner (LG): Conner was a young pup whose SEC size allowed him to flash later in the season after the lines were exposed in Fayetteville. Since grabbing his starting spot, he hasn’t loosened his grip and is having by far his best season as a senior.

Gunnar Helm (TE): Helm, an inherited Tom Herman signee, initially seemed like an afterthought to J’Tavion Sanders and others, but he’s morphed into the quintessential SEC tight end: big, burly, reliable— and a playmaker. Hudson Card had nowhere to go in 2021; Ewers has the ultimate safety blanket in Helm in 2024.

Bert Auburn (K): Auburn and his burnt-orange locks were on the team as a walk-on, learning from social media icon and Chargers placekicker Cameron Dicker.

Alfred Collins (DT): Collins once might have represented the struggles of Texas teams past: talented but undeveloped. This season, however, that player is long gone. Inspired by T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy’s rise as early draft selections, Big Alfred has been wrecking opponents’ hopes all season, evident by the two Florida interceptions he forced off batted balls last Saturday.

Vernon Broughton (DT): Marriage can and should change a man for the better, and many on Inside Texas will tell you as much. Broughton’s commitment to Texas over the Aggies once sparked a week of message-board celebrations, but he initially looked like the type of defensive lineman Texas was trying to move away from—high pad level, long developmental-curve. Look at Broughton’s disruption ability and motor now, especially post-spring nuptials. Broughton is married to both his wife and Sark’s culture.

Barryn Sorrell (DE): The NOLA product looked like an SEC ball of clay when he was a freshman in 2021 and has been molded better ever since. He’s as steady as they come and has morphed into a team leader over time.

David Gbenda (LB): Linebacker play in 2021 was rough before Jaylan Ford started to show signs of promise after the Oklahoma loss. Demarvion Overshown looked lost, unable to play a role that suited his skills; Luke Brockermeyer (like Donny) was out of his element; and Gbenda saw limited action. That Gbenda is still here, mentoring young stars Anthony Hill and Liona Lefau, speaks volumes to him and the staff’s coaching, both from the departed Jeff Choate and now Johnny Nansen. It seemed unthinkable back then that Sark’s roster could produce game-changing players for SEC fields, yet Gbenda made winning plays last year in Tuscaloosa. He’s persevered with a winning mentality and is looking for revenge from 2021.

Morice Blackwell (LB): Meanwhile, Blackwell was like Bilbo Baggins in 2021, going there and back again between linebacker and safety. Though he didn’t play much that season, his high motor and speed flashed when given a chance. He’s become a good role player and special teams leader in recent years.

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The 2021 loss felt like Texas was a step slower than the Hogs, with their motor revving hotter than the Longhorns’. In this era of college football upheaval, if players from 2021 are still in Austin, it’s because they refused to be displaced and mashed Sark’s proverbial gas pedal down in their development and training. They were willing to do what it takes to stay in Austin, and they deserve applause for that.