Texas Football: 3 defensive players ‘taking the next step’ this spring

Byron Murphy II, DL

Another rising junior for the Longhorns that had a solid run last fall establishing himself as a quality starter along the defensive front is defensive lineman Byron Murphy II. The 6-foot-1 and 300-pound nose tackle will also be looked to as a leader along the defensive line this fall with some of the losses the Longhorns have this offseason.

With the likes of senior defensive linemen Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo headed to the next level, Murphy must assume the role as one of the anchors and body-movers along the front seven this fall.

Murphy has already shown the ability to be one of the most consistent interior defensive linemen in the entire Big 12. He graded out as one of the five best interior defensive linemen in the Big 12 among the starters in the conference last season (per PFF). Murphy also graded out as one of the five best players at his position in run defense in the Big 12 last season (he was in a similar spot in terms of pass rush win rate).

Given that Murphy already showed he can rank among the top performers in the Big 12 while getting starter-level reps along the interior defensive line, the next step for him will be to become a true leader in terms of his voice in the locker room and by example on the field.

While Murphy was extremely consistent and productive for the Longhorns last season, the next step in terms of on-field performance for him will be to become a more pronounced playmaker and a more dominant force in the middle of the line.

And it sounds like he’s already on the right track in terms of his ability to become a true star in the Big 12 in 2023 for the Longhorns. Murphy reportedly is already looking faster in terms of his fast-twice movements and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage in drills this spring. The ability for Murphy to become more explosive at the point of attack will be key for him to become a more disruptive force in the middle of the line.

It’s also worth noting that a practice report last week from CJ Vogel of TFB Texas (donor content) mentioned Murphy as a player to watch to make a “Jaylan Ford-like leap” heading into the 2023 season. Ford established himself as a leader on and off the field for the Longhorns last season, which is the type of leap we would like to see out of Murphy this year.