98 days until Texas Football: Billy Walton set to join the UT roster
Inside Texas is putting a new twist on long-time photographer Will Gallagher’s 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 for each, from five-star to walk-on.
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In addition, we’ll look back at other greats to wear that day’s number, with special reverence to some of Texas’ best.
Today is 98 days until kickoff. No. 98 is not currently worn by any player on the 2023 roster, so we’ll highlight 2023 signee Billy Walton.
Billy Walton season outlook
Walton, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound EDGE from Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff, arrives at Texas as a two-time state champion with the Golden Bears. As a senior, he had 102 total tackles, 33 tackles for loss, and 18 sacks. He added two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
Walton played a number of positions for SOC, but his future at Texas is on the EDGE. His frame has plenty of room for growth, growth that will take place during the course of his first few months on campus under the direction of strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton.
How long that physical development curve is remains to be seen, but the typical timeline likely places Walton at Buck, or weakside EDGE, during his first year on campus. He could find time on special teams, as Jeff Banks tends to place EDGE players or tight ends behind the front line on his kickoff return unit. If not, his 2023 is likely to be spent utilizing the four-game redshirt rule.
Billy Walton as a recruit
Billy Walton was ranked as the No. 487 overall prospect, the No. 42 EDGE, and the No. 80 prospect in Texas according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He committed to Texas on June 28 after previously being committed to Oklahoma State.
Most recent wearer of No. 98: Moro Ojomo
Ojomo played in 50 career games over five years for the Longhorns and made 30 starts. He had 95 career tackles, 50 of those solo, 13.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery in his stay at Texas. He posted a career-best 32 of his tackles on 2022 when he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors by the Associated Press and an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches.
Ojomo was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and was an eight-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (spring 2019, fall 2019, spring 2020, fall 2020, spring 2021, fall 2021, spring 2022, fall 2022).
Ojomo was taken in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft (the 249th overall pick) by Philadelphia.
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Notable No. 98: Brian Orakpo
All-Americans to wear No. 98
Tony Brackens, DE
Brian Orakpo, DE
Joe Cook contributed to this story.
