Texas’ roster will look significantly different on both sides of the ball in the 2025 SEC season, especially on the two-deep depth chart.
Over the past few months since the end of the 2024-25 Texas football postseason, head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff have seen several starters from both sides of the ball depart due to exhausted eligibility and the upcoming NFL Draft this spring.
Texas football shifts focus to identifying new key starters on both sides of the ball early in the 2025 offseason.
As the Longhorns prepare for the 2025 SEC season and the upcoming spring practices next month, they are prioritizing roster adjustments on the two-deep depth chart.
Texas has built its program on a foundation of a winning locker room culture, elite player development, and relentless recruiting success. However, replacing key departures due to exhausted eligibility and the NFL Draft this offseason presents a real challenge.
One major omission from this list is quarterback Quinn Ewers. His departure for the 2025 NFL Draft isn’t a shock, given that Texas has been setting the stage for the Arch Manning era for a while now. Unlike other key losses, Ewers’ exit was expected, and the Longhorns have been preparing for this transition.
That’s not to diminish Ewers’ impact, as he had an impressive career at Texas, highlighted by two College Football Playoff appearances, a Big 12 Championship, and over 9,000 passing yards.
Here are three of the most significant departures for the Longhorns.
Honorable Mentions: Gunnar Helm (TE), Jake Majors (C), Andrew Mukuba (S), Matthew Golden (WR)
Alfred Collins, DT
Both Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton could easily be considered among the most impactful defensive departures for Texas this offseason. The senior defensive tackles were key contributors, with both ranking among the top 10 highest-graded defensive tackles in the Power Four conferences in 2024, according to PFF.
Based solely on defensive grades, Collins and Broughton were the SEC’s top defensive tackle duo and ranked as the second-best pairing in the Power Four conferences last season.
Collins earns a spot on this list over Broughton due to his elite athleticism and disruptive presence as both an interior run defender and a dynamic pass rusher. He had a career-best season, posting personal highs in third-down stops, tackles for loss, quarterback pressures, and batted passes.
His impact was especially evident in clutch moments, making key plays on money downs and goal-line stands for the Longhorns last fall. In fact, Collins was the only Power Four defensive tackle since 2020 to record at least six tackles for loss, 20 quarterback pressures, and six batted passes in a single season.
Jahdae Barron, CB
Senior cornerback Jahdae Barron was arguably Texas’ most impactful defensive player in the SEC last season. Over the past few years, he has developed into one of the most versatile defensive backs in college football while solidifying the Longhorns’ secondary as a top-tier cover corner.
Barron led the nation in interceptions and recorded double-digit pass breakups during the 2024 season.
He returned to Texas for the 2024 campaign to elevate his draft stock and help the Longhorns make a deeper postseason run in their first year in the SEC. By coming back, Barron achieved several key milestones, including winning the Jim Thorpe Award and earning consensus First-Team All-America honors.
- Kelvin Banks Jr., OT
From the moment he arrived on campus in the 2022 offseason, Kelvin Banks Jr. made an immediate impact on Texas’ offensive line under Kyle Flood. He quickly established himself as a dominant force and a cornerstone of the Longhorns’ offensive front.
Banks has been a reliable anchor in pass protection while steadily enhancing his run-blocking skills over the past few years. He is widely expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft this spring.
Leave a Reply