With NFL teams trimming down to their initial 53-man rosters, Steve Sarkisian picked up seven more names for his pro résumé. All six Longhorns taken in April survived cutdown day, and one undrafted free agent also cracked a Week 1 roster.
That puts another batch of Texas players on the league stage, joining a pipeline that already includes Super Bowl champions Byron Murphy II and Moro Ojomo, plus All-Pro Bijan Robinson. The question now is simple: what kind of rookie roles are waiting for this newest group?
Anthony Hill Jr. is the most intriguing case. Robert Saleh has spent two decades coaching linebackers, and the Titans’ new head coach is already working to shape the former five-star into his next one. Hill has flashed the athletic tools this fall, but he still has to sharpen his consistency and leadership before he can push past veterans Cedric Gray and Cody Barton.
There’s already a hint of where Tennessee wants him. In the Titans’ final preseason game against the Bears, Hill handled his first snaps relaying signals as the MIKE linebacker, a clear sign Saleh is preparing him for that job down the road. For now, he’s expected to be part of the WILL rotation, with a chance to move into a full-time starting role once Barton and Gray’s contracts run out in 2028.
Malik Muhammad’s path has taken a sharper turn. He opened as a projected third outside corner for Chicago, which fit the role where he played 89% of his college snaps. But injuries to Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Jones have pushed him into the Bears’ slot-corner spot, even though he took just 2% of his collegiate snaps there.
That kind of shift is a trial by fire, and Dennis Allen isn’t easing him in. If Muhammad can handle life closer to the line of scrimmage, he could build a long run as a starting nickel. If not, he may settle into a career as outside depth.
Trey Moore’s situation is less about role and more about timing. Miami brought in the former Texas edge defender after he spent most of his final season with the Longhorns playing off the ball, which left open the question of whether the Dolphins would use him as a pass-rush specialist or a linebacker.
An ankle injury has delayed any answer, though, and fans won’t get a look at his role until late in the regular season. When he returns, the fit will depend on Miami’s personnel, but his best trait is still getting after the quarterback.
The Dolphins’ other Longhorn rookie, Andrew Mukuba, has had a quieter camp. There was some hope he might climb the depth chart after lone starting safety Dante Trader Jr. went down early in August, but he never separated himself. Even so, he should be in the mix as a rotational piece in the backend and could work his way up with time.
DJ Campbell has followed a similar path, though his preseason finish has been stronger. He was quiet for much of camp, but the last two weeks of preseason have helped him stand out.
He’s currently behind sophomore Jonah Savaiinaea and rookie Kadyn Proctor, who were selected with the 37th and 12th picks in their respective drafts, and he’s not expected to overtake either one. Still, if one of them goes down, Campbell should be next in line.
For now, he looks like a depth lineman.
Jack Endries landed in an odd but promising spot with Cincinnati. The Bengals kept five tight ends, which is a lot for the position and doesn’t leave much immediate room for him to see the field. But that number also says something about how they view him.
Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample are both over 30, and Endries could be working his way into three-tight-end packages by the beginning of his second season. If that happens, a starting job is not out of reach.
Ethan Burke is the underdog of the group, but he made it anyway. He wasn’t invited to the Combine and wasn’t drafted, yet he still earned a roster spot. In his current situation, he’s buried at the bottom of the edge-rusher group behind Trey Hendrickson, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green and second-round pick Zion Young.
What Burke does bring is run defense, and that should get him onto the field in goal-line situations and on special teams.
In Other News...
Texas Freshman DB Is Suddenly Making Early Playing Time Hard To Ignore
Texas entered camp with the usual August questions on the back end of its defense, and Toray Davis has done enough to change the conversation. Steve Sarkisian singled out five freshmen who have pushed their way into the mix this fall, and Davis is among the ones drawing notice after arriving from Boulder Fairview as a modestly ranked recruit who flipped to Texas shortly before the early signing period.
What makes Davis hard to ignore is the kind of high school resume that hinted he might grow into more than a developmental piece. He paired a standout senior season with impact production on both sides of the ball, and the traits Texas liked on film still show up in camp, especially his ball skills and physicality. For a Longhorns secondary still sorting out its depth chart, that kind of early momentum matters, even if the final answer at his position is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Faces A Tough Call On Its Michigan Showcase
Texas nonconference plans have hit an unexpected snag as the Longhorns try to map out their future marquee games. Steve Sarkisian said the program remains committed to its scheduled showdowns with Ohio State and Michigan in 2026 and 2027, but he also made clear that everything beyond that stretch is still being sorted through as Texas balances the demands of a changing schedule with its desire to keep big-ticket opponents on the board.
The issue now is whether the Michigan series can be preserved without forcing Texas into an awkward reset on the calendar. The matchup was supposed to be a centerpiece for 2027 in Austin, but the broader nonconference picture is already crowded with other high-profile possibilities, including Notre Dame, and that is where the next decision could get complicated. For Texas, the question is no longer just whether to play Michigan, but how to make the rest of the future schedule work around it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Self-Reported Betting Violations That Raise Bigger Questions For Longhorns
The University of Texas has spent the summer dealing with a string of NCAA Level III sports wagering violations that reached beyond one locker room and into the broader athletic department. The school self-reported seven cases between January and August, involving members of the football program, womens soccer, mens track and field, and department employees, with the activity tied to prediction market site Kalshi. For a program that lives under constant scrutiny, even minor compliance issues can quickly become part of a bigger conversation about culture and oversight.
Several of the incidents were serious enough to bring discipline, with some people declared ineligible and others terminated after the violations came to light. Texas also redacted the names of the individuals in its report, leaving the public with a fuller picture of the problem but not the identities behind it. The one football case that was disclosed involved a player who was ruled ineligible after placing a small amount in wagers on college and pro basketball, a reminder that even modest bets can carry major consequences. [Read more 🡒]