Texas Football: 3 players that will benefit most from early move to the SEC

J’mond Tapp, EDGE

Another recruit that the Longhorns nabbed out of SEC country that should benefit from the departure from the Big 12 next year is the uber-talented second-year edge rusher J’mond Tapp. The former blue-chip recruit out of Donaldsonville Ascension Catholic (LA) brings excellent quickness off the ball and great length that should separate him as a disruptive pass rusher at Texas in the next couple of years.

There were a ton of SEC schools that offered Tapp out of high school including the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels, and Texas A&M Aggies. And you know when Alabama and LSU want you as a blue-chip edge player out of Louisiana, you have the makings of a real impact edge rusher in the SEC.

By the time Texas departs the Big 12 for the SEC in 2024, Tapp should have reached a point in his developmental track where he is ready to really make a push for starting reps at edge rusher. He arrived at Texas as more of a developmental prospect that was expected to take a couple of years to refine his technique and add some muscle mass before he really contributed on defense.

I think Tapp will be at his best when he’s allowed to fully put his elite physical tools on display to win matchups in the trenches. When natural power and raw physical ability are vital tools to success (as they are in the trenches in the SEC), Tapp should be in a spot to really maximize his skill set.

Tapp has already had one year in college to refine his technique and become a more fluid athlete off the edge. If he’s got more control over his technique and movement, especially in terms of his ability to change direction, then Tapp is going to be a dangerous edge player in the near future.

He has the type of length, bend, and base power coming off the edge to be a real difference-maker, even against some of the more adept and athletic blockers in the SEC. The 2023 campaign will be a good test for Tapp to tell if he’s ready to become a breakout pass rusher off the edge in the SEC next year.