3 Texas freshmen on fire entering the bye week

Multiple talented freshmen for No. 2 Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian have contributed in big ways in the season's first five weeks. Texas has gone through the first five games of the regular season with an undefeated 5-0 (1-0 SEC) record, with none of these games being all that close.

Texas football's freshmen are making their mark after the first five games of 2024

Texas getting ahead early in four out of the five games to start the regular season in late August and September allowed Sarkisian and staff to get multiple developing underclassmen deeper down the depth chart key live-game reps.

The Longhorns weren't really in a position where they needed to play a bunch of true freshmen right away this season. Sarkisian and staff have built the necessary depth and talent at pretty much every position group across the board on both sides of the ball to compete with the players they've already developed over the past few years in Austin.

The freshmen who have made big-time contributions early this fall have really earned their stripes to stay on the field consistently in live-game situations for the Longhorns. Here are three true freshmen for the Longhorns who are on fire with their play on the field in September, entering the bye week.

Colton Vasek, EDGE

Texas's EDGE room is very deep this season, highlighted by top playmakers at the position like true freshman Colin Simmons, junior Ethan Burke, senior Barryn Sorrell, and redshirt junior Trey Moore.

But Texas has also seen some underclassmen step up late in games and looked really good at the EDGE position for the front seven. Redshirt freshman Colton Vasek is a great example of a first or second-year player for the Longhorns' defensive front who has made the most of the reps he's gotten late in games to prove what he can do on the field early this fall.

Despite only playing 20 defensive snaps as a pass rusher after the season's first five games, Vasek has already registered five quarterback pressures, two sacks, and three tackles for loss.

Vasek notched the first sack of his collegiate career in the second half of Texas's dominant 56-7 win over the UTSA Roadrunners in Week 3. He got a great launch point with a nice inside move and sack the UTSA QB on a lightning-quick blow-up of the opposing offense's pocket.

Last weekend in the SEC opener win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Vasek notched the first SEC sack of his collegiate career to put their offense well behind the chains after a first-and-10 play.

Vasek clearly has a bright future for Texas's defensive front coming off the edge. The early signs of progress he's shown this fall should continue to translate late in games when Texas is up by a few scores in the second half.