3 'most talented' defensive linemen for Texas entering camp

Defensive line is a major position of focus for Texas football entering fall camp this week. With fall practice set to begin on July 31, it won't be long until we see all the new defensive tackles Texas brought in via recruiting at the high school level and in the transfer portal at the Frank Denius Fields.

Texas football looking for a deep group of defensive tackles to emerge in the rotation in fall camp

Texas not only lost its two top defensive tackles to the NFL Draft this offseason in T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, but it also lost its defensive line coach to an SEC foe the LSU Tigers. Head coach Steve Sarkisian hired former Miami Dolphins assistant defensive line coach Kenny Baker to replace Davis as Texas's new DL coach.

The Longhorns replaced key departures along the defensive line with three proven and experienced defensive tackle grad transfers from the portal this offseason. The three new defensive tackle transfers will all have an immediate impact and play key roles in Texas's interior defensive line rotation this fall.

Seeing how the rotation lines up and what the two-deep looks like along the defensive front will be a key storyline to follow for the Longhorns entering preseason camp this week.

Here are three of the "most talented" defensive tackles to watch for the Longhorns entering fall practice on July 31.

Jaray Bledsoe

For junior defensive lineman Jaray Bledsoe, it's never been a question of his physical upside or raw talent during his time at Texas. What's kept Bledsoe from making a big impact on the field for Texas's interior defensive line during his first two years on campus was the lack of production and consistency finding one spot to entrench himself at defensive tackle.

Bledsoe did see more defensive snaps year-over-year in 2023. He took a career-high 85 defensive snaps, including double-digit snaps in four games in Big 12 play last season.

OTF's Gerry Hamilton reports that Bledsoe is expected to take snaps in live-game action this season at multiple different spots along the defensive front. Bledsoe's explosiveness and length allows him to be versatile enough to be disruptive as a three-tech, five-tech, or a stand-up edge rusher, depending on the situation on defense for Pete Kwiatkowski's front.

The biggest question for Bledsoe entering preseason camp is whether he can finally breakthrough and show consistency at defensive line for the Longhorns in practice.