Unlikely Texas Longhorns Freshman Already Competing For Starting Job

Training camp is underway for the Texas Longhorns, which means several newcomers and returners have the chance to prove their value on the field.

The Longhorns lost 12 players to the 2025 NFL Draft, meaning that there has been room for new playmakers to emerge in different ways.

Graceson Littleton, a true freshman from Tampa, Florida, earned reps with the first team defense at the STAR position on his first day of preseason camp. 

STAR possibilities

Prior to Littelton’s arrival on the scene, defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau filled the STAR spot. He started there in 2024, when defensive back Jahdae Barron transitioned from the STAR to a boundary corner. 

Barron, now rostered with the Denver Broncos, had started to gain serious attention by demonstrating his athleticism as a STAR throughout his earlier years at Texas. He then played one year as the boundary corner before becoming a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Junior Malik Muhammad will likely secure the starting boundary corner spot this year, but it’s possible that Guilbeau could earn a few snaps out there as well. 

If this is the case, Littleton could potentially earn meaningful minutes for Texas as a true freshman. 

Littleton’s background

Littleton served as a component of Texas’ coveted 2025 recruiting class, a class that held the No. 1 position in the nation by the end of the cycle. 

At 6-feet tall and 180 pounds, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 10 cornerback in his class and No. 11 overall prospect from the state of Florida. He earned four-star status as a recruit, and the dual-sport athlete also posted an impressive 100-meter dash time of 10.91seconds and a 400-meter dash time of 50.30 seconds in track and field. 

He recorded a 40-yard dash time of 4.51 seconds at an Under Armour Camp outside of Orlando, further demonstrating his explosive speed as a prospect. 

With a resume demonstrating this much athleticism, it will be interesting to see how the Longhorns choose to use Littleton this upcoming season. Training camp will likely reveal more about how he plays and what kind of role in the secondary is best suited for him. 

The Longhorns will head to Columbus, Ohio, for their first game of the season to face the Ohio State Buckeyes. More will be revealed about projected lineups and possible freshman starters as this game draws closer and training camp nears its end.