Emmanuel Acho: Texas hiring Will Muschamp is better than signing any recruit

Steve Sarkisian surprised most of the college football world on Thursday, making a switch at defensive coordinator. Pete Kwiatkowski is out after five seasons in Austin, only to bring home a familiar face. Will Muschamp is taking over and one of his former players on the 40 Acres is pretty pumped up.

Emmanuel Acho gave his instant reaction to the move, claiming Muschamp is greater than any recruit Texas could acquire. He used himself as an example of development by the coach, going from a three-star recruit to an NFL Draft pick. Massive, massive praise for Muschamp from Acho.

“Texas, this isn’t good news,” Acho began in a video posted on X. “This might be the greatest news in the last three, four years. Signing Will Muschamp is better than any recruit. Because Will Muschamp can turn any three-star recruit into an NFL Draft pick. Will Muschamp can turn a five-star recruit into a top-10 pick. Will Muschamp, ain’t nothing like him.”

The resume from Muschamp speaks for itself. Only looking at his time at Texas from 2008-2010 will get Longhorn fans excited. Acho was a part of those teams, saying only Alabama and Florida rivaled their defense at the time. Those two programs won national championships in that span, with Alabama getting one directly over Texas in 2009.

Acho believes a different level of intensity is coming to the practice fields moving forward. It’s clear Muschamp loves football, once again ready to express it while wearing burnt orange.

“Will Muschamp is the greatest teacher of defensive football I’ve ever been around,” Acho said. ” … Will Muschamp understands defensive football, I would suggest, greater than any mind in the collegiate game… Will Muschamp coaches with a tenacity and an attention to detail that you do not find. It is an uncommon passion for the game of football.”

Even with this kind of move, more is expected to be on the way for Texas. We have already seen some offensive staff changes take place and the defense could follow in the coming days. Muschamp and Sarkisian likely will work on adding additional staffers.

Texas does have one more game in the 2025 season, facing Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. As of now, no determination has been made on who will assume coaching duties for the game. Either way, the new defensive coordinator should be in practices leading up to the Dec. 31 kickoff in Orlando. And Acho is pretty fired up about it.