3 reasons Texas's secondary will be much better in 2024
Much has been made this offseason of the safety rotation and cornerback two-deep for Texas football entering the 2024 season. Texas's secondary was possibly the weakest link of the defense in 2023 after it allowed 7.1 yards per passing attempt and a 61.0 completion percentage.
Derek Williams Jr. and Malik Muhammad leading the Texas football secondary into a new era in the SEC this season
Pete Kwiatkowski's secondary ranked in the bottom five in the Big 12 in both of those aforementioned team stat categories in pass defense last season.
For a significant stretch of Big 12 play, Texas really struggled to cover the spread offense and some of the underneath crossing routes. Texas fans are probably sick of hearing about the issues Texas had with the underneath stuff and against spread offenses in the second halves of close games in the Big 12 last season.
Terry Joseph and Blake Gideon took it to heart to turn the page on this era of the Texas secondary during the 2024 offseason. Texas largely turned over the roster at most positions in the defensive backfield during the winter and spring portal windows.
The Longhorns also signed their highest-ranked defensive back recruiting class from the high school ranks for the 2024 cycle to help bolster the future of this secondary in the SEC.
Here are three reasons why the Longhorns secondary will be significantly improved in 2024.
Improvement at the safety position
Upgrading the safety room was a significant step that PK and Gideon took to help improve the secondary as a whole for the upcoming season in the SEC in 2024. Not only did Texas add key players via transfer portal and high school recruiting in the 2024 class this offseason, but they also added some key leadership and experience from the portal too.
The addition of former Clemson Tigers senior safety transfer Andrew Mukuba brings stability and proven experience with a Power Five defense to Texas's secondary in 2024. A three-year starter at Clemson, Mukuba will be the most experienced safety Texas has at this position group this fall.
Mukuba also gives the Longhorns safety rotation something it didn't have last season, the stability of a senior leader who has found proven success with another high level Power Five defensive backfield at Clemson. Until the rise of freshman Derek Williams Jr. down the stretch last season, Texas didn't have a true quarterback of the defense it could rely upon to be rangy and effective in pass coverage.
Another exciting addition to the Longhorns' safety room this year is former five-star true freshman Xavier Filsaime. As an early enrollee who participated in spring ball, Filsaime has some more advanced knowledge of the Texas defense than your average true freshman, which could help him out when he sees the field likely as a rotational safety this fall.
Alongside the new additions of Filsaime and Mukuba, Texas returns Williams, junior Michael Taaffe, and sophomore Jelani McDonald to give Gideon and PK a very solid projected top four or five group of rotational safeties for this season.