The fifth-year senior had a remaining season of eligibility afforded by the COVID pandemic.
The Texas Longhorns have another late-career success story along the defensive line with redshirt senior Vernon Broughton declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft on Monday after a breakout season under new position coach Kenny Baker.
Broughton had an extra year of eligibility he could have used as a result of the COVID pandemic.
The 6’4, 305-pounder from Cypress Cy Ridge committed to Texas in 2019 after taking official visits to Arkansas, LSU, Ohio State, and Texas A&M, choosing the Horns over 24 other offers. Ranked as a consensus four-star prospect, Broughton finished the cycle as the No. 122 player nationally and the No. 14 defensive tackle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
As a true freshman in 2020, Broughton appeared in two games, recording two tackles and a sack in the Alamo Bowl win over Colorado. The next three seasons, Broughton was a rotation player who started one game in 2022 and one game in 2023 with seven tackles (five solo), one tackle for loss, and four quarterback hurries as a redshirt sophomore and 17 tackles (seven solo) 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery as a redshirt junior.
With the departures of T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy to the NFL after the 2023 season, Broughton finally received his opportunity to become a full-time starter this year and took advantage of it with an active season with 39 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and two passes broken up, along with 32 total pressures and 26 defensive stops.
Vernon Broughton is a 6’4 308lb DT…. pic.twitter.com/H8qzKzt0gB
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) December 3, 2024
Broughton’s athleticism should make him a mid-round selection in this year’s draft.