Texas Football: 3 bold predictions in Big 12 opener vs. Texas Tech

3) Bold predictions for Texas football vs. Texas Tech: Ta’Quon Graham gets two sacks

A potential breakthrough waiting to happen for the Longhorns this weekend could come with senior defensive end and former four-star recruit Ta’Quon Graham. This sizable 6-foot-4 and 300 pound defensive lineman is one of the staples to the front seven for recently hired defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chris Ash.

Graham is to be relied upon this fall to be one of the spark plugs to the pass rush. He was one of the more experienced defensive linemen returning at any spot for the Longhorns this year. Graham now has registered 49 career total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble.

But in the season opener, Graham didn’t make all that much of an impact. Despite Texas getting a lot of pressure on the quarterback against the Miners two weeks ago, Graham only managed two total tackles (one solo and one assisted). Although he didn’t have any missed tackles, he wasn’t able to generate as much pressure or blow up plays in the opponent’s backfield as he usually does.

Watch out for Graham to make a much bigger impact this weekend, and finally get that breakthrough that so many Longhorns fans have been waiting for. The only two sacks Texas got two weekends ago went to freshman defensive lineman Alfred Collins and sophomore linebacker Marcus Tillman Jr. This could be Graham’s time to shine in the Big 12 opener.