The Texas Longhorns’ 2023 NFL Draft class will already have one surefire early-round prospect in running back Bijan Robinson. But he’s far from the only Texas player worth watching. Here’s a full look at the talent that Texas might have to offer in the upcoming draft cycle.
Texas prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft
The Longhorns quietly have an abundance of 2023 NFL Draft talent on both sides of the ball, but the list is predictably led by one of the best players in college football: Bijan Robinson.
Bijan Robinson, RB
Robinson is Texas’ premier 2023 NFL Draft prospect. Not only is he the best Longhorns prospect, but he may be a top 10 overall player in the coming cycle. Positional value might weigh his draft capital down, but make no mistake — Robinson has potential blue-chip talent at his position. He’s an incredibly instinctive runner with all the physical and mental tools.
Roschon Johnson, RB
We know Robinson has an NFL future, but he might not be the only Texas RB with one. While the presence of Robinson draws attention away from other backs, Roschon Johnson is exciting in his own right. The 6’2″, 223-pound ball carrier has eclipsed at least 400 yards and five scores in each of his three seasons with the Longhorns. Even with his size, he has impressive agility and cutting ability, as well as visible spatial awareness.
Keilan Robinson, RB
We know Robinson and Johnson have NFL futures, but they might not be the only — okay, this is getting repetitive. But that’s just how Texas’ backfield is. Beyond the top two backs, there’s also Keilan Robinson — a former Alabama transfer who logged 45 carries for 322 yards and three scores in 2021. The latter Robinson doesn’t have the size of his counterparts — listed at 5’9″, 183 — but he’s a twitchy back with venerable burst and speed.
Jordan Whittington, WR
Xavier Worthy is already drawing looks as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect to watch, but there’s another returner worth following in Jordan Whittington. Standing at 6’1″, 209 pounds, Whittington is a dense receiver who predictably performs well as a run-after-catch threat. But quietly, he’s also a formidable threat when the ball is in the air. If Whittington can further refine his route running, he has true three-level upside in the NFL.
Isaiah Neyor, WR
A transfer from Wyoming, Isaiah Neyor will need a big season to declare as a fourth-year junior. But luckily for Neyor, his big-play ability should help him out on that front. Listed at 6’3″, 218 pounds, Neyor has a long, wiry frame, and he flashes near-elite long-strider speed and explosion downfield. With his imposing length, Neyor can make highlight-reel grabs in contested situations, and his dynamic ability makes him a must-watch prospect.
Jahleel Billingsley, TE
Jahleel Billingsley was penciled in as an early favorite in the 2022 NFL Draft tight end class. But his stock gradually soured, as he put up just 17 catches for 256 yards and three scores for Alabama in 2021.
Now, Billingsley heads to Texas, where he’ll have a chance to resurrect his career. He may be listed as a tight end, but Billingsley’s frame now stands at 6’4″, 216 pounds on the Texas website. He functions as a big WR with his smooth, easy athleticism.
Christian Jones, OT
Steve Sarkisian’s Texas offense has a lot of flashy weapons in stock for the 2022 season. But none of it matters if they can’t block up front. Subsequently, a great deal of responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of fifth-year tackle Christian Jones.
Jones is a massive 6’6″, 313-pound blocker with a lean frame and visible pop in his hands. His feet are inefficient, and he’s not a great lateral athlete. However, with starting experience at left and right tackle, Jones could be a swing OT candidate in the NFL.
Junior Angilau, G
Junior Angilau returns as a redshirt senior who’s started 34 games for the Longhorns thus far in his career. The 6’6″, 316-pound blocker is visibly massive on the interior, and with that size comes imposing strength. His size can be difficult for him to manage at times, but Angilau brings a fortified physical makeup, as well as the versatility to play both left and right guard. Those qualities could earn him interest in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Moro Ojomo, DT
There’s a great expanse of veteran talent on the Texas defense, and Moro Ojomo is one of the leaders of that resurgence. Now a fifth-year senior, Ojomo projects to be one of the team’s most important players on the defensive line. He’s a bit undersized for an interior lineman — listed at 6’3″, 279 pounds — but he flashes excellent burst off the line and has underrated proportional length and power capacity. Ojomo could be a sleeper to watch.
Alfred Collins, DT
Mixed within a layer of veteran talent, Alfred Collins might be the most exciting prospect on Texas’ defensive front. Collins enters his first year of eligibility in 2022, and things could be coming together for the true junior. In 2021, Collins showed he was athletic enough to play JACK linebacker at 6’5″, 292 pounds. This year, he’s expected to move further inside full-time. In that interior role, his inhuman combination of athleticism and power should shine.
