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Did the Texas Secondary Get Disrespected in All-SEC Voting? | Longhorns Football
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Did the Texas Secondary Get Disrespected in All-SEC Voting? | Longhorns Football Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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- [00:00]
A
What can we make of the Texas secondary after the preseason all SEC team is released? We'll talk about it on this latest edition of On Texas Football brought to you by Prize Picks. I am Jeff Howe joined by my colleague who knows a lot about playing defensive back. He's one of the all time greats for the Longhorns lifetime Longhorn, Rod Babers. Rod, actually we were talking about it really before we started this video. You look back at the preseason all SEC team last year Texas was pretty well represented in the secondary and you look at the 2026 team and he lost Michael Taft who's out of eligibility. Malik Muhammad left a year early for the NFL. But Rod, based on this preseason all SEC team you would think Texas secondary has fallen off a cliff. One guy his preseason all SEC team in the secondary and is Jelani McDonald on the third team. Rod, did the voting do the members of the voting press get this wrong or should we be more concerned about the Texas secondary than maybe we have been?
- [01:06]
B
No, Jelani McDonald definitely should have got recognition. You could make the argument that he should. He could be on the second team but you know he definitely deserved recognition. He's your best all around defensive back. He doesn't like you said, doesn't really have like a true like flaw or weakness to his game. He's really good in run support. He's actually a pretty good man and zone coverage. He's also one of your better havoc players in terms of he's a ball hawk naturally makes good plays on the ball. High football intelligence player too. So I'm a big Jelani McDonald fan. I think in will mushroom system he's going to be showcased more and I think weaponized better as well. So you'll truly see the versatility in his skill set. So I think his training draft stock is going to rise in Muschamp system. There's no doubt about it. Texas was disrespected at least the dbu, all right, the defensive backs were disrespected because he's the only one that made it and he was a third team. And to me they're basically saying kind of based on the selections that you're going to have fifth best secondary at best in the SEC this upcoming season because I think Oklahoma along with Alabama along with Georgia along with LSU have kind of multiple selections on that list. So everybody's high expectations for those secondaries. I have high expectations for the Texas secondary and I do think by the end of the season you're gonna have multiple defensive backs represents I do expect Jimmy Donald to still be voted all SEC by the end of the season. I think another player, whether it's a Bo Masco, whether it's a lot in the west captain. I think the interesting thing is it could be any of those three guys. I can see any of those three guys making a huge leap this season to becoming an all conference caliber player. I think they're all, potentially all three of those guys I talked about on the precipice. Which one is going to do it? They can't all do it, of course, because obviously only so many selections will be made. But I do think all of them have the potential right now, the way they're trending.
- [03:05]
A
I want to look at Jelani McDonald though really quick, Rod, because he is the veteran in that group.
- [03:10]
B
Yeah.
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A
Does this, does this set Texas secondary, whatever the ceiling is, does it need Jelani McDonald to play at a first or second team, all SEC level to hit its ceiling? Or do you feel like the other pieces, if one of those guys takes off that. No, that'll be enough. Does it have, does it have to be Jelani McDonald serving as the catalyst?
- [03:31]
B
I feel like it has to be. I know it's a lot of pressure to put on him, but because of the safety position, the question marks, the uncertainty at the other safety position, I feel like he has got to be the stabilizing force not only for the safety position overall, but pretty much in that secondary. Because, you know, Grayson Wilson is great. I mean he's a veteran. He started as a free freshman. McKay, Littleton came on late last season. Bomasco, he's a veteran. He's played a lot of football, but he's new to Texas and, and new to this system. I think Jelani Madonna has to play be the best version of himself. I think he has to play at all conference caliber level and I think he's ready for that responsibility for this Texas secondary to really reach its, you know, it's zenith. All right. To, to be the, to be the best secondary that you know in this SEC is kind of what their goal should be. I do think Jelami don't got to be a star in the secondary. His versatility, like you're not gonna, you don't have another safety right now that has that kind of versatility and most of likes to move his safeties around. He wants his safeties to be able to play single high safeties. He wants you to be able to play in a 2D but also be a guy that can play the run. From depth. Also be somebody that can put down into the when a team really wants to try to play bully ball and run the ball against you, Jelani McDonald can do that. I think he wants to showcase that you can get pressure from the second level with your secondary a little bit too. I think Jelani McDonald's underrated as a blitzer. I think you'll see him actually make some plays in the backfield with pressure packages as well. So he wants that all around safety and all around DB. And I do think Jelan McDonald's the only guy right now in that secondary that can give you that kind of overall versatility. And so yeah, it's a lot of pressure on him, but he's got to be all conference caliber.
