Just a year ago, Texas defensive end Lance Jackson made quite a few big plays during his true freshman season for the Longhorns.
After making his collegiate debut against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Jackson appeared in all 13 games for the Horns, earning 16 total tackles and two sacks. This year, even bigger numbers are expected from the rising sophomore, especially since he recently shared that he tacked on about 20 pounds this offseason.
Now, even as a second-year player, he has stepped into a leadership role, taking younger players under his wing and becoming a more vocal player throughout the beginning of fall camp.
"I don't feel like we have one leader; I feel like our defense has a whole bunch of leaders," Jackson said.
The sophomore defensive end clearly knows he won't be the only playmaker on defense for the Texas Longhorns, and while the usual suspects like Colin Simmons, Graceson Littleton, and more are making headlines, Jackson believes a few freshmen will make big plays just like he did.
Also read: Projecting Texas football's 2026 depth chart before the start of fall camp
Over the past two weeks, he has noticed tremendous promise in freshmen Rocky Cummings, Kosi Okpala, and Richard Wesley, saying that he had taken to mentoring Wesley despite the edge rusher already coming to Texas as the No. 2 defensive prospect in the class of 2026.
Lance Jackson, Richard Wesley will run the Texas defense after Colin Simmons
The cherry on top? Jackson isn't the only true sophomore who is about to make leaps in the upcoming season. He praised fellow defensive lineman Justus Terry, who played in 10 games for Texas last season.
"Justus has been creating havoc a lot. He's just getting in the playbook, moving fast. When Justus is out there, he doesn't really care what's going on. He's just going to go hard," Jackson said.
Of course, Simmons is most likely going to leave the program after this season, projected as a top-five or top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Yet, based on what Jackson has reported from camp, the Longhorns are going to be just fine in the future.
It helps, obviously, that head coach Steve Sarkisian brought in legendary Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to reunite with the Longhorns this offseason. Even as returning players like Simmons, Jackson, and other stars prepare to suit up, the defense won't be run quite the same as it was just a year ago.
"We’re going to be going, blitzing, up in your face," Jackson said of the defensive style under Muschamp.
EDGE Lance Jackson is first up to address the media following today’s practice.
— Eric C. Henry (@EricCHenry_) August 13, 2026
“Being in your face” — Jackson on the difference between this year’s defense under Will Muschamp compared to last year. pic.twitter.com/Aje1cslS5q
This isn't to say that the Texas defense was bad in the past. In fact, it was continuously one of the best in the nation under previous DC Pete Kwiatkowski. However, Sarkisian is pushing the Horns to take that next step, and Jackson can recognize the differences.
Even for himself, he has new goals on his mind. Well, maybe new isn't the right word, but better and bigger goals for himself.
"I definitely want to be able to stop the run. I thought I got bigger for a reason. That's the main reason I got bigger," Jackson said. "So mainly just focus on stopping the run, being a force at tackles for loss."
Simply put, the already dominant Texas defense is going to be dominant for years to come, and that should have Longhorn fans more excited than ever.
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