Texas’ 2025 Opponents: Ranking The Top 5 Defensive Back Units That The Longhorns Will Face

Texas faces a couple of very good secondaries, a couple that may be pretty good, and a lot of bad to average ones. That latter point bears repeating. Arch Manning and his pass catchers are going to tear some defenses up.

San Jose State would have made this list if they’d returned intact from 2024, but three of their 2024 starters will be starting for USC, Arizona and SMU this year. That portal life. It’s hard out there for the little man.

If you a notice a big drop off in my enthusiasm from Georgia and Ohio State to my #3 and beyond, you’re good at reading.

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Here we go:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Texas A&M
4. Oklahoma
5. Kentucky

Georgia’s cornerbacks had a tumultuous 2024 but they kicked Texas’ ass in Austin last year and their top three return: Everette, Harris, Robinson. They’re all going to get better. They’re supported by excellent sophomore safety KJ Bolden, who should be a star, and they nabbed UAB’s Adrian Maddox, who placed #9 among FBS safeties with an 89.5 PFF coverage grade last year. He’ll battle Joenel Aguero for the starting nickel job and he can spell either safety spot. Safety JaCorey Thomas may be the weak link to test. Their depth is young.

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Ohio State brings back one of the most impactful best defensive players in the country in safety Caleb Downs. The genius of former DC Jim Knowles is that he crafted a defense that guaranteed Caleb’s game involvement, irrespective of opponent game plan. Let’s see what Matt Patricia does. Downs is pretty good at everything, but if you make him a standard single high or drop down box safety, his impact can be mitigated.

Cornerback mitt enthusiast Davison Igbinosun is Ohio State’s lead offender. The Pass Interference King finished last season with 16 penalties, with many more uncalled, and Texas’ chances for big plays outside may be as simple as what the referees allow him to get away with in Columbus. He’s playing rationally in the college game rule set – a 15 year penalty is better than surrendering a 65 yard touchdown – but it’s a tough watch. Freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez is a talented North Shore product who may not yet be fully ready yet, so look for Jermaine Matthews to get the nod early. Matthews was efficient in coverage last year. He profiles as a NFL draft pick. New nickel Lorenzo Styles played sparingly last year and he did not excel in those limited snaps. Texas should explore Styles early.

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Texas A&M looks potentially good outside with big veteran cornerback Will Lee (The Blanky!) and Georgia transfer Julian Humphrey (former Bulldog starter, benched, transferred). Safety and nickel could be another story. Last year, Elko lamented their total inability to play zone coverage correctly. A full offseason of two new DB coach’s tutelage may clean that up. They also need to start Dalton Brooks, who is good. The new starting nickel will be Washington transfer Jordan Shaw and that’s an interesting tell: the Huskies ran a ton of complex zone and zone-man match concepts under Steve Belichick and they were good at it.

Safety Bryce Anderson must have great insurance rates, because he will always turn down a collision. He is one of the worst run support safeties in the league. Conversely, Marcus Ratcliffe loves to run downhill, but he was one of the hapless Aggies in zone that allowed the Trojans a 17 point comeback bowl victory.

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I like Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings and cornerback Eli Bowen was an impressive freshman. Bowen missed the entire Spring and the start of Fall camp with injuries. Gentry Williams is the other cornerback and he’s been too injury prone to get a full picture, but he’s talented? Eli’s brother Peyton Bowen is the other safety and he certainly has the ability to be impactful, but it hasn’t shown up in games yet. Nickel Kendel Dolby was excellent until injuries ended his 2024 and kept him limited in the Spring. Depth is inexperienced. Sark is going to attack their safeties in coverage. Spears-Jennings is a big fella who is better as a run enforcer or in zone and Peyton Bowen gave up 17.3 yards per completion on 80% completions when targeted last year.

Is that good?

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For my final ranking, I’ll take a flyer with Kentucky. They put cornerbacks into the league. Four on NFL rosters right now, three of them starters, since 2020. This year both starters will be 6’3” with long arms and they’re sticky in man coverage, at least when allowed to challenge receivers in a somewhat passive scheme. DJ Waller – a former Michigan transfer – did a fine job last year in coverage. Teams more or less avoided him, though that was not the case in the run game. He missed 27% of his attempted tackles. His counterpart JQ Hardaway gave up yardage in Stoops’ off-coverage concepts but it was mostly underneath and he grabbed a pair of interceptions. Both starting safeties return and the young nickel, Quay’sheed Scott, is a good athlete. Nearly every Quay’sheed I’ve ever known was a good athlete.

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Time to go Back To School. Get properly schooled on the Horns, their opponents, the current roster building landscape, recruiting, and the SEC.