Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Linebacker Unit Ranked No. 1 in College Football

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Ylver Deleon-Rios | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 4:05 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns enter the 2025 season as one of the perennial championship contenders among analysts, and a big reason is because of brand new starting quarterback Arch Manning and what he can do in Steve Sarkisian's offense.

However, the Longhorns' championship aspirations are propped up by their hard-nosed defense, especially the linebacker corps.

Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus has ranked the Longhorns as the No. 1 linebacker unit heading into the 2025 season. Rounding out Chadwick's top five are the LSU Tigers, Pitt Panthers, Georgia Bulldogs, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Texas' linebacker unit anchored one of the best defenses in all of college football a season ago, allowing the third fewest in total yards and points per game among college defenses and was fourth in the country in sacks.

The Longhorns lose two key rotational pieces of that defense, linebackers David Gbenda and Morice Blackwell Jr. Each player recorded 30 tackles, with Gbenda recording 61 tackles with an interception, a pass deflection, and signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft.

Stalwart junior Anthony Hill Jr will lead the top-ranked linebacker unit for the Longhorns as he did last season. The junior put together an All-American season a year ago and is highly touted as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Playing right next to Hill will be junior Liona Lefau, who had a breakout season in 2025. Lefau had a career high in every statistic, with 63 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception. As well as Trey Moore, who returned to the Longhorns for his senior season in 2025 after playing his junior year with Texas after transferring from UTSA. Moore recorded 36 tackles, had six and a half sacks, with three forced fumbles in his first year in Austin.

Texas also went into the transfer portal to add to their linebacker room, adding a linebacker with SEC experience in junior Brad Spence, who played last year with the Arkansas Razorbacks. A season ago, Spence recorded 55 tackles and four and a half sacks on the season.

The Longhorns also have exciting young players who can carve out snaps in the rotation, including sophomore Ty'Anthony Smith, who in his freshman season saw the field in all 16 games of the season, recording 16 tackles and his first career interception. And the Longhorns added a touted four-star freshman in Elijah Barnes, who was ranked as the No. 3 linebacker recruit in the 2025 recruiting class.

Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and linebackers coach Johnny Nansen will have no trouble at all finding a solid rotation at the linebacker position with all the talent in the linebacker room.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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