The Texas edge rushing room is loaded in 2024. In fact, it’s so loaded that out of three potential all-conference talents one will start games on the bench.
The room starts with Barryn Sorrell who was the lone certainty at the position group an offseason ago. Sorrell led the Texas pass rush with 5.5 sacks in 2022 and was a good player for the team last season with four more sacks for the year.
Among other returning players is Ethan Burke who broke out early last season. Burke put up sacks against Rice and Alabama to start the year before finishing with 5.5 sacks of his own. Albeit, it’s his closing speed and ability to make the shoestring tackle on potential explosive runs that carves some of the most value from the edge position.
Then there’s the addition of Trey Moore who is being billed as perhaps the best player on the team by one source. While there’s some concern as to whether or not his 14 sack season and 22 career sacks at UTSA will transfer to major college football, reports from offseason workouts make one wonder if those concerns are valid.
We haven’t yet mentioned five-star freshman Colin Simmons who comes in looking to make an immediate impact. Justice Finkley, Colton Vasek, Tausili Akana and J’Mond Tapp are among the others looking to make a splash.
Texas has as difficult a decision in who to start at edge as it has anywhere else. That said, it won’t lack for quality depth in 2024. While it’s uncertain who will start at the position, expect heavy rotation and perhaps without much drop off from starter to backup.