Keondre Coburn, DT
There’s a schematic caveat with Keondre Coburn — the Texas defensive lineman projects best as a nose tackle in the NFL. But the 6’2″, 336-pound defender has an impressive blend of traits within that mold.
Coburn is a massive space eater at the center of the line, with tremendous strength and upper body torque. But he also flashes underrated quickness off the line for his size. Returning for a fifth year, Coburn needs to end on a high note.
T’Vondre Sweat, DT
Coburn isn’t the only nose tackle worth watching on Texas’ mammoth defensive front. There’s also T’Vondre Sweat — a 6’4″, 338-pound behemoth entering his fourth year with the Longhorns.
Like Coburn, Sweat is an absolute monster with his size and power capacity. But he has room to cut down weight and potentially glean more mobility from his frame as well. He flashes brightly in run defense and should continue to have a role in 2022.
Ovie Oghoufo, EDGE
A successor to Joseph Ossai, Ovie Oghoufo has had big shoes to fill since he transferred to Texas from Notre Dame in 2021. He wasn’t quite able to fill them in his first year with the Longhorns but still flashes the upside to close out on a strong note in 2022. At 6’3″, 241 pounds, Oghoufo is lean and somewhat undersized. But for his frame, he shows off good functional athleticism in space, as well as the closing burst to disrupt as a pass rusher.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB
The upside is still incredibly exciting with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. Overshown is a former safety with eye-popping length and explosiveness, who first made his way onto the draft radar with a breakout 2020 season. 2021 wasn’t quite as fruitful for Overshown, but the potential remains apparent. He needs to keep honing his ability in the box and improve in run defense, but Overshown has the tools to thrive in the modern NFL.
Jaylan Ford, LB
He won’t have as much hype as Overshown early on, but Jaylan Ford might be a more natural LB prospect for the Longhorns. He’s just a true junior, so the 2023 NFL Draft might not be his cycle. But alongside Overshown, Ford showed immense promise in 2021, notching 53 tackles and six tackles for loss. Now listed at 6’2″, 234 pounds, Ford has great size at the second level, but he’s also shown natural instincts in the box, good short-area athleticism, and sturdy tackling ability.
Devin Richardson, LB
Overshown and Ford project to earn most of the linebacker reps for the Longhorns. But don’t count out Devin Richardson in the conversation.
Richardson has intriguing size at 6’3″, 233 pounds, and has a year of strong production on record. Back when he was with New Mexico State in 2019, Richardson put up 69 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was primarily a special-teams player in his first year at Texas, but things could change in 2022.
D’Shawn Jamison, CB
Last season, D’Shawn Jamison played alongside Josh Thompson, who was a priority free agent in the 2022 NFL Draft class. There’s an avenue for Jamison to garner even greater interest than Thompson in the 2023 cycle.
At 5’10”, 185 pounds, Jamison’s a bit undersized at CB. But he’s experienced, measured in zone coverage, and can make plays on the ball. Furthermore, Jamison has returning ability on special teams and has housed multiple kicks in his career. That athleticism shows up in all phases.
Ryan Watts, CB
It’s more likely that Ryan Watts is a 2024 NFL Draft prospect or even a potential 2025 declaration. But at the very least, he’s worth mentioning here. The redshirt sophomore played high school football in Texas, before signing with Ohio State. Now, two years later, he returns to his home state, in hopes of achieving a breakout season. Watts has a very unique frame for a CB at 6’3″, 203 pounds, and has flashed playmaking upside in the past.
Jahdae Barron, CB
Like Watts, Jahdae Barron is probably a name to keep an eye on for the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, rather than a surefire 2023 prospect. But Barron is eligible this year, and if he keeps developing on his current trend, he could be a sleeper in the 2023 cycle. The 5’11”, 185-pound cornerback isn’t an overwhelming size threat, but he’s a fast, scrappy defender with twitchy short-area athleticism and playmaking instincts.
Anthony Cook, S
An underrated but intriguing prospect in Texas’ secondary is Anthony Cook, a defensive back who spent much of his time playing the hybrid STAR position in 2021. Standing at 6’1″, 192 pounds, Cook earned All-Big 12 honorable mention honors for his play last season, and returns as a valuable part of the Longhorns’ defense. He’s proficient at coming downhill as a tackler but has also shown he can employ catch technique at stems and delay receiver breaks.
Jerrin Thompson, S
Jerrin Thompson will need a big year to declare early, but the true junior is worth keeping an eye on in the 2023 NFL Draft cycle. A six-game starter in 2021, Thompson took his lumps in coverage at times. Both in the intermediate range and when coming up to the line in press, there were lapses.
Nevertheless, Thompson has talent. He’s visibly explosive and isn’t afraid to come upfield and enforce on screens and dump-offs. He’s still young and improving, and 2022 could be a breakout year for him.