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2019 NFL Draft: 5 most impactful early Big 12 declarations to Horns

By Andrew Miller

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 17: David Montgomery #32 of the Iowa State Cyclones celebrates after a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 17: David Montgomery #32 of the Iowa State Cyclones celebrates after a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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STILLWATER, OK – OCTOBER 27: Running back Justice Hill #5 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys gets his facemask pulled by defensive lineman Chris Nelson #97 of the Texas Longhorns for a penalty in the second quarter on October 27, 2018 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State leads 31-14 at the half. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK – OCTOBER 27: Running back Justice Hill #5 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys gets his facemask pulled by defensive lineman Chris Nelson #97 of the Texas Longhorns for a penalty in the second quarter on October 27, 2018 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State leads 31-14 at the half. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

Few teams were as much of a thorn in the side of the Horns in the past six or eight years in the Big 12 than the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Only Oklahoma State and the TCU Horned Frogs gave the Horns as much trouble in the past decade, outside of the ordinary teams you would expect, as any in the Big 12.

A 2019 NFL Draft decision that could help out the Horns when facing Oklahoma State next year came from junior running back Justice Hill. Managing more than 2,600 rushing yards over the past two seasons, Hill was a big source of the last two winning seasons under head coach Mike Gundy for the Pokes.

The Big 12 had so many talented running backs entering the 2018 campaign that it will be good for the Texas front seven to have the heard thinned out a bit. While the Texas front seven was very good against the run for the past two years under defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, it did slip a bit in 2018.

Texas will still have to deal with the likes of rising redshirt sophomore running back Chuba Hubbard and the vaunted Oklahoma State receiving corps next year. But, the absence of Hill is going to help this team do things like win the possession battle and control the ground game when it opens Big 12 play against the Pokes in 2019.

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