Texas Football: 3 ‘vocal leaders’ among upperclassmen in summer workouts

Jerrin Thompson, S

Another important senior leader on the defensive side of the ball for the Longhorns this year is starting field safety, Jerrin Thompson. The fourth-year Texas defensive back and reigning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection Thompson came into his own as essentially the quarterback for the secondary last season.

Thompson was a steadying force in the back end of the Texas defense last season, as he did a nice job limiting big plays from opposing offenses while directing the rest of the defensive backs in coverage. That bigger role that Thompson took on last season as the de facto quarterback of the secondary really led to him being one of the vocal leaders on the field and in the locker room for this defensive unit.

And it sounds like Thompson continues to prove that he is one of the crucial leaders in the secondary again this year. He was specifically mentioned in that IT report from Nahlin as one of the “vocal leaders” that has stuck out early in summer workouts.

"“I think defensively Jerrin Thompson definitely feels like one of those guys, I think Byron Murphy feels like one of those guys.”"

Sark also named Thompson as one of the players that have filled bigger leadership roles coming out of spring ball. So, Thompson’s rise as one of the true leaders for the Longhorns in 2023 started to show well before the start of summer workouts.

It’s also worth mentioning that Justin Wells and Joe Cook of Inside Texas/On Texas Football recently gave Thompson the nod as one of the “gutsiest” players on the roster this year.

Thompson has proven in multiple ways that he is one of the go-to leaders among the upperclassmen that can continue to help take this team to new heights this fall.