Texas vs. Louisiana-Monroe: 3 Defensive Players to Watch

Louisiana-Monroe has a stacked defense of transfers and returners that will look to cause trouble for a wounded Texas offense.

Jackson State Tigers' wide receiver Fabian McCray (9) runs the ball during the game against the ULM Warhawks in Monroe, La., on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Louisiana Monroe will take on its toughest opponent of the season in Saturday's matchup against No. 1 Texas.

The Warhawks said goodbye to their two top defensive leaders from last season, Michael Batton and Max Harris, but welcome some elite signees who have displayed their physicality and strength, now to be tested on the largest stage they've seen so far this season.

ULM defensive coordinator Earnest Hill mentioned that this game will simulate a national championship experience for his players and that they're excited to put their product on the field at Darrell K. Royal Stadium during his Monday media press conference.

However, some comments that Hill made about the Longhorns struck a nerve with the Texas community, to which fans said would only give Saturday's starting quarterback Arch Manning more motivation to show the nation what he's truly capable of.

"Let's be honest, they're not going to prepare like they normally do," Hill said when asked about the upcoming matchup. "That's why we are, and we're going to try and go do our best and see where the chip falls."

Here are some key defensive players to look out for on the Warhawks squad.

1. LB Carl Glass Jr.

A senior linebacker hailing from Monroe, Glass transferred from Harding University during the 2022 season, not seeing any game time as a sophomore, but returned in 2023 and had an immediate impact on the Warhawks defense.

He played in all 12 games, recording 25 solo tackles and 34 assisted with two forced fumbles. Landing sixth on the team in tackles this past year, Glass has already climbed his way up to the top of the team charts for tackles, having 21 on the season so far, nine of them solo. He's also tacked on one quarterback hurry and a forced fumble to help the Warhawks go undefeated in their two matchups.

2. LB Billy Pullen

The Warhawks gained Pullen out of Co-Lin Community College ahead of the 2024 season, where he earned Defensive Player of the Year from the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference.

Previously registering 13 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in his last year at Co-Lin, Pullen is coming in hot and making huge strides for the Warhawks defense as a junior. He currently leads the team in both sacks and tackles for loss, having three sacks for a loss of 22 yards and four tackles for a loss of 27 yards.

Standing at 6-3, 245 pounds of pure strength, Pullen will look to be a menace against Texas and will surely try to get in as many sacks as possible against Manning.

3. DB Wydett Williams Jr.

Another transfer picked up by ULM on the defensive end was Williams out of Delta State. Alongside Glass, Williams has been a crucial asset to the Warhawks secondary, coming in second on the team for most tackles with 19 total, seven solo, and 12 assisted.

The defensive back has proven to be a versatile player, recording half a sack for a loss of five yards against UAB during week two and one interception against Jackson State in week one. He's also defended one pass and has two half-tackles for a loss of six yards total.

Manning will need to beware of Williams on the field if he's looking to utilize the passing game in order to avoid a first-half interception, something that plagued Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers in the last two home games.