Texas Football: 4 Horns true freshmen that will have biggest impact in 2023
Anthony Hill Jr., LB
Along with breaking down the four freshmen that 247Sports named for the Longhorns among those that will have the biggest impact on the field in 2023, we’re also going to take an educated guess at how likely each of these players are to be early contributors this fall.
First up on the list is the former elite five-star recruit out of Denton Ryan High School, freshman linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. The 6-foot-3 and 230-pound linebacker was the highest-rated defensive recruit in the Longhorns 2023 class, and he is likely going to be the true freshman that is most likely to make an impact on this side of the ball for Pete Kwiatkowski this upcoming season.
Hill gives the Longhorns an athletic playmaker at the linebacker position that will wreak havoc on opposing offenses by being utilized as a pass rusher off the edge and a pad-popping off-ball run-stopper from the inside boundary. He will not only be too good for PK and the Longhorns to keep off the field this fall, but he will also make an impact on this defensive front in multiple phases of the game.
Verdict: Impact starter
Malik Muhammad, CB
The former high-four-star defensive back recruit from South Oak Cliff High School in south Dallas, Malik Muhammad, is the highest-rated cornerback the Longhorns signed in the last half-decade. Muhammad is part of a very talented 2023 defensive back class for the Longhorns, including the uber-talented Louisiana native safety Derek Williams.
Muhammad drew some attention from the strides he made as an early enrollee during spring ball for the Longhorns. While he did have some freshman mistakes in the early phases of spring practice in one-on-one and team drills, Muhammad showed a lot of maturity and mental awareness to get down to work in the film room and improve in the necessary areas of his game.
The only reason I hesitate to include Muhammad among the biggest impact true freshmen for the Longhorns this fall is the fact that there is so much competition to get starting reps at the field corner spot heading into fall camp. Muhammad will be competing with more experienced and proven corners at the field spot in Wake Forest transfer Gavin Holmes and sophomore Terrance Brooks in camp.
A realistic scenario for Muhammad this fall is that he gets more live-game reps under his belt as the season progresses and emerges as a future standout at the position.