Texas set to honor 25 seniors before final home game vs. Texas Tech

The list includes two starters with remaining eligibility.

• By
  
  Wescott Ebert
  

• on November 20, 2023 1:56 pm

In a pregame ceremony prior to Friday’s regular-season finale against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns will honor 25 seniors, according to the game notes released by the school on Monday :

• Walk-on wide receiver Paxton Anderson
• Walk-on tight end Gus Asel
• Defensive back Jahdae Barron
• Walk-on tight end Patrick Bayouth
• Linebacker Jett Bush
• Defensive tackle Trill Carter
• Safety Jalen Catalon
• Defensive tackle Alfred Collins
• Safety Kitan Crawford
• Linebacker Jaylan Ford
• Linebacker David Gbenda
• Offensive lineman Sawyer Goram-Welch
• Right tackle Christian Jones
• Walk-on linebacker Tannahill Love
• Walk-on kicker Gabriel Lozano
• Center Jake Majors
• Defensive lineman Peter Mpagi
• Defensive tackle Byron Murphy
• Wide receiver Isaiah Neyor
• Running back Kaylan Robinson
• Punter Ryan Sanborn
• Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat
• Safety Jerrin Thompson
• Wide receiver Jordan Whittington

The most notable names on the list are Majors, a redshirt junior, and Murphy, a true junior, who both have remaining eligibility, but their inclusion doesn’t necessarily mean that they plan on turning pro or otherwise moving on from Texas football, as the decision to return by right tackle Christian Jones last year indicates.

Fourth-year junior offensive lineman Sawyer Goram-Welch also has a remaining year of eligibility, but hasn’t been a contributor on either side of the ball in his career after signing as a defensive lineman in the 2020 recruiting class.

Majors, Murphy, and Goram-Welch are all set to earn their bachelors or masters degrees or graduate certificates this fall, along with junior quarterback Charles Wright.

A handful of players who don’t project as selections in the 2024 NFL Draft have COVID years available to use like Robinson, Neyor, Carter, Gbenda, Catalon, Crawford, and Thompson, while Collins is a potential fringe draft pick with the remaining unrealized talent to increase his draft stock significantly by returning for another season, similar to Sweat.

Texas likely won’t have more certainty about the status of players honored on Friday who have the ability to return until Sarkisian holds exit interviews following the season’s conclusion.

Current Texas roster matrix

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