Confidence is paramount for any defensive back. Without it, you’re toast. As in, you will be toasted by even average receivers.

Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron doesn’t care where the coaches put him, he’s ready.

“I believe I’m the best DB in the world,” Barron said in matter-of-fact fashion. “I try to go out there and perform at a high level and try to make plays at different positions and things like that, so I can have the right to say that at the end of the season.

“So I'm just trying to just keep stacking and keep stacking.”

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Barron’s confidence is infectious, no doubt. No. 5 Texas (6-1, 2-1 SEC) will take it as they try to paper over safety Andrew Mukuba’s knee injury this week against No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1).

Mukuba will be listed as questionable this week, according to coach Steve Sarkisian. But from the sound of it, Mukuba will likely not play. That means the Horns would juggle the lineup and likely start Jelani McDonald in Mukuba’s place alongside Michael Taaffe.

“We do have the bye after this game before we come back, and I believe we play Florida after that, so we’re just going to monitor him closely this week,” Sarkisian said of Mukuba. “But again, I’m not going to put him back out there if he’s not ready to go, knowing that I can have a couple more weeks after this to get him healthy.”

Barron can step in at safety, if need be. The bold junior has trained at multiple positions all over the defensive backfield, bolstering his overall knowledge and his NFL marketability.

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Barron is currently fifth on the team in tackles and has a team-high three interceptions and five pass break-ups. One of his interceptions against Georgia triggered a seven-minute delay when Texas students threw dozens of bottles onto the field, earning the school a $250,000 fine. Despite an errant flag, the play stood. 

The way the Texas coaches crosstrain players, “it actually helps, honestly and truly,” Barron said. “It helps just to know all the positions.”

“Y’all be seeing me at two or three different positions. It makes it the game so much easier for me because I play all the other ones. So I know what the other person's supposed to do, and I know everybody's responsibility and things like that. So now, yes, it's like riding a bike, you know?”

Sarkisian has just as much confidence in Barron as the player has in himself.

“Again, he’s a bit of a Swiss army knife,” Sarkisian said. “He’s played corner, he’s played star (linebacker), he’s played dime backer in our dime package, he's played safety. And that’s from just the wealth experience that he has. So I think we'll be fine from a rotational standpoint.

“But definitely, the sooner we can get Andrew back will be helpful for us.”