Due to departures, Texas secondary youth movement leader Andrew Mukuba, a Clemson transfer, will take the lead.
There are six defensive backs out. The Longhorns have six defensive backs in an attempt to make their defensive backfield more youthful, athletic, and adaptable.
Austin, Texas — Thompson Jerrin. Jalen Catalón. Crawford Kitan. Allen B.J. Gooden Larry Turner. Allen B.J.
Since the window opened in early December, five Texas Longhorns defensive backs who were listed on the team’s opening depth chart and six players in total have left the program through the NCAA transfer portal. There will be more movement as cornerback Ryan Watts must decide whether to return, leave for professional football, or enter the portal. Nickel back Jahdae Barron is anticipated to forgo his COVID season of eligibility and declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Following Monday’s Sugar Bowl defeat to Washington, the team is currently rearranging its roster in an intriguing symmetry, with six defensive backs, including transfer safety Andrew Mukuba from Clemson, included in the 2024 signing class.
The additions and departures indicate that Mukuba is being looked to by head coach Steve Sarkisian, secondary coach Terry Joseph, and safeties coach Blake Gideon to spearhead a young defensive backfield movement characterized by adaptability and increased athleticism.
What the departures signify
The best-case scenario for portal losses is that none of the losses appear to have a significant effect on the Longhorns.
Three non-contributors—Allen, Brice, and Turner-Gooden—were unable to find playing time on defense or special teams. As a result, all three ended up at Group of Five schools: Brice and Allen rejoined Chris Gilbert, the former Texas director of high school relations, at North Texas, while Turner-Gooden returned to California to play for San Jose State.
In his one season at Texas, Catalon wrote another chapter in his injury history, but he was not blessed with the playmaking prowess or dominant physicality that characterized his breakthrough redshirt freshman campaign in 2020. There is still a lot of uncertainty about how much Catalon can give the game of football, and it is evident that he declined to play in the latter minutes of the Big 12 Championship game after realizing his role had diminished following his return from injury.
