Texas Football: Grading early entrant 2021 NFL Draft decisions
Grading draft decisions for Texas football entrants
Ta’Quon Graham, Defensive End
Once again, it should come as no surprise to the Longhorns fan base that this name up on the list next declared for the 2021 draft following the 2020 college football regular season. Senior defensive end and former four-star recruit Ta’Quon Graham had a solid season, all things considered, this fall.
Graham will not play in the Alamo Bowl for the Longhorns, which might be a good decision since it doesn’t seem like it would impact his draft stock all that much. He might as well take the time to prepare for the draft scouting process to come.
In four years playing for Texas, Graham registered 70 career combined tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Draft decision grade: B
Joseph Ossai, Linebacker
The sole Longhorns player that definitely boosted their draft stock the most this fall, especially early on in Big 12 play, was the star junior linebacker and former highly touted four-star recruit Joseph Ossai. As essentially the heart and soul of the Longhorns defense over the last two seasons, Ossai was huge for both first-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash and former defensive coordinator Todd Orlando.
In three years playing for Texas, Ossai registered 165 career combined tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups, a whopping five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
Next. Early projections for Texas' 2021 QB depth chart. dark
In all likelihood, Ossai will be a mid-to-late first round pick come next year’s draft. He had a huge 2020 season showing off his versatility, gifted physical tools, and raw pursuit and ball skills.