3 most improved Texas players after first 5 games

Vernon Broughton, DT

Senior Vernon Broughton is Texas's highest-graded defensive tackle entering the bye week after five games (per PFF). Broughton has been imperative to Texas's recent success rushing the passer in the past few weeks.

In Texas's win over Mississippi State in the SEC opener last weekend, Broughton had one of the plays of the game for the defensive front, coming up with a strip-sack and fumble recovery against Bulldogs' freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren.

Broughton also made a big play in the first half against Mississippi State, taking on a double team and breaking into the backfield to get a big fourth-down stop for Texas when the defense was on their own side of the 50. That fourth-down stop for Texas in the first half last weekend helped the Longhorns keep hold of their lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

Under first-year defensive line coach Kenny Baker, Broughton has developed well as an interior run defender while continuing to be very disruptive as an interior-pass rushing presence.

Last year, the Longhorns had the two highest-graded defensive tackles in the Power Five, with two eventual top 50 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft in T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. Broughton has continued that legacy of success compared to the best defensive tackles in the nation in the P4 this season, ranking in the top three highest-graded DTs after five weeks.