Texas’ defense lost several core players to the 2021 NFL draft and the NCAA transfer portal this offseason.
Going into the new season with the third defensive coordinator in three years, Texas will be without Joseph Ossai, their star pass rusher who led the team in sacks with five last season. Although the Longhorns are without their do it all edge rusher, it provides an opportunity for other players to make a name for themselves.
New defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski is coming in and expecting to generate sacks and turnovers. During his last full season at Washington, the Huskies had four players with three or more sacks, whereas Texas only had Ossai with more than three. The Longhorns clearly need to establish a better pass rush this season, and players like Moro Ojomo and LSU transfer Ray Thornton are looking to make up for the absences of Ossai and others.
Let’s take a look at who I believe are the four most important players for Texas’ 2021 defensive unit.