Defense
Alfred Collins – SDE (five-star)
- Regardless of who is listed in front of him on the depth chart, Texas has to find a way to get Collins on the field. His playing time may have to slowly increase in 2020 as he develops, but the five-star signee will fit perfectly in defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s new scheme.
Vernon Broughton – DT (four-star)
- Broughton is versatile and can fit multiple positions on the defensive line. He has college-ready size and is expected to contribute as a true freshman when and where he’s needed. Unlike Collins, Broughton was an early enrollee.
Prince Dorbah – OLB (four-star)
- One of the most exciting players from the 2020 recruiting class, Dorbah has a great chance to compete for playing time behind Joseph Ossai at the Jack position. Herman mentioned Dorbah as one of the few players that could make an immediate impact.
Xavion Alford – S (four-star)
- Similar to how Dixon is the darkhorse contributor on the offensive side of the ball, Alford could be that type of player on the defensive side. Injuries have riddled the Texas secondary in the past, when you combine that with the sudden question marks of several players, Alford could climb the depth chart much earlier than expected.
Kitan Crawford – CB (four-star)
- Crawford is an impressive four-star signee, but he’ll have to work his way up the depth chart throughout his freshman season. It’s likely he’ll have to redshirt behind the likes of Kenyatta Watson, Jalen Green, D’Shawn Jamison and Josh Thompson.
Jerrin Thompson – S (four-star)
- Thompson is a four-star safety signee out of Lufkin. It’s likely that a slew of injuries would have to happen for him to receive significant playing time in 2020.
Sawyer Goram-Welch – DT (three-star)
- Goram-welch is a big-bodied defensive lineman with scheme versatility. However, his projected position will be heavily occupied by Ta’Quon Graham this upcoming season. He’s likely to redshirt as a true freshman.
Jaylan Ford – OLB (three-star)
- Linebacker is a position that’s fairly open for competition at Texas right now. Ford is currently projected at middle linebacker, but needs time to develop and is unlikely to receive significant playing time as a true freshman behind both Juwan Mitchell and Ayodele Adeoye.
Jahdae Barron – CB (four-star)
- Barron was a late addition to this class, committing on April 30. However, he has the potential to become a multi-year starter at Texas. The four-star cornerback is joining one of the deepest position groups on the roster, therefore likely won’t receive significant playing time unless injuries cripple the secondary.