In the early part of the century, Texas earned the reputation of “DBU†for its development of highly skilled corners and safeties. Names like Nathan Vasher, Quentin Jammer, Michael Huff, Michael Griffin, Cedric Griffin, Aaron Ross, Earl Thomas, Aaron Williams, and countless others turned the defensive backfield into a no fly zone. While the Longhorns have been able to find some players since those days to keep the tradition alive, their reputation is being challenged by programs such as Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Ohio State. The Texas defense struggled last season but we were given a glimpse of a possible return to form for “DBU.†With the Longhorns in sore need of help in the secondary, Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford turned the reins over to a group of highly talented freshmen. While those players took their lumps on the field, the early playing experience combined with their natural talent has Texas back on the fast-track to cementing their claim as “Defensive Back University.â€
Sophomore corner Holton Hill made his mark on the field in 2015 with 49 tackles, 3 interceptions, and one touchdown. Hill is a prototypical corner with great size and speed, but his smooth hips and technical ability separate him from the rest of the group. Following a slow start to the season due to an injury in fall camp, Hill took hold of a starting position and never looked back. He embraced the challenge of covering the opposition’s best receivers each week, and he more than held his own to earn honorable mention all-conference honors. He enters the 2016 season deeply entrenched in the starting role, and is quickly becoming one of the best players on the Texas defense.
Hill’s counterpart, Davante Davis, showed his own set of skills in his freshman season. The Miami native also earned honorable mention all-conference honors after leading the team with seven pass breakups. Davis is a bit rawer than Hill, but he used his superior size and physicality against receivers with regularity. Davis wasn’t talked about as much last season but fans should be excited to see what an off-season of development in the weight and film rooms will do for his game. He doesn’t have quite the same stranglehold on the starting job as Holton Hill, but Davis is expected to enter the season as a starter with some distance between him and his closest competition. As the NFL looks to acquire bigger cornerbacks moving forward, Hill and Davis are poised to turn into high draft picks if they continue along their expected trajectory.
It’s been a long time since the name Sheroid Evans was mentioned as a significant contributor for this team. The Sugar Land native has been plagued by knee injuries since the 2013 season, but he’s finally recovered and healthy. The NCAA granted Evans a 6th year of eligibility due to injuries, and Evans intends to take full advantage of it. He has all the tools coaches want in a cornerback, including good size and track speed. Evans is a lottery ticket entering the season, but the potential payoff is huge.
Antwuan Davis and John Bonney will provide depth at the cornerback position in the spring before freshman reinforcements arrive. Both players had forgettable moments during the 2015 season, but both are now upperclassmen. Davis always had special ability in the speed department but he lacked some of the more natural instincts required at the corner position. Bonney looked like he was out of his comfort zone when he was out on an island, but he should figure into the nickel competition this season.
Sophomore Kris Boyd started the season off with a bang thanks to some big special teams plays against Notre Dame. Unfortunately he will be remembered most for some unfortunate retweets during halftime of the TCU game. Boyd will also provide depth at corner while challenging for the starting role at nickel. His all-around skillset allows him to feature at multiple positions, and the talent is there to be developed.
The most interesting position battle on defense is at the safety position. Dylan Haines and Jason Hall return as starters, but both players drew the ire of fans and analysts alike last season. Haines led the team in interceptions, but countless blown coverages did not endear him to the Longhorn faithful. Jason Hall had a sophomore slump after a big freshman season and it looked like he was never really healthy. Both players will be pushed at their respective positions by DeShon Elliott and PJ Locke. Elliott was injured to start the season, but once he got a chance to play he made things happen on the field. Locke received plenty of playing time last season, and he showed he could man multiple positions including the nickel. Locke will most likely enter the season as the favorite to win that battle, while Elliott will push hard for starting time during the spring and fall. The position battle will really heat up in the fall when Brandon Jones arrives on campus. Jones was among the top high school safeties in the nation last season, and the star from Nacogdoches should be able to play early and often.
The Longhorns have the makings of a star-studded secondary that could signal the return of DBU to Austin. As always, health and continued development will play a big role in writing that story, but Longhorn fans can expect the secondary to be improved in 2016.
