New Texas Longhorns Defense Shaped on Attention to Detail and Technicality

With the loss of some key defensive players and the addition of a new DL coach, the Texas roster modified its approach to the game

Sep 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) rushes during the first half against the Rice Owls at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas offense keeps making headlines across the country named as the team’s biggest strength. While the offense had to reinvent itself in the wide receiver room with the losses of Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell, the defense had to do the same to deal with the departures of Byron Murphy,T'Vondre Sweat, and Jaylan Ford.

Steve Sarkisian wasted no time after the end of the 2023 season to start bringing strength into the back line.

Defensive line coach Kenny Baker joined the Texas Longhorns football staff in January 2024 after a season as the Miami Dolphins assistant defensive line coach and 11 years of coaching at the collegiate level.

Though his impact on the team could already be seen in the Spring scrimmage, the start of the season on Aug. 31 will show how much Baker actually improved an already strong Texas defense.

Sep 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) rushes during the first half against the Rice Owls at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive lineman Vernon Broughton missed the spring game to get married to his now-wife Camille Broughton but has shown growth in practices and summer scrimmages ahead of his senior season. Broughton highlighted the coach's technicality with hand and footwork.

"I needed all that," Broughton said. "That improves my game so much and I appreciate him for that."

Broughton is returning to DKR for his fifth year with 40 career games to his name. Throughout his years in the program and playing under different coaches, Broughton sees the locker room as more mature in regards to game approach than it's ever been before.

"With younger kids coming in I need to show them 'Hey, this is the standard,'" Broughton said. "Especially playing D-line you gotta be vocal."

The entire Texas team is held up to these standards, now even bigger entering arguably the strongest football conference in the nation. For defensive back Malik Muhammad, that means discipline, toughness and commitment -- all the time. It is that standard that set this Texas defense to a "great" one for the sophomore.

"We're focusing more on the details," Muhammad said, emphasizing Broughton's earlier comment. "We got our D-line straight, I feel like we have a great defense this year...(Tackling) was one of the details we focused on, getting our drops right, just knowing our opponents and playing together and communicating."

Muhammad played 14 games with two starts as a freshman in 2023 and totaled 31 tackles (21 solo), one interception, four pass breakups, and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.

The revamped Longhorns defense will make its debut on Aug. 31 against the Colorado State Rams in Austin.