3 Texas upperclassmen who could lose starting jobs in fall camp
David Gbenda, LB
Senior David Gbenda is Texas's most experienced returning linebacker for the 2024 season. Gbenda, a sixth-year senior, has taken nearly 800 defensive snaps over 47 games at Texas (since 2019).
Getting Gbenda back for a sixth season in 2024 was huge for the stability and leadership in Texas's linebacker room. Pete Kwiatkowski and Johnny Nansen have plenty of young talent in the linebacker room this fall, but not all that much proven experience regarding live-game reps and starts against power conference competition.
Gbenda is now in Year 4 in PK's defensive system. He was a steady presence as a regular starter at linebacker for Texas last season for the first time in his collegiate career. In a career-high eight starts and 14 games played, Gbenda had a career year production wise playing at linebacker alongside fellow senior Jaylan Ford.
With Ford having moved on to the NFL this offseason, Gbenda is the likely favorite to win the starting job at outside backer with sophomore Anthony Hill Jr. getting the first-team reps at the mike spot in camp.
Will linebacker is Gbenda's usual position that he's played for Texas throughout the last four seasons under Sarkisian and PK along the defensive front. Senior Morice Blackwell Jr. join Hill and Gbenda among the three returning starters in Texas's proven and athletic linebacker group for the upcoming season in the SEC.
Last year, Gbenda had to fight off a run from Blackwell to keep getting the first-team practice reps at weakside backer during the fall. Blackwell eventually settled into a consistent contributor role in conference play for Texas at strongside backer.
If there is someone who can push Gbenda for the starting reps at will linebacker this fall camp, it is redshirt freshman linebacker Derion Gullette. The second-year outside backer from Teague (TX) Gullette looks to be healthy and ready after he spent his true freshman campaign recovering from a knee injury he suffered during his senior year in high school.
Gullette is one of the most explosive and athletic linebackers on the Texas roster when he's fully healthy. If Gullette locks down a spot on the two-deep in preseason camp, I could realistically see him pushing for more and more reps as the 2024 season progresses since he's essentially the next in line to start at the will spot once Gbenda graduates after this year.