Countdown to Kickoff: McDonald leads Longhorns talented safety room

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Countdown to Kickoff: McDonald leads Longhorns talented safety room

Countdown to Kickoff: McDonald leads Longhorns talented safety room

Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire

Mon, Aug 10, 2026 ·

3 min read

Texas Longhorns Starters

Jelani McDonald and Derek Williams Jr.

This is the duo I expect to see start against Texas State. Jelani McDonald is not only the leader of the room but one of the best defenders for Texas this season. Derek Williams Jr. is likely to have multiple players competing for that spot throughout camp, but I don't see an obvious player that'll jump him. He's fully healthy for the first time in two years and seems ready to step back into the starting role across from McDonald. Whether or not he keeps that job throughout the season is up for debate.

Texas Longhorns Consistent Contributors

Kobe Black, Xavier Filsaime, Jonah Williams, Jordon Johnson-Rubell

This is a group that could decide the ceiling of the Texas defense. At least two of these players need to show up in camp and earn extra reps. It seems Kobe Black is taking to safety quickly after making the move from corner this spring. Filsaime is cross-training at nickelback and safety, but I expect him to be used at safety more often. Jonah Williams is healthy after missing spring and could take over the starting job later this season. Finally, Jordan Johnson-Rubell is likely the Week One backup to McDonald, with really strong run defense being his reputation.

Texas Longhorns Depth Pieces

Zelus Hicks, Jonathan Cunningham, Toray Davis, Yahiem Riley

Finally, you have four younger players that I don't see making the rotation often. Hicks seems to continue to progress, but isn't breaking through into the two-deep yet. Jonathan Cunningham is getting looks at nickelback and could add in there, but is unlikely to see major time in SEC play. Davis and Riley are the true freshmen of the group and seem to have very real upside, but are likely looking for special teams roles in Year One.

Texas Longhorns Overall

There aren't many defenders I'm more confident will have a great year than Jelani McDonald. Outside of him, I can't say much with confidence about this unit. I believe Williams Jr., Black, Filsaime and Williams all have remarkable upside, but it's mostly unrealized. I could see heavy rotation across from McDonald, with Kobe Black and Jonah Williams being the ones I'd bet on earning more playing time throughout the season.

This unit could be not remotely an issue this season. I could also have holes that'll allow teams to expose the Texas secondary at times. The next month will dictate the ceiling of this unit, and in turn, the ceiling of the Longhorn defense as a whole.