We're just one week into the NFL regular season, and former Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is already setting the standard for the entire league.
Taken in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the expectations were high for Hill, especially after his incredible three-year career for the Horns. It took just one game for him to blow those expectations out of the water.
While Hill and the Tennessee Titans lost their season opener to the New York Jets (a team that features a few former Texas stars of its own), the linebacker earned a league-leading 16 total tackles (14 assisted) to go along with two pass deflections.
In other words, even as a rookie making his NFL debut, Hill was setting the pace for the rest of the league.
Fellow rookie and former Texas Tech Red Raider's linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had the second-most total tackles in Week 1 with 14.
Texas rookies are already taking over the 2026 NFL season
Of course, Hill isn't the only Longhorn Legend who kicked off his rookie season last week.
Former Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad suited up for the Chicago Bears and earned three tackles, two pass deflections, and one interception as they took down the Carolina Panthers.
Beloved safety Michael Taaffe, who plays for the Miami Dolphins alongside Rodriguez, earned four total tackles, one pass deflection, and one interception for four yards in his rookie debut, despite the Dolphins losing to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Also on the Miami roster are former Texas edge rusher Trey Moore and offensive lineman DJ Campbell, who are currently listed as inactive. Moore is currently on the Dolphins' IR with an ankle injury, and with so much depth on Miami's O-Line, Campbell's rookie debut may have to wait a while.
Simply put, while their teams haven't necessarily found their footing quite yet, the Longhorn Legends are undeniably making an impact in the NFL.
Longhorn Legends continue to excel at the next level
Rookies, obviously, aren't the only former Texas players making moves at the next level, with stars like running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Matthew Golden also making the top-10 of the rushing and receiving charts, respectively.
Robinson earned 83 yards on 21 carries in Week 1, the eighth-most rushing yards by a running back, while Golden tied Trey McBride for the eighth-most receiving yards with 95 yards on 12 catches (McBride earned 95 yards on 13 receptions).
Robinson also earned the 12th-most receiving yards in Week 1, with 90 yards on 10 catches, including one for a touchdown.
To put it lightly, there are former Texas players all across the league, with 41 Longhorn Legends initially on teams' 53-man active rosters to start the season.
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