Alfred Collins Sheds Confident Light on Texas Defensive Tackle Room

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Alfred Collins spoke to the media on Monday, enlightening reporters on who works best together best in the defensive line room, and what expectations should be for the new-look group.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian congratulated Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Alfred Collins (95) on senior night before the game against Texas Tech at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

No position group on the defensive side of the ball has seen more fluctuation for the Texas Longhorns this offseason than the defensive tackle spot.

In defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski's 4-2-5 defense, the Longhorns are always utilizing two defensive tackles in its front four, positions that were almost entirely claimed by Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat in the 2023 season. With the help of the two giants on the D-line, Texas had the third-best rushing defense in all of College Football, with Sweat winning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and becoming an All-American.

As per usual in college football, successful teams often get picked apart in the NFL Draft. The No. 3 team in the final AP Poll lost 11 players to the NFL Draft, with Murphy being the first Longhorn and second defensive player taken in 2024, going No. 16 to the Seattle Seahawks. Sweat was the third Texas draft pick, getting taken in the early second round by the Tennessee Titans.

For the second straight year, the Longhorns lost their main interior defensive linemen, as Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo both were drafted in the 2023 draft. Texas' lack of depth at the position was apparent, which meant the Longhorns needed to look toward the transfer portal to address their concerns.

Texas brought in three players, two from Arizona in Bill Norton and Tiaoalii Savea and former Louisville defensive tackle Jermayne Lole, to bolster the defensive line. Now, the Longhorns are expected to have a five-man defensive line rotation, with the three transfers as well as seniors Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton.

Jan 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) passes the ball as Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) chases in the 2024 Sugar Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Collins has been the main candidate by many names in Texas media for a breakout 2024 season. Collins is a former five-star recruit who flashed early in his career in 2020 and 2021 but has yet to find consistent playing time on the Forty Acres. In a recent media availability, Collins helped outline what the potential rotation might look like for the Longhorns defensive line.

"We've all been able to find ways to play with each other," Collins said. "But I'd say Vernon (Broughton), me and Vernon got pretty good chemistry,"

Collins and Broughton have a unique relationship, standing as two of the final five players to predate head coach Steve Sarkisian at Texas. Both enter their fifth year with Texas having found little on-field playing time, but both are locker room veterans and are expected to see largely elevated roles in 2024.

"We just play well off of each other," Collins said about Broughton. "He'll go inside, I'll go outside. We just really complement each other."

Though he did not directly answer the question with a yes, Collins seemed to indicate that Norton and Savea will be another duo on the defensive line, having been the two main tackles on Johnny Nansen's, who left the Arizona defensive coordinator job to become the linebacker coach at Texas this offseason, top-25 run defense in 2023.

"We've got a chip on our shoulder because a lot of people think we can't (succeed)," Collins said. "We've been working our butts off, it's about time to show everybody."

With the Arizona duo seeming to be fit best for early-down and short-yardage situations, and the Texas veteran duo expected to help in the pass rush game, as well as Lole rotating in, Kwiatkowski seems to have figured out a solid rotation of players.

Despite three new faces becoming keys to the defensive line rotation, Texas should be able to use its strength in numbers to outlast and outwork SEC offensive lines, an aspect many fear Texas will not be able to handle entering the new conference.