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Texas DB Michael Taaffe selected to Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year watch list 

On3 imageby: Justin Wells2 hours ago
Michael Taaffe
Michael Taaffe (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

No. 9 Texas Football senior defensive back Michael Taaffe was named to the watch list for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year on Tuesday. The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field.

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Last season, former UT center Jake Majors was selected to the watch list. Former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was named the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year in 2021.

Taaffe, a fifth-year senior, has played in 47 career games with 30 starts and has also been named to the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, earning semifinalist status for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy. 

Taaffe has been exceptional in his work in the community, most notably working with Texas Against Fentanyl, an organization that raises awareness and provides resources and advocacy for prevention and education about fentanyl. In addition, he has partnered with Crime Stoppers of Houston’s Million for Million Campaign that raises awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. Taaffe has also recorded and promoted a PSA for SoberRides.org from the Texas Department of Transportation, along with participating in numerous other service activities and youth speaking events.

A preseason First-Team All-SEC honoree, Taaffe was placed on preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy. He returns to the UT defense after garnering second-team All-America recognition from the Associated Press in 2024.

An Austin, Texas, native and former walk-on, Taaffe shares the team lead in tackles with Liona Lefau after racking up 25 total through four games. The defensive back compiled nine tackles (two solo) in the season opener at No. 3/2 Ohio State (Aug. 30) before turning in an eight-tackle (seven solo) performance in Texas’ home opener vs. San Jose State (Sept. 6). He tallied six tackles (four solo) against UTEP (Sept. 13) and recorded two tackles (one solo) vs. Sam Houston (Sept. 20). 

Taaffe started all 16 games in 2024, ranking second on the team in total tackles (78), interceptions (2) and pass break-ups (10). He was the only Longhorn to record an interception and a forced fumble in the same game last season after doing so in Texas’ win at No. 25/25 Vanderbilt on Oct. 26, earning the Burlsworth’s Trophy National Player of the Week and the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Taaffe forced two turnovers to go along with six tackles and a pass break-up against the Commodores. In the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl vs. Arizona State, Taaffe logged a career-high 10 tackles (six solo) and two pass break-ups to help send Texas to its second-consecutive CFP semifinal.

Twenty semifinalists will be selected by a by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced on Oct. 14. Three finalists will then be named for the award on Dec. 15. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.

The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 16 years. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states. 

Up next, Taaffe and the Longhorns hit the road to Gainesville, Fla., for their SEC opener against the Florida Gators at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The game will broadcast on ESPN with Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick and Kris Budden on the call.

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