Nearly three years ago, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian hired Kenny Baker as his defensive line coach, but it didn't come without a lot of hestitations from the Longhorns' faithful fanbase.
People from left and right, north and south, up and down, were worried Baker didn't have what it took to be an assistant coach of the Texas Longhorns.
Since then, Baker has done nothing but prove those doubters wrong, leading one of the most dominant defensive line groups in the nation, and continuously adding the top recruits in the country to his depth chart.
Kenny Baker continues to bring in blue-chip DL prospects
Over the last three years, Baker has helped Sark and the Horns land seven of the top defensive line prospects available, including recently securing four-star recruit Kasi Curri over the likes of the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, and more.
- Justus Terry: five-star defensive lineman, 99.39 rating
- Kasi Currie: four-star defensive lineman, 97.63 rating
- James Johnson: four-star defensive lineman, 95.51 rating
- Smith Orogbo: four-star defensive lineman, 94.85 rating
- Myron Charles: four-star defensive lineman, 94.53 rating
- Josiah Sharma: four-star defensive lineman, 92.02 rating
- Elijah Ali: three-star defensive lineman, 85.50 rating
Alongside bringing in top defensive line recruits, Baker has helped Sarkisian and his fellow assistant coaches turn former prospects into the most monstrous defensive linemen in all of college football.
From current defensive edge rusher Colin Simmons, to recently drafted defensive tackle Vernon Broughton, the Longhorns have brought the heat at the line of scrimmage. That is in large part thanks to Baker's word on the practice field and the sideline.
On top of everyone Baker has already brought in for the Horns, he repeatedly has the team in final conversations for top recruits, including five-star prospect Marcus Fakatou. He just announced he had narrowed his list down to only Texas, Ohio State, and Georgia.
In 2009, Baker began his coaching career as a student assistant for his alma mater ofGardner-Webb before becoming the defensive coordinator of Lakeside High School in Evans, GA, from 2010 until 2012.
Then, he was named as the co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Berry College, eventually taking the job as the defensive line coach at Mercer, where he spent five years.
Baker spent one season with UT-Chattanooga before spending three seasons at Western Kentucky, eventually taking the leap to the NFL, spending one year with the Miami Dolphins until Sarkisian hired him at Texas in 2024.
Also read: Colin Simmons' mindset ahead of the 2026 season will be music to Longhorns fans' ears
As the Longhorns prepare for the 2026 season, Baker's group is expected to be as dominant as usual, if not one step better.
Defensive line stars like Simmons, Hero Kanu, and more are expected to lead the charge as Texas looks to take the next step in its goals of not only winning the SEC title, but a return to the College Football Playoff and, eventually, the National Championship.
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