- [05:08]
A
Jelani McDonald I was at Will Musk Champs chalk talk at the Texas High School Football Coach Association Convention and it was a basically a defensive back clinic. A lot of Malachi Starks cut ups on that tape, right? I'm like, yeah, if you could just kind of clone that guy and bring him with you everywhere. If you're will must have. You'd love to, but that's kind of complete safety. Malachi Starks was the first team all SEC type guy, first rounder in the NFL. We'll see if Jelani McDonald's how close he can get to that level. But I want to talk about Cade Phillips. If you look at Pro Football Focus again, Pro Football Focus, it's not the be all end all. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better than what we used to have, which was nothing. It's what I always like saying about pfa. If you look rotted SEC defensive backs who played at least 100 snaps last season, Kate Phillips is tied for the 9th highest graded returning defensive back. Again, he's not 1st, 2nd or 3rd team all SEC. We know the staff challenged him. They pushed him a little bit in spring practice, giving kind of where he was on the depth chart by the end of the spring. Rod, you've worked on the field with Cade Phillips. You've seen pretty much every great Texas corner that's come through this program, right? In the last 25 to 30 years, you've seen him. Can Kate Phillips take that step to where by the end of the year we're talking about him as like, all right, in 2027 he's going to be kind of how we've talked about kind of how we're going to talk about Leonard Moore from Notre Dame this year where it's like he's got to be first team all American. He's going to be a first rounder. Can Cade Phillips have the kind of year to position himself where we're talking about him like that in 2027?
- [06:41]
B
He could because the system is going to benefit him. And I do believe it's the case that Texas started playing more man coverage. Actually, Texas I think played like 28 man coverage rate last season under PK but I think they played more toward the end of the season when a young K. Phillips came in. And why not? Right? That's what he does. Well, you want to feel comfortable. So if he played a little bit more man coverage, we know Mushap's going to play even more man coverage. And I think you're going to play kind of a physical brand of it and be some press man in red zone and in some third down situations. That is going to benefit Cade Phillips. Like I said, that's. That is what he does best. He's naturally gifted as a sticky man coverage corner, A physical guy that can play press. He's got long limbs, long wingspan. So I do think he could do. He's got a ball hawk mentality. I mean, last year you look at Havoc Rate, he's one of your top Havoc defenders. And it's not because he's making plays in the box or getting tackles for loss. He plays on the football. Right. He's one of your leaders in PBUs and the guy only started a few games toward the end of the season. And I think that's because teams want to pick on him a little bit. Why wouldn't you? He's a true freshman out there. But he also made plays on the ball. You know my rule. You're gonna get beat. Everybody gets beat. All right? You can pull up plays, Rob be getting beat, but you got to make plays on the ball. You got to make as many plays as you give up. That's kind of my rule. If I was a DV coach and I think that's what Kate Phillips does, yes, he's going to give up some plays here and there, but you keep testing them and you're gonna pay the price. That's what I like about K. Phillips and he's. And because of that he. And he's got this confidence about him. I know this from just, you know, being around the young man and being on the field with him. He's got a confidence that won't be shaken when teams go at him or he gives up a play here or there. And I think that's what you Gotta have that corner, man. You cannot lack the confidence. We've seen some corners. The reason they lo their jobs is because they lose that confidence. They, they earn the job. If they weren't a good player, they were a good player. But when you start, you start missing plays and you start getting beat but you lose confidence. That's usually the difference between a player that loses the job and a guy that not only maintains and keeps the job, but it begins to excel at the corner, that position. That's okay, Philip. Fast, unshakable confidence.
- [08:48]
A
Like when we're talking about preseason all sec, let's not pretend like there's just a bunch of jags that got no out of the Texas guys. I mean where are you talking about Ellis Robinson or Brady Hubbard or you know, Kelly Jones? I, I can say sec. That's down in Tampa. I walk by Kelly Jones and the Holland like corner. Like you look like you could go be an edge rusher situationally. So I don't, I didn't know corners
- [09:11]
B
could be that big.
