Inside The Early Success of The Texas Longhorns Linebacker Corps

"I would say watching a lot," Lefau said. "The more film we watch, the slower the game gets for us. We don't want to go out there and not be prepared for certain formations or plays that they have. So, if we can go out there and we line up and then we ID their formation and we've seen it on tape, then we can be alert for certain things. And if they run it, then we'll be prepared for it."

While Lefau is one of the leading voices within the linebacker room, the de facto leader is undoubtedly Hill, who is one of, if not the best, linebackers in the nation. At the same availability window, Lefau described what it's like to play next to one of the best players at the linebacker position.

"It's fun, anytime you can play next to somebody who you can trust, and you know, they're going to do their job, it lets you play free," Lefau said. "We've been together for a while now, and we played next to each other for quite some time. So sometimes we communicate without even communicating, like we won't say anything, but I understand what he's going to do."

Lefau also mentioned sophomore linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith, who is quickly becoming a key component on the Longhorns' defense, being extremely productive through the first three games of the season, recording 12 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

"Ty is a great player, he pushes us in practice every single day and in games," Lefau said. "He's very physical, and he's not scared. He plays fast and physical, and he understands. He's a very smart player, too."