Texas Football: 5 reasons Longhorns will have top defense in the Big 12
![AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 11: Jason Hall #31 of the Texas Longhorns sacks Carter Stanley #9 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 11: Jason Hall #31 of the Texas Longhorns sacks Carter Stanley #9 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/4fcbbd989a69a5950684483fb674bce0ec94fdc7c3d39dd80fb5f2c6079d8d8d.jpg)
1. New crop of talent can carry the torch in the coming years
Possibly the most exciting part of the Horns’ defense for the upcoming regular season, and in 2019, is all the new skilled players that are being added to the mix in Austin. Most of that third ranked recruiting class in the nation for Texas for the 2018 cycle was thanks to top tier defensive signees.
We could see so many breakout players in 2018 for the Horns on defense. Just a few names to watch are rising all rising sophomores in defensive end Ta’Quon Graham, cornerback Josh Thompson, and Chris Brown. All of those players will be slotted in starting roles at their respective positions either this season or next.
Furthermore, Texas might have to take some time to get all these four and five-star prospects on defense ready to get some significant playing time. However, with so many mature recruits coming to campus this fall, we’ll be sure to see some of these new faces become potential Freshman All-Americans at the end of the season.
Next: Top 15 best games for Longhorns since 2000
Pay attention to all the younger players for the Texas defense, as it means this could not only be the best defensive group in the Big 12 in 2018. Texas could push this trend forward throughout the course of Tom Herman’s tenure in Austin. That becomes especially true if Todd Orlando hangs around for some more solid years at the helm.