Texas Football senior Michael Taaffe has been named to the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watch list, a prestigious honor recognizing student-athletes who lead with heart—on the field, in the classroom, and throughout their communities.
Often called “college football’s ultimate community service award,” the Wuerffel Trophy celebrates players who use their platform to uplift others and drive meaningful change. For Taaffe, this recognition marks his first appearance on the watch list—joining the ranks of Longhorn greats like Sam Acho, who took home the award in 2010.
Taaffe’s impact goes far beyond the gridiron. He launched Taaffe’s Tackles for Fentanyl Awareness, a campaign supporting Texas Against Fentanyl, and partnered with Crime Stoppers of Houston’s Million for Million Campaign to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl. He’s also lent his voice to a SoberRides.org PSA for the Texas Department of Transportation and regularly speaks at youth events and community service initiatives.
On the field, Taaffe is just as formidable. A preseason First-Team All-SEC selection, he’s already on watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, and Lott IMPACT Trophy. The former walk-on from Austin started all 16 games last season, finishing second on the team in tackles (78), interceptions (2), and pass breakups (10). His standout performance against Vanderbilt—where he forced two turnovers and earned national and SEC honors—was a defining moment in a season that helped propel Texas to its second straight CFP semifinal.
With 43 games and 26 starts under his belt, Taaffe continues to be a cornerstone of the Longhorn defense and a beacon of leadership in the community.
Finalists for the 2025 Wuerffel Trophy will be announced later this year, with the winner revealed live on ESPN during The Home Depot College Football Awards on December 12. The celebration continues at the Wuerffel Trophy Gala on January 31, 2026, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
