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Texas Football: 5 captain candidates for the Longhorns in 2018

By Andrew Miller

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 09: Jerrod Heard
AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 09: Jerrod Heard /
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AUSTIN, TX – NOVEMBER 11: Taylor Martin #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks runs the ball out of the endzone defended by Breckyn Hager #44 of the Texas Longhorns and Gary Johnson #33 in the first 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: Taylor Martin #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks runs the ball out of the endzone defended by Breckyn Hager #44 of the Texas Longhorns and Gary Johnson #33 in the first quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

It’s hard to choose just one obvious captain for the Horns this season, but one player that’s come up huge for this program for going on four years now is rising senior defensive end Breckyn Hager. A limited role for Hager last year caused a decent decline in his numbers, when you figure they would’ve improved.

His stat line could go up from the mark it was at even during the 2016 campaign. Hager is a force off the edge, and should see at least six or eight sacks this fall. He’s a great leader for the Texas defense to able to follow into battle each and every week. As a rising senior, he’s also one of the most experienced Texas defenders coming back.

Opposite of Hager is another valuable pass rusher coming off the defensive line for the Horns. That standout pass rusher is also a fellow rising senior in Charles Omenihu. Having both Hager and Omenihu on the same page and performing at a high level will make life extremely difficult for opposing quarterbacks and running backs.

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Hager is the type of player that can get this team going and lead by example with some solid showings on the field. If Herman and defensive coordinator Todd Orlando trust Hager more heading into this season, he’ll be absolutely huge for Texas in proving his worth for the 2019 NFL Draft.

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