On the subject of the Texas Longhorns this season, a lot of the eye has gone in direction of their quarterback scenario with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning on the helm.
Nevertheless, their protection has deserved as a lot, if not much more credit score for the Longhorns’ success in 2025, as Texas has allowed simply 13.3 factors per recreation, good for second within the nation.
Moreover, they’re the perfect passing protection within the nation, permitting simply 143.1 passing yards per recreation through the common season, whereas taking the ball away 2.2 instances per recreation, good for seventh within the nation.
The Longhorns have elite playmakers on each degree of their protection. Freshman pass-rusher Colin Simmons has taken faculty soccer by storm with eight sacks in his first season with the Longhorns. Prime linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is without doubt one of the greatest within the nation at his place, no matter age. And the secondary is stuffed with proficient gamers, led by star cornerback Jahdae Barron and safeties Andrew Mukuba and Michael Taaffe.
Whereas the Longhorns are targeted on the Faculty Soccer Playoff, they’re additionally looking forward to the 2025 season, the place they’ll have to exchange plenty of starters on that elite protection.
And that’s the place their No. 1 recruiting class within the 2025 cycle comes into play.
The Longhorns had a robust recruiting class throughout the board within the present cycle, touchdown difference-makers at plenty of key positions, together with some main playmakers within the secondary, in addition to five-star recruits at line of defense and extensive receiver.
Throughout the 2024 season, we noticed how top-tier freshmen may are available in and crack the rotation. Simmons received the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the 12 months award, whereas five-star wideout Ryan Wingo emerged as a contributor, catching 26 passes for 417 yards and two touchdowns.
Moreover, freshman operating again Jerrick Gibson figured into the rotation, speeding for 377 yards and 4 touchdowns as a result of accidents on the place, whereas linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith noticed good taking part in time as nicely, recording 16 tackles and an interception in 2024.
Looking forward to subsequent season, the Longhorns will possible depend on a few of their freshmen to contribute early as soon as once more, and that might very nicely come within the secondary with gamers anticipated to go professional.
So, who could possibly be a few of these early contributors within the secondary?
Issues begin with prize recruit and five-star security Jonah Williams, who was seen as a top-10 recruit within the class and the No. 1 participant at his place within the cycle.
Standing at 6’3”, 205 kilos, Williams is a chess piece who will be versatile within the Longhorns protection, even climbing into the field as a sub linebacker ought to he proceed to construct out his body. However, the star security may even see reps within the nickel, in addition to each security positions, opening up plenty of potentialities to play as a real freshman.
5-star cornerback Kade Phillips was a pleasant land, because the Longhorns flipped him late within the cycle from the LSU Tigers, securing a high participant on the place within the 2025 class. General, he was the highest-rated cornerback that Texas has landed within the Steve Sarkisian period.
Phillips stands 6’0”, 175 kilos, and was considered one of three cornerbacks that Texas introduced in, becoming a member of proficient four-star Graceson Littleton and three-star Caleb Chester. He could possibly be a candidate to earn some reps within the two-deep at cornerback early, as he has elite athleticism, stemming from his observe background.
The opposite proficient security within the combine is four-star Zelus Hicks, a 6’2”, 190-pound Georgia native who dedicated to Texas all the best way again in September. He’s trying to assist proceed the custom of elite defensive backs and develop beneath the Longhorns employees, which performed a significant component in his recruitment.
“It undoubtedly is the coaches and the surroundings that the coaches deliver, which makes the gamers like all of the gamers,” Hicks mentioned about why he dedicated to Texas early. “So coming in as a participant, I really feel like I’ll be developed with the teaching after which achieve the mentality that Jahdae [Barron] and [Andrew] Mukuba, all them guys that they’ve, and Coach Sark, it looks like he’s constructing actually one thing particular right here in Texas.”
Like Williams, Hicks expects to play a flexible position at Texas, which appears to be pattern for the Longhorns on this class.
“I anticipate to finish up taking part in free security, however I need to be actual versatile,” Hicks shared on the Beneath Armour All-American Sport this week. “In the event that they want me to roll right down to the field to make performs, I’ll do this. I have to be excessive to scare the quarterback from throwing, I’ll do this. So I simply need to be a flexible participant.”
Hicks expects to be within the combine as a real freshman, trusting his athleticism to make performs after getting a very good grasp of the playbook.
“The expectation for me from them is to come back in and influence and play early and the principle factor is simply studying the playbook,” Hicks acknowledged. “As soon as I study the playbook, I really feel like I’m sufficient and of athlete to go on the market and make performs and get adjusted on the faculty discipline.
“Positively seeing that they acquired freshmen All-American, that’s the footsteps I need to stroll by. So undoubtedly, I need to be a freshman All-American, even compete for the Jim Thorpe Award as a freshman. I do know it appears out of grasp to some individuals, however I’m trying to do issues that folks aren’t wanting.”
With the room that Texas is bringing in with the 2025 recruiting class, Hicks expects the Longhorns to take care of their defensive stronghold and compete to be the No. 1 secondary within the nation subsequent season, probably with a mixture of freshmen within the loop there.
The Longhorns have proven they aren’t afraid of taking part in freshmen early. Properly, that might very nicely be the case within the secondary subsequent yr, and Texas introduced in plenty of proficient defensive backs that might probably take the reigns from the present core and maintain the Longhorns as a perennial energy for years to come back within the SEC.