Joseph Ossai
In the regular season, Texas struggled mightily with a pass rush that was near the bottom of the Big 12. The defensive line unit as a whole struggled and the linebacking core did not make up for any of it. Needing to step up next season, it was a rough going for the front seven in 2019.
That changed in the Alamo Bowl win against Utah as Joesph Ossai was an absolute monster against the Utes. Recording nine total tackles, six of them were behind the line of scrimmages. Most importantly, he was able to get to quarterback Tyler Huntley three different times. His three-sack performance was more than any other Longhorn had throughout the entire 2019 season.
Now, it must translate into next season. The defense was terrible throughout most of the season, mainly with the pass rush. If that can get better than everything else will improve. It will begin with Joseph Ossai and his ability to cause havoc on the line of scrimmage. He does more than rush the passer, as he also led the team in tackles. If he can take another step up, the Texas defense will be flying next season.