Texas Defense Confident With Young Squad Despite Veteran Departures

New leaders for the Texas secondary are stepping up to carry on the standards molded by past Longhorn defensive linemen while also shaping themselves into the best athletes they can be.

Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) and defensive lineman Alfred Collins (95) celebrate after a fumble recovery during the third quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Seeing former Texas defensive linemen Byron Murphy, T'Vondre Sweat, and Jaylan Ford selected in the 2024 NFL Draft this spring left a bittersweet feeling in all Longhorn fans.

As the joy of seeing more talent pour into the pros was exciting, they also battled the soreness of facing a challenging season without three reliable, veteran players who went for a combined 175 tackles last year.

But now it's time for a new set of athletes to step up to the plate for the interior line, with senior defensive lineman Vernon Broughton looking to keep the momentum flowing and taking strides toward becoming a more vocal leader.

Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (45) and defensive lineman Alfred Collins (95) celebrate after a fumble recovery during the third quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

"Because Sweat and Murphy have set the standard here, we gotta decide to keep that going and just keep that same mentality of being dominant and just do what we got to do," Broughton said during a press conference on Monday.

When asked about the status of how the team will fare without athletes like Sweat and Murphy, Broughton shrugged it off, repeating the fact that there's work to be done no matter what.

"Honestly, I don't pay attention to that," Broughton said. "I know what we got, and we're going to do what we gotta do, so."

Although Broughton is still battling for a starting spot at defensive tackle with Arizona graduate transfer Bill Norton, there's still plenty of ambition inside him that could make him a notable name this year. He registered a career-high of 17 tackles, 4.5 for loss, one sack, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery last season.

Broughton will be joined by fellow senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins, who has quickly begun to fill the big shoes left behind even before they were gone.

Collins appeared in all 14 games with six starts in 2023, totaling 22 tackles, two sacks, two pass breakups, and a QB hurry, all efforts that have likely put him in the starting slot on the depth chart for left defensive tackle. The two will definitely strive to be an intimidating duo in their final year sporting the burnt orange and white.

There's no question that Broughton and Collins will be backed by an elite group of players on the field, with underclassmen and upperclassmen alike itching to get their feet on the ground running, such as sophomore defensive back Maalik Muhammad.

The second-year Longhorn didn't hold back in showing his eagerness to display what the secondary has been working on all summer, describing how this time around, the defense has been focusing more on the details.

"We got our d-line straight. I feel like we got a great defense this year," Muhammad said. "One of the details that we focused in on [was] definitely tackling, getting our drops right, just knowing our opponents, playing together and communicating."

Muhammad mentioned the names of some athletes who have been impressive during practice, praising juniors Jaylon Guilbeau and Jay'Vion Cole, senior Gavin Holmes, and freshman Kobe Black for their efforts during the offseason.

The entire starting lineup for the Texas defense is packed with potential that has already been noticed and decorated with preseason accolades, headlined by senior Jahdae Barron and transfers redshirt junior Trey Moore and senior Andrew Mukuba, to name a few.

Longhorns won't need to panic without Sweat, Muprhy, or Ford on the field, but should rather put their faith in a new product that combines experience, versatility, and depth at all levels.