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Texas Secondary ranked No. 1 by PFF heading into 2025

by: Evan Vieth06/11/25
Michael Taaffe
Michael Taaffe (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

Just under a week after PFF tabbed Texas with the No. 1 linebacker unit in the nation heading into 2025, the ratings website has given Texas the nod as the No. 1 secondary in the country, just beating out units like Alabama and Notre Dame.

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This may come as a surprise to some not as closely following the Longhorns. Texas will have to make do without star safety Andrew Mukuba and Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron, both integral parts of last year’s secondary, which was likely the best in the nation.

Still, Texas returns an All-American in Michael Taaffe, starting CBs Malik Muhammad and Jaylon Guilbeau, and key rotational players like Jelani McDonald and Derek Williams Jr., both of whom are expected to break out in full starting roles for their junior seasons.

It’s so rare to have a secondary return five starting-level players after it had already lost two to the draft. For third-place Notre Dame, which features the best sophomore cornerback in the country, Leonard Moore, the Fighting Irish are asking for big contributions from transfer DeVonta Smith and junior safety Luke Talich, a former walk-on with barely over 100 snaps played in his career.

PFF had this to say about Texas’ secondary:

“Between PFF’s No. 1 linebacker unit and now our No. 1 secondary, the Longhorns have easily the best back-seven in college football. The latter features our No. 4 safety and No. 6 cornerback in Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad. Taaffe was the sport’s fourth-most-valuable safety last year, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, and trailed only Ohio State‘s Caleb Downs among returning safeties. Muhammad is the fourth-most-valuable returning Power Four corner since 2023, according to that same metric.”

This group is headlined by stars like Taaffe and Muhammad, both projected to be top-40 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft by PFF, but its depth is what takes this unit from good to elite heading into the season. Texas has elite safety depth with second-years Jordon Johnson-Rubell and Xavier Filsaime, as well as freshman phenom Jonah Williams.

At cornerback, Muhammad and Guilbeau will be flanked by studs like Kobe Black, Wardell Mack, Kade Phillips, and Graceson Littleton, all deserving of playing time in their first two years on campus. That group of seven players features two five-stars and five top-70 recruits in their respective classes.

The only reason for concern with this Texas secondary is the lack of a solid plan for the STAR position. As it currently stands, McDonald is the frontrunner to start there, with Williams taking on the starting strong safety spot and Guilbeau playing at field cornerback. But this is far from set in stone. Guilbeau may not be ready to play on the outside, pushing him back into the slot and elevating someone like Black into a starting role. This may also be a chance for Mack to earn the spot while McDonald plays safety in 2025.

A lot of these questions will be answered during summer practices, where Guilbeau in particular is expected to take the next step at his position.

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Either way, the Longhorns have built themselves a war chest of returning production and projectable talent on the defensive side of the ball. Having the No. 1 linebacker unit and secondary is an easy way to project them having the best defense in the nation. These positions don’t even include the best player on the Texas defense, Colin Simmons, off the edge. Between portal work done in the trenches and returning Simmons and fellow edge rusher Ethan Burke, Texas is set up to have the best defense in the nation for 2025.

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