3 'most talented' defensive linemen for Texas entering camp

Alfred Collins

Seniors Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton return as the undisputed leaders of Texas's interior defensive line group entering fall camp and the 2024 campaign. Collins and Broughton have over 2,000 defensive snaps combined over their long careers at Texas since the early 2020s.

Collins was Texas's third-highest-graded defensive tackle last season, behind only Murphy and Sweat who were the two best (and highest graded) interior defensive linemen in the Power Five last year. He's never been lacking talent, but Collins has shown a lot more of what Texas fans were looking for out of him early in his collegiate career in Austin since the end of the 2022 campaign.

In the last 18 games, Collins has registered nearly 30 quarterback pressures, a dozen defensive stops, three sacks, and five tackles for loss. This stretch has definitely been the most consistent version of Collins we've seen in his four years at Texas since the 2020 season.

It sounds like Collins has really taken it to heart to get in the best shape possible for his final season at Texas. He's added 10 pounds of good weight to add to his muscle mass and widen his frame since the spring weigh-ins for the roster.

Now is the time for Collins to prove that he's a worthy top-three-round pick for the 2025 NFL Draft. He's got the first-team reps at defensive tackle for the taking and a newfound leadership role for a Texas defensive line that needs a tone-setter to make their voice heard early in fall camp to help this unit gel together for a tough SEC slate in 2024.

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