Texas Football: 3 upperclassmen with most to prove in summer workouts

Vernon Broughton, DL

This will be a huge year for redshirt junior defensive lineman and the former high-four-star recruit Vernon Broughton in 2023. Broughton needs to make a sizable leap in terms of his production and consistency on the field this fall to start matching some of the immense talent that he brought to the table as one of the highest-rated defensive line recruits in the nation a few cycles ago.

The 6-foot-4 and 300-pound Broughton has shown flashes over the last three seasons, but he’s never consistently proven that he’s able to handle a heavy load of live-game reps along the defensive line.

He’s already looked good in spurts in the last season or two as an interior pass rusher. The rest of his game needs to come along this offseason to match his ability as a pass rush up the middle.

Broughton not seeing the field consistently in the last three seasons is largely due to his inability to get a significant push at the point of attack along the interior defensive line and not being able to hold his gap at times in run defense. These issues in the last couple of years largely stem from Broughton still being a work in progress in terms of his pad-level technique and muscle mass.

We’ve still seen Broughton make incremental strides year-over-year over the last two offseasons to even out his frame and add more strength to his base to be able to win more battles in the trenches. But this summer is the time when Broughton really has to put his head down and get to work in the weight room and during film study.

If Broughton can get a stronger base while working on refining his technique heading into the fall, he should finally be able to show he can handle a significant number of live-game reps in the defensive line rotation for Bo Davis and the Longhorns.