Question of the day: Who will be UT's most important defensive player in 2022?

After earning a stellar reputation as a defensive coordinator at Boise State and then Washington, Pete Kwiatkowski’s inaugural year at Texas had a surprising amount of issues. Some of those issues were known personnel deficiencies going into the season while others became much more apparent as one second half letdown gave way to another.

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Year two for PK isn’t likely to result in a year-over-year overhaul — there is still uncertainty at all three levels of the defense — but tangible improvement would go a long way toward reminding people in charge and fans alike that his strengths have always been teaching, developing, and deploying his players.

Similar to his defensive coordinator, DeMarvion Overshown is looking for vast improvement in his second-year in the scheme. Always known for his raw talent, Overshown has struggled to find the right fit through three different schemes, and at times, he’s been a victim of his own combination of size and talent. Is he a safety? Is he a linebacker? This year the question is likely to be, can he get after the quarterback regardless of alignment while showing improvement at linebacker?

Lack of pressure was a big issue for the defense last year, and with no clear answers beyond development of holdover players, the defense is said to be looking to put the long and hyper-athletic Overshown in a position to disrupt the passing game through myriad alignments.

For that reason, DeMarvion Overshown is my pick for most important defensive player this season. That shouldn’t be confused with who I think will be the best defensive player (Byron Murphy). That’s an entirely different question, though sometimes the answers do overlap (Joseph Ossai in 2020).

Joe Cook: There are some schools of thought that believe solid run defense begins with reliable play at the cornerback position. I don’t think anyone is asking D’Shawn Jamison to be Darrelle Revis and make the game 10-on-10, or be Trevon Diggs and rack up interceptions. What Steve Sarkisian, Pete Kwiatkowski, Terry Joseph, and the Longhorn defense needs from Jamison is the ability to make life difficult for opposing team’s No. 1 receiver. That’s not something Jamison did last year, though he has done it in spurts throughout his collegiate career. If he can be disruptive against guys like Marvin Mims, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Xavier Hutchinson, and Quentin Johnston, then the rest of the Longhorn defense will benefit as a result. 

Ian Boyd: The right answer is DeMarvion Overshown, who seems to be Texas’ plan A for creating a pass rush in 2022. Shoutout to nose tackle Byron Murphy though who will be asked to upgrade the overall pass rush by pushing the pocket into the quarterback’s face.

Justin Wells: For all that ails the Texas defense, linebacker is the spot in need of the biggest jolt. When DeMarvion Overshown decided to jump in the box, his career aspirations and NFL potential increased. After injury-filled years on the Forty Acres, the senior is finally healthy. With some appearances on the edge this fall, his pass-rushing could be instrumental for UT’s defense. He’s also one of the team’s best athletes and most-liked teammates. If he’s hitting, others will follow. 

Gerry Hamilton: Jaylan Ford. Texas struggled mightily at linebacker a season ago. Ford is the true off-ball linebacker in the program who is believed to have NFL Draft pick upside. For the Texas defense to make strides this season, the most talented players with NFL upside need to perform at a level that backs that up. Ford totaled 53 tackles last season, and has started three games in two seasons in Austin. If the 6-foot-2, 238-pounder puts together an 85+ tackle season with 12+ tackles for loss, the Longhorns will be a vastly improved linebacker unit. The Longhorns need Ford to be the playmaker at the position. 

Paul Wadlington: Gerry Hamilton stole my thunder with the Jaylan Ford selection, but Ford’s crucial nature is also predicated on Texas playing defense the way Pete K wants to play it. That comes with some baggage. What if Texas plays defense a different way? The way the talent distribution on the defense suggests? Enter Byron Murphy. His penetrating, high motor strengths create disruption at the point of attack and will elevate the prospects of other D-linemen well-suited to playing in that structure. That approach should create more negative plays and turnover potential and disallow an offense from consistently clean pockets and a reliable running game. Last year, the Texas D had many faults, but chief among them is how easily it could be predicted and controlled. Want more pressure? The best kind comes from inside. Not from wishcasting a transplanted linebacker tweener as an edge presence. Want more disruption in the run game? Play the disruptors and let them disrupt. 2nd and 12 gets opposing offenses off of the running game.  Murphy’s centrality in the D also affirms that actual performance, culture, energy, and seriousness about football trump name familiarity and the persistent patina of recruiting rankings. I could make a good argument for Jahdae Barron’s trickle down as a lockdown nickel to both run support and pass defense, but let’s see him do it before assuming his impact. 

Bobby Burton: The only way the Texas defense maximizes its performance this year is if they get an unsuspecting performance from a talented player who is yet to show his true value. Based on what I’ve seen and heard, I’m going with T’Vondre Sweat to do just that. If he steps up, the Texas defense is a whole lot better, especially when teamed with Byron Murphy on the interior.