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SEC Media Days Storylines: The Texas defense has star power

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook07/13/25josephcook89
Michael Taaffe
Michael Taaffe (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

The Texas Longhorns are sending three players to Atlanta this week for SEC Media Days. One attendee is Arch Manning, a household name in the college football world despite having just two starts under his belt. It makes all the sense in the world that he should be at SEC Media Days, but he’s there because he’s the starting quarterback at the University of Texas. The other two attendees? Anthony Hill and Michael Taaffe, two All-Americans there to stand as representatives of a Longhorn defense with a lot of star power.

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Manning is a unique case as the college football world knows all about who he is whether its members like it or not. But surrounding him? Sure, there are some quality players like Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore who made splashes in big contests last year, but they didn’t earn any national accolades. The transfers Texas took in on offense were West Coast stars playing in an East Coast league. The O-line replaces four starters. More is known nationally about Texas’ running back injuries from last year than the actual running backs.

Texas sending two defensive players alongside Manning (remember, it sent Kelvin Banks and Quinn Ewers along with Jahdae Barron last year) will present an opportunity for both Hill and Taaffe to constantly sing the praises of their defensive teammates. They’ll have the floor to explain why this year’s defense will approach last year’s excellence. They’ll have the chance to highlight players the rest of the country is going to become very familiar with this year.

They’ll showcase the stars on Texas’ 2025 defense, including themselves.

Hill, a second-team All-American last year who is likely heading to the 2026 NFL Draft, represents a recognized name in the college football world. Not only does he have those 2024 season accolades, he’s been one of the most lauded players ahead of the 2025 season. That’s according to various media outlets that have him as a top 10 player in the sport or on All-America teams. That’s also according to the EA College Football 26 video game, which rates him at 95 overall. That’s the highest rating on the team.

Taaffe, also a second-team All-American who returned to Texas with the goal of winning a national championship, is the main character of a story that can only take place in college football. A former walk-on, Taaffe surged into the starting lineup and became one of the leaders of the Texas defense. Though he saw two close friends in Barron and Andrew Mukuba leave for the NFL, he returns and starts the 2025 season in the national consciousness thanks to not only his story but also his standout play.

Those players will be asked to highlight their teammates, including several returning starters like Malik Muhammad, Liona Lefau, Ethan Burke, and Trey Moore.

Oh yeah, don’t forget about Colin Simmons.

Simmons, a freshman All-American and the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, may be the most feared pass rusher in the 2025 season. A former five-star prospect, Simmons gives Texas a terrorizing presence on the edge who can make plays both in passing and run downs.

That means Texas has a bona fide national star at all three levels of the defense, plus a number of names that fans from around the country are likely to learn soon enough. Plus, some of the imported players like Maraad Watson bring their own accolades ahead of the 2025 season.

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The Texas defense posted a strong 2024. If they are to do it again in 2025, it’ll be on the back of national stars the entire college football world will become familiar with if they weren’t already.

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