How A Rejuvenated Texas Secondary Is Finding Success Through Improved Tackling

How one offseason turned one of the most woeful postion groups in Austin to one of the most impactful just two weeks into the season.

Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (18) fails to makes a catch against Texas defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau (3) for a two point conversion during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

When Texas fans think back on the 2023 Longhorn team, no matter how many years in the future it will be, one fault that many will remember about the first notable Sarkisian team was the problems in the secondary on many levels.

In hindsight, the Longhorns secondary was a bit of a mess in 2023. The Longhorns were in the bottom 20 of all CFB teams in passing yardage allowed per game despite finishing with a top-three rush defense, and the Longhorns had rare misses in the roster-building portion of the position group.

College football teams can gain talent in three ways: recruiting elite players, developing players into stars and making additions from the transfer portal. The Longhorns perfectly exemplified all three of these skills on the offensive side of the passing game, recruiting the likes of Xavier Worthy, developing Jordan Whittington and bringing in Adonai Mitchell from the portal.

The secondary, headed by coaches Blake Gideon and Terry Joseph, attempted to do the same, but fell short in almost all respects. Defensive back recruits from Sarkisian's first class all failed to hit, with players like JD Coffey and Jamier Johnson leaving the program after one season, and Ishmael Ibraheem departing after no playing time in 2023. All three four-stars were failures in burnt orange.

Gideon and Joseph did develop, but maybe not to an elite enough point. While Jahdae Barron has blossomed into a star, and Michael Taaffe has become a key safety in the group, players like Jerrin Thompson and Kitan Crawford never fully turned into consistent pieces in the backend of the secondary.

Lastly, the transfer portal failed to produce the talent it was promised. While cornerback Ryan Watts provided good reps when healthy after being brought in in the 2022 portal class, Texas swung and missed with Jalen Catalon, a big-time transfer from Arkansas whose big-hitting tendencies were expected to make an immediate impact. Between injury and inconsistency in coverage, Catalon was forced out of a starting role by the end of the year, entering the transfer portal before the season ended

Sep 16, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Jalen Catalon (11) breaks up a pass intended for Wyoming Cowboys tight end Treyton Welch (81) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

This culmination of problems brought tough choices for Gideon, Joseph and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. Instead of relying on injured and poorly developed talent, the Longhorns looked to its young recruits to make an impact. Two freshmen, both top-five in their position, were thrust into starting roles, with Malik Muhammad and Derek Williams seeing large sums of snaps throughout the latter half of the season. Sophomore Terrance Brooks, who later transferred to Illinois, was also expected to take the hardest assignment on the defensive end when Watts was hurt throughout the year.

With all of this culminating together, the Longhorns had its weakest group in 2023, one that failed to cover Washington's destructive passing game in the Sugar Bowl. But more than anything, a big problem arose in the tackling game. Many fans remember the Oklahoma game, where the secondary was blamed for much of the second-half defensive struggles, especially with tackling.

But the tides have seemed to turn in 2024, and head coach Steve Sarkisian has taken notice.

"If I could highlight four or five things from the season that I've been impressed with so far through two weeks, I would say our secondary ability to tackle," Sarkisian said. "They're not just getting them on the ground. We're striking people. I mean we're making hard, tough tackles in the open field."

Sarkisian went on to list a group of names that have impressed him so far, with many new ones not yet mentioned included. Andrew Mukuba, Jelani McDonald and Jaylon Guilbeau joined the group of Williams, Muhummad and Taaffe when referencing the strength of the secondary. All three of those players represent newfound success in each of the three pillars of adding key contributors to a team.

Mukuba came from the portal, transferring from Clemson after three up-and-down years to return to his home in Austin. After a dominant performance in Ann Arbor where Texas destroyed the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines, Mukuba received the Jim Thorpe National Defensive Back of the Week Award, donning him as the best DB in the nation in Week 2. McDonald exemplifies a recruiting win, making up the third of the high four-star defensive back trio from the 2023 class with Muhammad and Williams. Lastly, Guilbeau represents development, having waited two years to see the field after battling injuries, but already turning into an elite Power Four nickel cornerback.

Texas went from a struggling, young secondary to a veteran group of playmakers. One of the benefits of Muhammad and Williams' early playtime is they are now already seasoned players, having played in games against the likes of Alabama and Oklahoma as well as in two post-season matches. Joining them are three seniors in Mukuba, Barron, and Taaffe, veterans and leaders in the groups who are laying the thunder when it comes to bringing down ball carriers.

But the depth doesn't stop there. Even outside of the five core coverage players, Guilbeau, McDonald, second-year transfer Gavin Holmes, and even help from blue-chip freshmen like Wardell Mack, Xavier Filsaime, and Kobe Black provide an absurd level of depth, something that has completely turned around in one offseason.

Hats off to Joseph and Gideon for the turnaround of this group. While Joseph has had his critiques for his ability to recruit, and for the loss of Brooks in the portal, the secondary looks like it has turned from a bottom-ten Power Four group to a top-20 one.

"I have to credit the coaches to some degree because we've been drilling this and we've been wanting to play a certain style," Sarkisian said about his assistants. " And the fact that coach Gideon, Coach Joseph, has done a nice job with those guys of building their confidence and putting them in position with the fundamentals and techniques to make those plays has been big."