There’s a different vibe in Austin this Summer. There’s a new demeanor to the 2023 Texas Longhorns, and there’s nothing subtle about it. “You can see it, it ain’t no feeling,” tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders said. “Even the young guys, they’re doing it without older guys telling them.”
Staying late at the fieldhouse. Extra time in a film session. Putting in the extra hours. It signals a new shift for Texas. It was a busy first week of Fall practice for the Longhorns. They opened workouts with the goal of winning a Big 12 Championship squarely in their sights.
Nobody knows how the Big 12 season will play out, other than Texas and Oklahoma bidding farewell to the conference at the end of the season. Every team in the Big 12 will be gunning for the Longhorns and Sooners to make sure neither team walks away with a trophy on their way out the door.
The Texas program has been buzzing with excitement all through the off-season. The Spring game went well, the transfer portal was kind to the Longhorns, and injured players returned to the team throughout the summer. As the long, hot summer comes to an end, here are five Texas Longhorns ready for a breakout year in 2023.
5. Anthony Hill; Linebacker
The freshman class has made an impact from the start. Early enrollees like linebacker Anthony Hill have given every indication that the hype is real. “That young man is a great kid and an even better football player,” Sanders said of Hill. “When he gets his chance, I want him to show the world what he can do.” Sanders and Hill were teammates together at Texas powerhouse Denton Ryan.
Hill does things that inspire people to bring up players like Derrick Johnson. Keeping in mind that he hasn’t played a game yet at the college level, there’s a lot to like about what he’s shown so far. He played well in the spring game, while teammates and coaches have raved consistently about his athletic ability as well as his attitude all summer. Hill seems primed for at least some playing time in a crowded linebacking corps this season.
4. Quinn Ewers; Quarterback
Texas fans have watched the evolution of quarterback Quinn Ewers. The sophomore is firmly entrenched as the starter. His backup is Maalik Murphy, who showed during the spring game he’s ready to play when his number is called.
Ewers spent a productive off-season around campus while getting a haircut, (the mullet is gone), and shave, and the new-look Ewers is the same as the old one. He worked on getting better and the Longhorns believe they have an upgraded version of the player who threw for 2,155 yards and 15 touchdowns during an 8-5 campaign in 2022.
3. Barryn Sorrell; Edge
A culture of healthy competition has taken hold in Austin, as Sanders put it. All through summer workouts and now into fall camp, the Longhorns have been looking forward to this moment. “We literally have all the tools to the puzzle,” Sanders said. “We can’t wait to put it on the board, really.”
Sorrell is ready for his breakout season. He started 10 games as a sophomore last season and was named to the honorable mention All-Big 12 team. As fall practice got underway, he set his goal for 10 sacks this season, after registering 5.5 last year. “Just coming off a year with a lot of playing time, obviously I have that experience,” Sorrell said.
2. Ethan Burke; Edge
It’s easy for even the most highly-rated players to get lost in the shuffle at Texas. Every year brings another top-flight recruiting class.
Burke wasn’t going to get lost in the shuffle. He played well enough last year as a freshman to see action in 11 games. Now that the sophomore has filled out to 257 pounds on his 6-6 frame, expect his production to go up.
“I feel like Ethan has everything that he needs and he definitely has what it takes,” Sorrell said.
1. Jaylan Ford; Linebacker
Ford was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list just as fall camp was getting started. A fitting way for Ford to start his senior season. He had already been tabbed as the Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Ford had 119 tackles last season. He’s taken over as the face of the defense for the departed DeMarvion Overshown. The scary thing is, he could be even better in 2023. The Texas Longhorns are looking for improved defensive line play in 2023, leaving Ford more freedom to roam.
Photo courtesy: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
