Five Texas Longhorns earn AP All-Americans honors

That list includes Anthony Hill Jr., Jahdae Barron, Kelvin Banks Jr., Alfred Collins, and Michael Taaffe.

With the 2024 college football regular season in the books, the Longhorns have made headlines as awards have been handed out. On Tuesday, that continued when five players were named All-Americans by the Associated Press. That list includes Anthony Hill Jr., Jahdae Barron, Kelvin Banks Jr., Alfred Collins, and Michael Taaffe.

While all five have been key to the Longhorns’ success, only Barron and Banks earned first-team honors. During his fifth season with the Longhorns, Barron has started all 13 games and leads the conference in interceptions with five. As a senior, he has added 47 tackles to his resume.

On the offensive side of the ball, Banks has been one of the Longhorns’ best players and a model of consistency. The Texas native has started every game this season and helped protect quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. He has also added two SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors to his resume.

Hill, Collins, and Taaffe earned spots on the second team. The talented trio were human highlight reels, making life difficult for offensive coordinators. Hill led the way with a team-high 90 tackles, including six for a loss.

He also got some help from Taaffe, who finished the season with 61 total tackles. The local star was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and the Burlsworth Trophy National Player following the Longhorns win over Vanderbilt earlier this season.

Rounding out the list is Collins, who has taken his game to another level over the past few months. In 13 games, Collins set career highs in tackles with 43 and pass deflections with seven. For the Longhorns, his improved play was a welcome sign.

The Longhorns and this talented group will now focus on making a deep playoff run and building on a memorable 2024 season.

Longhorns linebacker named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week

It is the second conference weekly honor of the season for the Ryan High School product who was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 15

On Monday, Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. continued to add to his trophy case. The talented 19-year-old was named the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week. It is the second conference weekly honor of the season for the Ryan High School product who was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 15.

In the Longhorns win over Kentucky on Saturday, Hill led the team in total tackles with 11, sacks with two, and tackles for a loss with four. He was the only Longhorns player to record two sacks as the Kentucky offensive line struggled to keep him in check.

While Hill’s statistics impressed, he came through at moments when his team needed a big stop. On Kentucky’s second play of the game, he recorded his first sack of the afternoon, forcing a 2nd and 17 on a drive that ended with a punt three plays later. His second sack was for a 12-yard loss, forcing a field goal attempt that the Wildcats then missed. 

As the Longhorns push for a national championship, Hill will be a player to watch. He has shown he can lead this offense and received national recognition this year for his stellar play. Entering the final week of the regular season, Hill leads Texas in sacks with 7.5 and total tackles with 79.

On Saturday he will have a chance to shine against in-state rival Texas A&M.

Longhorns LB Anthony Hill Jr. named a semifinalist for the Dick Butkus Award

It marks the fourth straight year a Longhorn has been selected as a semifinalist

Through the first few months of the 2024 campaign, Anthony Hill Jr. has been one of the Longhorns’ best players on defense. On Monday, he earned national recognition for his play as he was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. It marks the fourth straight year a Longhorn has been selected as a semifinalist.

In eight games, Hill has recorded a team-high 58 tackles, including ten for a loss. He has made life difficult for quarterbacks, recording 5.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries. The Longhorns star has also added two double-digit tackle efforts to his resume.

With wins at a premium, the Longhorns need Hill to continue his stellar play. In the Longhorns’ latest win, Hill was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week after recording 11 tackles, matching his career-high. It marked his fourth-straight game with a sack and his 10th with a tackle for loss.

Although Hill’s focus is on bringing a national championship to Texas, adding a Butkus Award to his trophy case would be a great way to end the season. Few players have been more impactful regardless of the opponent. That is partly why the Longhorns sophomore is an irreplaceable piece.

During the final stretch of the regular season, Hill will be a name to keep an eye on as he looks to separate himself from other linebackers in the country. With Hill playing some of the best football of his career, the Longhorns lead the nation in passing yards allowed and team passing efficiency defense. In their first year of the SEC, the Longhorns have held their own partly due to Hill.

The winner of the Burkus Award will be announced on February 1 in an award ceremony at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.

Anthony Hill Jr. added to watch list for major award

On Tuesday, he was rewarded for his play and added to the watch list for the 2024 Chuck Bednarik Award

Through the first few months of the 2024 campaign, Anthony Hill Jr. has been one of the Longhorns’ best defensive players. On Tuesday, he was rewarded for his play and added to the watch list for the 2024 Chuck Bednarik Award. Each year, the award is given to college football’s most outstanding defensive player.

During the Longhorns‘ 6-1 start, they led the nation in scoring defense (9.7 ppg) and total defense (237.3 pg). They rank second nationally and first in the SEC in passing yards allowed (133.0 pg). With Hill in the midst of a career year, the Longhorns have not been an easy team to face.

In seven games, the talented linebacker leads Texas with 50 total tackles, including 10 for a loss. He has also added 5.5 sacks to his resume and is tied for the team lead in forced fumbles with one.

https://twitter.com/TexasFootball/status/1848791643568411134

While Hill leads the Longhorns in multiple categories, he has played his way into the national rankings. The Texas native currently ranks 12th in the country and third in the SEC in tackles for loss. He has recorded the ninth-most tackles by an SEC defender.

Following one of his best performances of the season, Hill’s latest recognition is no surprise. He has made an impact every time he steps on the field and, earlier this season added SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week accolades to his trophy case. If he can build on his recent play, another award could be on the horizon.

The semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced on Nov. 12, and the winners will be announced on Dec. 12. The Longhorns hope that Hill will once again hear his name called.

Longhorns linebacker named Lott Trophy Player of the Week

The talented linebacker was a human highlight reel during his best game of the season

In the Texas Longhorns win over the Oklahoma Sooners last Saturday, few players were more impactful than Anthony Hill Jr. The talented linebacker was a human highlight reel during his best game of the season. On Wednesday, Hill was rewarded for his efforts when he was named the Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week.

Against the Sooners, Hill led Texas in tackles with 11 and forced one fumble. He also added two sacks to his resume and 3.5 tackles for a loss. It was his second double-digit tackling effort of his career and season. His biggest play came in the second quarter, just minutes before halftime.

With the Longhorns clinging to a 14-3 lead, Hill forced a fumble, which the Longhorns recovered at the 43-yard line. On the next play, Texas made it 1 21-3 game. It was another example of how Hill’s impact goes beyond the box score.

Through the Longhorns’ first six games, the Texas native leads the team in total tackles with 42, tackles for a loss with 8.5, and sacks with 4.5. While the Longhorns’ defense has gotten contributions from everyone, Hill has been one of their best players.

This weekend, the Longhorns will look to build on their success when they take on the fifth ranked team in the nation in Georgia. To limit the Bulldogs offense, they will need Hill at his best.

Two Longhorns earn SEC Player of the Week honors

As the Longhorns extended their undefeated run, two players, Kelvin Banks Jr. and Anthony Hill Jr., played key roles

Following their bye week, the Texas Longhorns returned to action on Saturday with an impressive win over Oklahoma. As the Longhorns extended their undefeated run, two players, Kelvin Banks Jr. and Anthony Hill Jr., played key roles. On Monday, they were rewarded for their performance.

In the weekly SEC honors, Hill and Banks took some hardware. Banks was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the second time this season, while Hill earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.

As the Longhorns’ defense held Oklahoma to three points, Hill was a human highlight reel. He finished the afternoon with a team-high 11 tackles and two sacks. The talented linebacker was also the only Texas player with more than five tackles and recorded a sack for the fourth straight game. Hill has always been a player the Longhorns can rely on, and he took his game to another level in the Red River Rivalry game.

While Banks may not have shown up on the stat sheet, he was equally impressive. The Texas native was the highest-graded player on an offensive line that paved the way for 406 total yards. He also did not allow a sack or quarterback pressure, allowing Quinn Ewers to be comfortable in the pocket after missing two and a half games.

Although the 2024 campaign is far from over, Hill and Banks have seen their stock skyrocket with their play. Monday was another example of how good they have been and where they rank in the SEC. Their next test will come against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday who are ranked as the fifth best team in the country.

What did Baker Mayfield say about Texas Longhorns post-game flag plant?

Baker Mayfield responds to Texas Football flag plant from Red River Showdown.

The Texas Longhorns earned all the bragging rights on Saturday in their 34-2 win over the Oklahoma Sooners. It was the second blowout win in three years for the Longhorns over the Sooners.

After the game, Texas players took a Longhorns flag and planted it at midfield of the Cotton Bowl. But it wasn’t any old flag plant, they planted the flag from through a Sooners jersey. That jersey just so happened to be former Heisman winner Baker Mayfield’s.

Anthony Hill posted a picture of the torn jersey with the caption, “Texas fears nobody.” That’s a call back to Danny Stutsman’s pregame speech and the t-shirts that followed, where he said, “Oklahoma only fears God, and Texas fears Oklahoma.”

https://twitter.com/thegoatanthony1/status/1845248960492970106

On Saturday, the Longhorns’ defense dominated the inexperienced Oklahoma offense, holding them to just 237 total yards. They were not afraid of the Sooners in the least.

After Tampa Bay’s win over New Orleans, ESPN’s Jenna Laine asked Mayfield about the incident.

Mayfield said, “Just a kid from Austin, Texas that went to Oklahoma and won his last two Red River games and being rent free in their heads for almost a decade.”

https://twitter.com/JennaLaineESPN/status/1845585169396510830

Any question about where the Red River Rivalry stands among the best in college football should be answered by everything that’s happened in the aftermath of the last two. This game generates so much heat and the players play right into it.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Longhorns linebacker earns spot on Butkus Award watch list

Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dick Butkus Award

After a breakout freshman season, Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Dick Butkus Award. The award is given to the top linebacker in college football.

In his first year with the Longhorns, Hill played in all 14 games recording 66 total tackles including 40 solo tackles. He also recorded eight tackles for a loss and added five sacks to his resume which was tied for fourth-most by a Longhorn freshman.

As Hill was a bright spot defensively for Texas, he also etched himself into the record books. His eight tackles for a loss were the eighth-most for a freshman in program history and sixth-most for a true freshman.

What stood out the most about Hill’s play was his ability to take his game to another level against some of the best teams in the country. Against No.3 Alabama, the Longhorns linebacker recorded six tackles and two sacks. Due to his play, Hill earned Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week and 247Sports True Freshman of the Week honors.

Additionally, the Billy Ryan High School product was selected to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and earned preseason second-team All-SEC praise on defense. Hill will be critical to the Longhorns’ success as they chase a national championship.

The winner of the Dick Butkus Award will be revealed on Dec.10. If Hill can continue to build on his stellar freshman season, then he could hear his name called and add more hardware to his trophy case.