51 days until Texas Football: Trill Carter, No. 98, arrives at Texas to join the D-Line rotation
Inside Texas is putting a new twist on long-time photographer Will Gallagher’s time-honored countdown to Texas football kickoff. In addition to Will’s great pictures, the Inside Texas staff will go through every player on the roster by jersey number and offer a season outlook on each, from five-star to walk-on.
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We’ll also look back at other greats to wear that day’s number, with special reverence to some of Texas’ best.
Today is 51 days until kickoff. No. 51 for the Longhorns this season will be worn by Marshall Landwehr, a walk-on junior linebacker.
However, since Trill Carter’s No. 98 was revealed this week and he’s yet to be previewed, we’ll assess his debut season at Texas.
Trill Carter season outlook
Trill Carter spent several seasons rowing the boat at Minnesota before deciding to enter the portal. Once he did, Texas jumped at the opportunity to add an All-Big Ten honorable mention defensive tackle to the roster.
There were several reasons. The first was because Carter was a quality player who Bo Davis and company believed could contend for the spots left vacant in the defensive tackle rotation due the draft departures of Moro Ojomo and Keondre Coburn. The second was because the position needed some mature numbers after the 2023 class included one defensive tackle in Sydir Mitchell and the class of 2022’s DTs had some ways to go in their development.
Carter, who started all 13 games for the Golden Gophers in 2022 and tallied 19 tackles, two TFL, and 1.5 sacks, came to Texas to get back into warmer climates like his home in Leesburg, Ga., but also to be the wide-bodied tackle the Longhorns needed for their run-down defense.
He may not have a starting role this year, considering T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy seemingly have those spots locked down. However, he’ll work and contend with Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton primarily to be part of the four-man rotation at tackle and should see plenty of action on during his first year on the Forty Acres.
Trill Carter as a recruit
Carter was ranked as the No. 896 overall prospect, the No. 89 defensive lineman, and the No. 93 player in Georgia in the 2019 On3 Industry Ranking.
Recent player to wear No. 51: Donald Hawkins
Hawkins played in 12 games, including 11 starts, in his only year on the 40 Acres after transferring from Northwest Community College (Miss.). He was an All-American at NWCC.
All-Americans to wear No. 51
Stan Thomas, T, 1990
Joe Cook co-authored this article
