Grading the Texas defense position by position through five games

Evaluating how every group has performed so far this season given preseason expectations, injuries, and talent.

The Texas Longhorns defense has put up elite numbers five games into the 2024 season — the Longhorns have surrendered just 35 total points, second nationally in scoring defense, while sitting comfortably at third in total defense, eighth in third-down defense, and 12th in tackles for loss, suggesting that this unit is dominant.

However, not everyone is sold. Critics of the Longhorns argue that the defense has faced multiple inept opponents which inflated the defensive stats of the team and leads to questions about their validity. In this piece, the second in a two-part series grading every position group, we’ll evaluate how each defensive unit has performed.

Defensive line

Grade: B

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

Heading into the 2024 season, the Texas defense had to answer questions about the depth and quality of the defensive line. Who would fill the interior gaps after losing Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat? Would the edges be able to consistently pressure the quarterback?

To help answer this question, Sarkisian and company brought in a handful of talented transfers and freshmen. Through five games, the performance has been good, but not great.

Currently, freshman edge Colin Simmons is the lone player that has made play after play, routinely getting after the quarterback in his limited but growing number of snaps. For the rest of the defensive line, their collective play has been greater than any one player’s performance.

Their play lacks the suffocating nature that we saw last year from Murphy and Sweat, reasonably expected, but that doesn’t dismiss the production that still remains untapped from this group.

In the interior, super senior Alfred Collins has looked solid while routinely taking on double teams. Redshirt senior Vernon Broughton and super senior Jermayne Lole are two other interior players that have really come on as of late — against Mississippi State, both Lole and Broughton were recognized as PFF Sec Team of the Week. Expect these players to continue progressing.

The edges for Texas have had the spotlight stolen by Simmons thanks to his elite quickness and an innate ability to get after the quarterback. He leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss thus far.

However, senior Barryn Sorrell and junior transfer Trey Moore have seen a majority of snaps through five weeks. Sorrell appears to have quietly taken the next step this past offseason with five quarterback hits, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks so far on the season. He does his job in pass rush and run stopping downs.

Moore hasn’t accrued as many sacks and tackles for loss as expected, but has played well and given the group a lot of versatility with his ability to stay on the field in both run and pass scenarios. He rushes the passer, drops in coverage, and sets the edge — three skills that allow him to stay on the field for extended periods of time.

“He’s playing great. He really has probably exceeded expectations in his ability to defend the run, his versatility, dropping in coverage,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “He’s impacted the quarterback and has had some good rushes. We tend not to just look at sack numbers and let that dictate how well a guy’s playing for us. But the reality is that he’s playing good football for us.”

Junior Ethan Burke and redshirt freshman Colton Vasek have seen action in pass-rushing scenarios and rewarded the coaching staff with that decision. Burke has a pick six to his name along with two tackles for loss while Vasek has 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

While Simmons has undoubtedly been a bright spot, the group as a collective need to make more plays, an ask that seems within the realm of possibility given the flashes that occurred throughout the first five games. At the same time, this group has had multiple instances where a downhill running attack gashed them. Most recently against Mississippi State, this unit at times struggled to stop the run game. All in all, they’ve earned a B, but upside remains.

Linebackers

Grade: A

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

The linebacker group, much like the entire defense, is led by sophomore Anthony Hill Jr. and has been a force to reckon with. Hill made the switch to middle linebacker after a freshmen campaign saw him wreak havoc when he worked off the edge in addition to playing on the weak side, a switch that has allowed Hill’s playmaking ability to grow.

With super senior David Gbenda providing leadership and his own playmaking abilities, this duo is routinely in the thick of the action regardless of the play.

Hill’s athleticism and speed allow him to stop the run or drop in coverage while consistently putting himself in the right position to make tackles. Gbenda plays with a motor unlike anyone else and has a knack for filling the gap in the right way. Together, the two combine savvy and athleticism while shaping the linebacker corps into one of the strongest units on the team.

Beyond just the starters, one of the biggest surprises of the year has been Liona Lefau, the second-team linebacker that is third on the team in sacks and tackles for loss. The sophomore, who is responsible for the only safety on the team, possesses incredible instincts for the ball and regularly puts his hat on it.

I’ve been impressed by how frequently Gbenda and Hill pop up on a defensive series. This duo lives around the ball, but have also played well in coverage and stopped the run with physicality.

For the rest of the season, Hill and Gbenda do need to force more turnovers and negative-yardage plays. The same goes for Lefau and the other backers.

Secondary

Grade: A+

Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The final game of last season undoubtedly left a sour taste in this group’s mouth. No defense ever wants to feel like they’re being singled out, especially by an opposing quarterback, regardless of how well he plays. It seems that game served as fuel during the offseason because the secondary has been playing with a renewed sense of urgency and fire.

Leading the charge in the back end are safeties Andrew Mukuba and Michael Taaffe, who have quietly been one of the most reliable tandems in the SEC.

Both have shown a willingness to come downhill and make tackles, and more importantly, the efficiency to do it consistently. So far this season, the duo has combined for 40 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, providing physicality and stability in the defensive backfield. They are hitting hard and often in addition to limiting missed tackles. This demonstrates a huge win for Taaffe especially who had a whiff rate of 18.9 percent last year.

Their presence has been a key factor in the improved play of the secondary as a whole thanks to the improvements in communication. The group as a whole seems much more aligned in coverage calls and how to handle certain route combinations. This communication starts with Mukuba and Taaffe, but requires the entire secondary to be on the same page which includes other players such as junior nickel Jaylon Guilbeau, sophomore cornerback Malik Muhammad, super senior cornerback Jahdae Barron, sophomore safety Derek Williams Jr, and more. The communication of the safeties has allowed the corners and nickels to thrive.

Guilbeau is now fully healthy after a knee injury prematurely ended his freshman season and limited him in 2023 and is thriving so far this year. He is currently third on the team in tackles with 25. In his first season as a starter, the Port Arthur product has displayed rangy athleticism and versatility. He isn’t afraid to help in the run game, but is more than capable in pass coverage.

Barron, perhaps the best player on the defense, s everywhere on the field. He can cover, plug the run, and make splash plays. Barron has graded at an 88.2 according to PFF, second highest on the defense. In pass coverage, Barron has an interception and a pass broken up while ensuring that every reception on him this year is 10 yards or less. Barron has been phenomenal.

Muhammad has been a lockdown corner, too. He’s been smart and physical while establishing himself as the best coverage corner on the team. There isn’t much else to say about him.

The other players getting reps have been solid. Sophomore Jelani McDonald has looked solid at safety and before injury, Williams was getting good time at safety as well.

This unit has shown that it can make plays. They are not afraid to come downhill and make a tackle. Pass coverage has allowed mainly short to intermediate gains. More reps are needed in deep coverage to truly understand the skill set of the secondary, but until that happens, this unit grades as one of the best on the team.