Texas Football: Pre-spring Longhorns defensive depth chart

Nose Tackle

Starter: Keondre Coburn, Junior

There’s a set in stone starter it seems for the Texas football program entering spring camp at both the nose tackle and defensive end positions. Texas should be rolling with the former four-star recruit and rising junior stud nose tackle Keondre Coburn as the starter at this position.

What Coburn can do to help the depth situation to anchor the defensive line for the Longhorns is finally stay healthy over the course of an entire season and mentor the younger guys in this group. Helping the likes of Broughton and three-star 2020 Texas signee Sawyer Goram-Welch could be huge.

Coburn himself racked up 24 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one forced fumble in just eight games played last season.

Backup: T’Vondre Sweat, Sophomore

A potential dark horse breakout candidate for the Longhorns in spring ball is the former three-star recruit and rising sophomore defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat. The versatility that the 6-foot-4 and 320 pound underrated lineman brings to the table shows the value that Texas got by signing him.

Sweat was one of the more unheralded three star recruits during his recruitment. But Texas took a flier out on him, and it could wind up paying dividends pretty soon thereafter. Sweat showed out in the six games he played in during his freshman campaign including eight total tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one pass deflection, and one fumble recovery.