Spring Storyline: A veteran secondary looks to improve
The final memories of the 2023 Texas Longhorn defense were not focused on the dominant defensive line duo of T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. Rather, the lasting images will be of Michael Penix Jr. playing the best game by a Longhorn opponent since Joe Burrow started his transcendent 2019 in Austin. Penix Jr., the Heisman runner-up, completed 74% of his passes and tallied 430 yards and two touchdowns, making a number of big plays but also perfectly executing the mundane as part of a third quarter where the Huskies held onto the ball for over 10 minutes.
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Penix Jr. wasn’t the only quarterback to take advantage of the Texas secondary. Sweat and Murphy made running a non-option for opponents to where they had to pass to have a chance of moving the ball on Texas. The Longhorn secondary could put the clamps on some opponents (Texas Tech, Kansas, BYU, and even Alabama) but there were times the pass defense allowed the opposition back into the game (Kansas State, Houston, TCU).
Texas was No. 116 in pass defense last season, surrendering 254.4 yards per game. Many of the same players return for the 2024 defense, so improvement ahead of season one in the Southeastern Conference will be crucial with several more-than-capable quarterbacks on the 2024 schedule.
The key during spring for the secondary will be continued development and improvement of the returning corps. Three players who saw significant action in 2023, Ryan Watts, Jerrin Thompson, and Kitan Crawford, won’t be back for 2024. Watts declared for the NFL Draft, while Thompson and Crawford found new homes via the transfer portal.
Terrance Brooks, Malik Muhammad, Jahdae Barron, Derek Williams, and Michael Taaffe are back for 2024. They’re joined by Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba and three talented freshman in Kobe Black, Wardell Mack, and Xavier Filsaime who all finished in the top 150 of On3’s 2024 rankings. Jaylon Guilbeau, Austin Jordan, and Warren Roberson are also in line to carve out roles.
Finding the right way to deploy Barron, one of the most versatile defenders in the nation, alongside his fellow Austinites in Mukuba and Taaffe plus superb sophomore Williams at the safety positions will be one of the major storylines this spring. Brooks and Muhammad have good grasps on the corner positions, but what if Barron is best suited there? Ian Boyd went into detail on this topic not long ago.
No matter who ends up in the defensive backfield and at whatever spot, the level of play will need to improve as the Longhorns embark on a new conference. The pass defense won’t be able to lean on the crutch of Sweat, Murphy, and even Jaylan Ford patrolling the middle to great effect.
The Longhorns posted solid defensive performances often last year that the No. 116 pass defense ranking does not tell the full story of. But when the conversation about the 2024 Longhorns involves things like 10-plus wins, SEC title contention, and looking to make waves in the 12-team playoff, the margins for error are significantly smaller. Penix Jr. and the Husky wideouts found those margins in the Sugar Bowl. Capable offenses like Washington’s are the ones Texas should expect to see in the Playoff.
Experience, continuity, and quality players at all five secondary positions, plus continued strong recruiting in the defensive backfield, means the Texas defensive backs already have a solid floor for the 2024 season. How high can the ceiling get when that ceiling is compared to elite offenses around the region and country? The work to determine the best combination and deployment will begin in earnest in the coming days.
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