Texas Longhorns did major work in the transfer portal, add to already elite 2025 defensive unit
After winning 13 games and making it to the CFP semifinals, Texas hit the transfer portal hard to reload on the defensive side of the ball.
Texas’ defense was a large part of the 13-win campaign and CFP semifinal berth in 2024. But Steve Sarkisian and Co. have been busy in the transfer portal to reload and make another go at the first national title in 20 years.
Tasked with keeping the front seven strong are Purdue’s Cole Brevard, North Carolina’s Travis Shaw, and Ohio State’s Hero Kanu. The 6-foot-3, 346 pound Brevard finished with just 19 tackles in 2024, but he will be tasked with taking the heat off the linebackers on the interior. Shaw, another bulldozer at defensive tackle, made 26 tackles and four tackles for loss. At 6-foot-6, he brings more size and length. Kanu is another big-bodied defensive lineman albeit unproven.
Maybe the biggest acquisition this offseason was Syracuse defensive lineman Maraad Watson. Texas’ top four defensive linemen, Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton, Jermayne Lole and Bill Norton are all gone. Watson and the aforementioned transfers will be put to task early at Ohio State on August 30th. The Freshman All-America selection Watson brings a 77.4 run defense grade, per Pro Football Focus, to Austin. This would’ve been good for third on last year’s defense.
247Sports’ Cooper Petagna is a huge fan of the revamped DL group.
"Only Texas could go out and get five quality interior defensive linemen," Petagna said. "And Maraad Watson is the best combination of skill, upside, and multiyear eligibility–and he can help you today. So I love what he can do.
"You can play him at the nose. You can flex him out. You can put him as a four technique. You can play him as a five technique,” Petagna said. “He can do a little bit of everything at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds. He's big, nimble, and strong."
Teaming up with the new faces up front is one of the nation’s best on the edge. Colin Simmons finished with nine sacks a year ago, earning Freshman All-America and SEC All-Freshman honors. He will almost certainly be a favorite to win the Bronko Nagurski Award in 2025 after having one of the best seasons ever for a freshman on the Forty Acres.
Alongside Simmons is Anthony Hill Jr. The 6-foot-3, 239-pound prospect will be a favorite to win the Dick Butkus Award, awarded to the country’s best linebacker, after 16.5 tackles for loss and eight sack campaign in 2024. Liona Lefau (63 tackles) will form a nice one-two punch with Hill at the second level.
The biggest question mark for Texas in 2025 will be in the secondary.
Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron and Clemson transfer-turned-starter Andrew Mukuba are gone, but Michael Taaffe, Jelani McDonald, Malik Muhammad, and Jaylon Guilbeau are all back. Taaffe, a former walk-on, earned All-America accolades last season, and Muhammad seems like a fringe first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. PFF is a huge fan of both and think this year’s Longhorn secondary could hold form despite losing two draft picks.
“The Longhorns have easily the best back-seven in college football…features our No. 4 safety and No. 6 cornerback in Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad. Taaffe was the sport’s fourth-most-valuable safety last year, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, and trailed only Ohio State‘s Caleb Downs among returning safeties. Muhammad is the fourth-most-valuable returning Power Four corner since 2023, according to that same metric.”
If Texas is going to make another run at an SEC title and a CFP run, the defense will need to come up big once again. If the preseason hype is any indication, though, Sarkisian will have the Longhorns ready.