- [09:12]
A
But you know, some impressive DBs in this league brought so Rod, I say that to set this up. I don't blame people that voted on an all SEC team for not recognizing Bomasco because yeah, he played at Rutgers last year and it's probably not going to jump off the page but I, I don't think there's any team, especially Ohio State because in the second game of the year because Ohio State recruited Bo Masco out of the portal, I don't think there's going to be anybody Texas plays that's going to be sleeping on Bo Masco. The, the, the college football. You know, the pundits and the talking heads might not know about Bomasco. I guarantee you, Rod, coaching staffs know how good Bomasco is and the Texas staff knows they've got a really good one with.
- [09:51]
B
I mean they've been talking about them all off season, right? About him making plays on the football. So he's kind of added that to his game. He was a ball hawk coming out of high school actually. He made a lot of. He had like 10 interceptions. Had a ton of pbus coming out of high school, had some pick sixes coming out of high school. So he was a ball hawk and then that. We didn't see that as much at Rutgers, number one because they played a lot of man coverage which is good. That translates to what Texas is going to do. They play a lot of pressman back to the football. So tough to make plays on the football at Times. But at Texas we're hearing about him making plays days on the football. So I think that's because you've surrounded him with a lot more talent. He also is very compatible with the must champ scheme because must have wants to play a lot of man and they played a ton of it even when Orfe was there at Rutgers. And also I, you know, I kind of, I like what you're saying about, you know, about Bo Masco and how the coaches are talking him up. I think ultimately he's kind of earned the trust of the coaches already.
- [10:45]
C
Yeah.
- [10:46]
B
And they like, they're talking him up. So I think that's a guy that also has a chance to be all conference by the end because he's compatible with the system. But he played his best football. Go back and watch that because I went back and watched it too. But Pro Football Focus also, they have their grades on them and the grades reflect this. He had his best game of the season against Ohio State, arguably last season. Like, sorry, yeah, last season, his best game of the season, he was the highest graded defender, I believe for them against Ohio State and really was consistently good against the best wide receiving core in college football. So if you can do that against Ohio State, I, I think that's why the coaches checked all the boxes with that kid and he passed all the different tests they needed for him to earn the trust of the coaches really early.
- [11:27]
C
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- [13:03]
A
Buckeye fan watching this. Everybody watching this would love for a repeat performance of Bomasco against Ohio State this year.
- [13:09]
B
Good, Rod.
- [13:11]
A
We'll end with this. I, I, you know, when we talk about snubs, I, I try not to get too worked up about them until I've got enough evidence to feel like, okay, I've got a pretty good case here to show that there's some disrespect. Rod, I'll be frank. There might not be a more disrespected defensive back in the SEC than Grayson Littleton. You look at the assignments he drew last year in your opener as a true freshman in Columbus against Ohio State. Yeah, go cover Jeremiah Smith one on one in the slot. And, and he did it. And he and lived to tell about it. I just, you look at the production, how much they asked of him last year, how much they're going to ask of him this year. You know, I don't know if the PFF numbers are going to be there, Rod. I don't know if the interception numbers, the HAVOC numbers are going to be there, but I, I just feel like Grayson Littleton is grossly underappreciated for what he brings to the table.
- [14:02]
B
Honestly. I'm with you. Considering he just started as a true freshman, expecting to be exposed in a lot of ways. Right. Exposed. Fell there. Exposed. He's not grading in the run game. Go check Pro Football Focus. Actually one of your better defenders against the run, do you think? Oh, man. In coverage, they must have exposed him a lot. They didn't. Ohio State tried early on and he, he was, you know, up to the task. Right. He's up to the challenge. He, he is pretty remarkable. I'm with you. And I don't think we, I don't appreciate him enough either, considering he was able to win a job Day one. I mean, who's able to do that as a true freshman playing the slot? Guys, I can tell you this right now, the toughest position to play in the secondary is the slot corner. Dion said it. Everybody who plays the secondary will tell you that position. Every talk about everything happening at lightning speed. And not only happening at lightning speed, but then right across from me, I'm probably secondary run support and I got, I probably got a dog in front of me. I probably got a beast of it. I got Jermaine, you know what I mean? I got the elite Jeremiah Smith in front of me, right? I got elite Jerry Bishop in front of me. And yet I'm probably secondary run support and he's got the two way goal. I don't have to sideline, as my friend. I don't have, you know, 8, 9, 10 yards of cushion to be able to read the quarterback and read him. You didn't even take a three step. You can read the three step in the slot most of the time because you, you in between, right? You're not seven, eight yards off and you're not playing bump and run. A lot of the times you're kind of in that catch territory. I gotta say, it's a nightmare to play the slot. And I did it during a time where Nebraska was still running Y option. So these days it is it, trust me. It is a herculean task. And for a true freshman to play it as well as Grayson Wilton did, I probably wouldn't move them and I. We've been talking about who's going to play the nickel for mushrooms. He likes a bigger nickel, right? A kind of a bigger, sturdier nickel. Man, he was so good there. And when somebody's good at that position, why mess with it at that position? So I'm with you, I think. And so he could take a huge leap too. But there's no doubt. I think Grayson Littleton might be your one year more underrated defenders considering everything on, on his plate at that slot position. And I said, I can, I can probably on one hand think of the times where he was exposed and looked like a true freshman out there.
