While the Longhorns’ linebackers were great in the ground game, opponents were able to work the middle of the field with the pass.
The Texas Longhorns came into the season with one specific question at the linebacker position: How would the unit look with all-world sophomore Anthony Hill stepping in for veteran leader Jaylan Ford in the middle of the defense? Thankfully, Hill had an experienced running mate in sixth-year linebacker David Gbenda, who proved to be pivotal for the defense in their College Football Playoff run.
While Hill led the team in tackles with 113 total and was a disruptive force for Texas, credited with 16.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks, it was actually Gbenda who was the most consistent linebacker for Texas, according to Pro Football Focus. Gbenda finished the year with an 81.7 overall grade, good enough for No. 40 among all linebackers, more than 120 spots ahead of Hill.
According to the PFF grades, the pair of Texas linebackers was significantly better against the run than the past. Gbenda boasted a 84.5 grade against the run, compared to a 75.5 in coverage. Hill fared even worse, with an 80.2 against the run and a 62.4 in coverage, with opponents completing 85 percent of their passes when targeting Hill in the passing game. That struggle bore itself out mightily for Texas in the postseason.
While Gbenda was the starter for the first five games of the year, sophomore Liona Lefau stepped into the starting role in Week 7 against the Oklahoma Sooners and played the majority of the snaps for the remainder of the year. While he flashed in many spots, especially on his run fits, he struggled mightily in pass coverage, giving up nine receptions on 10 targets in the playoffs, 38 percent of the receptions he gave up all season.
While Texas returns both Hill and Lefau for 2025, the remainder of the inside linebackers are both young and inexperienced, despite the high level of talent they bring. Second-year linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith logged just 98 snaps in his first year, compared to the more than 800 from Hill and the more than 500 from Lefau. Behind them comes a pair of incoming freshmen, with Elijah “Bo” Barnes out of Dallas Skyline as the likelier of the two to contribute in 2025.
The Longhorns were selective in the December transfer portal window, adding just five players across three positions, a number that includes third-year Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Brad Spence. Originally from Houston, Spence started five games and appeared in 22 over his two years in Fayetteville a presence that adds another experienced hand in a very top-heavy group — expect Spence to serve as the third linebacker to rotate heavily with Hill and Lefau with Smith and potentially Barnes battling for positioning behind that top group.
With the Longhorns rolling over the entirety of the defensive tackles in front of them, the performance of the linebackers in 2025 will be a key area of focus for Texas during spring football.