Texas Football: What impact will Brandon Jones return have for Longhorns

The defense is starting to get pieced together for Texas football for the 2019 season as rising senior safety Brandon Jones will return one more year.

In terms of the relevance of the 2019 NFL Draft decisions for potential early entrants for the Texas football program heading into the off-season, most are now in the rear view mirror. As far as the 2019 NFL Draft decisions go for the Texas Longhorns moving forward, the coaching staff and locker room can walk away knowing most of the news and announcements were positive for the program.

One of the most important decisions for Texas football within the past few days came from junior safety (rising senior) Brandon Jones. Among the players with looming NFL Draft decisions for Texas football on the defensive side of the ball, Jones and junior linebacker Malcolm Roach were the most important to follow.

On the offensive side of the ball, the two important NFL Draft decisions came from the pair of junior standout wide receivers Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. Good news came the way of Texas football for the decision from Johnson to return to the Forty Acres for his senior season, while Humphrey elected to forego his last year of eligibility to go into the 2019 NFL Draft.

At least Texas football is getting back three of its four players that had NFL Draft decisions up in the air heading into the 2019 off-season. Getting Roach and Jones back on the defensive side of the ball is going to provide some steady experience coming back at multiple levels where there is going to be some roster turnover that will be detrimental.

Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has to be thrilled with the players he’s getting back in the mix at safety for the 2019 season. Texas football could have the best set of safeties returning of any Big 12 program, and definitely put itself among the best groups in the nation too. Alongside Jones, the Horns are getting back the pair of rising sophomore former five-star safety recruits Caden Sterns and B.J. Foster.

In general, the depth at safety for the Horns is about to get really formidable. Landing the pair of four-star safeties for the 2019 Texas football recruiting class is huge with Tyler Owens and Chris Adimora. The future is very bright at safety, and all this talent at the position can help the transition period for the Horns at cornerback.

However, the reason that is cited for the return for Jones to the Forty Acres looks to be “getting his degree”. He’s bringing back 146 career total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, one interception, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumbles. He is the most experienced defensive back returning to the program for the 2019 season.

Seeing the buy in for head Texas football coach Tom Herman from three of the four rising seniors that elected to return to Austin for the 2019 season is awesome. Jones was a huge piece of the Texas secondary when it had some brighter spots during an up and down ride through Big 12 play in 2018.