- [16:19]
A
So Rod, if we get to the end of the year and I'm gonna say which guys, how many, if you vote on a first, second, third team, all sec at the end of the year, when this, when the dust settles, how many guys in this Texas secondary you think will be on it and what teams are you on and how
- [16:39]
B
many teams have we got?
- [16:40]
A
Two or three, let's say three. Just for argument's sake, we'll replicate the preseason ballot.
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B
I' ma say if it's three teams, you get. Oh, I want to say three guys on it really bad. I really want to say 3. Jelami down is definitely going to be on there. If I had to pick up these other guys, man, Cade Phillips, I just. I got such a Cage Phillips crush that I had for a long time. Makes plays on the ball, and this defense is going to be very compatible with his skill set. But then I got. Just got done bragging about Grace a little to. And how great he's been. So I'm gonna say you get three guys on there. If. If this defense is supposed to be top, what are we talking about? Top 15, top 20 D. Yeah. Talking about a top 20 defense overall, Nash. That's what everybody's expecting. Top 20, top 25 defense. In that conversation, I'm gonna say you should, because you're gonna have so many, though. You think about the guys you're gonna have on the front, because they're not gonna let you have the whole damn defense on there. So. Because Colin Simmons and then you're gonna have Biles on there in the front seven guys. I'm gonna say the secondary might get shortchange and only get two, because you might have a lot of your front seven guys end up on there, too. You might end up having a lot of those. So I'm gonna go three. But just realistically, I wouldn't be surprised if it's only two. But I'm gonna go three. The three teams. I'm gonna. And I'll go. July McDonald on the first team. I'm gonna go. Tommy Donald having a big year. I said that. I'll go. Cade Phillips is second team on there, and I will go. Oh, that's tough. Disrespect Grayson Littleton like that.
- [18:15]
A
Well, why don't you just say Bo Masco? That way Grayson Littleton won't make it, and I'll have something to complain about when. When we get to that time.
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B
I know. And I feel like both Masco's got to make it because I want him to go to the league. And then we going back to the John Meredith conversation that Everybody having about 20, 27. So I feel like he's got to stay on track. So I feel like it's got to be Bo Masco. And I feel like Grace Wilson, this. This is what's gonna happen to you. Just like today, Baron, he got disrespected early on in his career with the all conference arms. Remember, they couldn't get no love in the Big 12.
- [18:43]
A
Yeah.
- [18:44]
B
Get any love for being all Big 12 defender. And I think he got a little bit like honorable mention and some other stuff. But then I think ultimately he blew up like his last year. So I think Grace might have some of that. So I'll go Bo Masco, Kate Phillips, and I'll go July McDonald.
- [18:58]
A
Who would have thunk it today? Baron had to go to the SEC to start getting some national love.
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B
But hey, isn't that crazy?
- [19:03]
A
It worked out very well for today. It worked out very well for Texas at the end of the day. All right, Rod, thank you for the time, the knowledge, the intel, the expertise. As always, big thank you to Matthew behind the scenes for producing it, doing the great job that he does. Thank you to our friends over at Prize Picks for sponsoring this edition of On Texas Football. Hey, you're not going to get better defensive back analysis or quite frankly, any better analysis anywhere in the Texas market than what you get anytime we've got Rod on a video. And you're not going to get better coverage of Texas athletics recruiting. Everything we've got that's going on on 40 acres, we're covering it over on Texas football.com so make sure you get over to the site and check everything out there. Make sure that you like this video. Make sure you're subscribed to the on Texas Football YouTube channel and make sure you got your notification set. That way, anytime we go live or drop a new video, you're not going to miss any of our Longhorn coverage or breaking news. Rod for Matthew, for the entire On Texas Football staff, I'm Jeff Howe. Thank you so much for watching and listening. And until next time,