Texas will face No. 24 Kansas on Saturday in Austin, and a victory means the Longhorns would be off to their best start since 2009. One key to the game will be the defense’s ability to contain junior quarterback Jalon Daniels. So far, the Texas defense has shown this season that it is up for the challenge.

The improvement of the Longhorns under defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski is apparent. In just three years Texas has gone from giving up 425.6 total yards per game in 2021, ranking 99th out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision schools, to 298.5 total yards per game in the first four games of the 2023 season. The Longhorns currently lead the nation in defensive efficiency with a score of 92.2 out of 100. Defensive efficiency is how the defense affects the margin in the score and is modified based on the strength of the other team’s offense.

Senior linebacker Jaylan Ford has been one of the most impactful players for the Texas defense since the 2022 season. He led the team last season in both tackles and interceptions with 119 and four, respectively. Through four games, Ford has two interceptions and leads the team with 25 tackles.

Ford wouldn’t be able to produce these numbers without the help of senior defensive lineman T’vondre Sweat and junior defensive lineman Byron Murphy II. Both have been dominant against opposing backfields so far this season, with 12 solo tackles and 3.5 sacks between the two. 

What’s more impactful is their ability to create chaos at the line of scrimmage by taking on double teams from opposing offensive lines. This allows the rest of the defense a favorable matchup with outnumbered blockers, which had a great impact in the Baylor game.

The improvement in the rush defense through three seasons has been the most impressive. The 2021 Longhorns’ defense ranked 114th out of 130 schools, allowing 202.6 rushing yards per game. The defense this year is allowing only 87.3 rushing yards a game, which is on track to be the most proficient run-stopping unit since the 2009 squad, which finished with a stellar 72.4 rushing yards allowed per game.

Another one of Texas’ strengths this season has been its red zone defense. The Longhorns currently have the second best percentage of opponent scoring in the red zone at .500, behind Syracuse with .444. Texas has only allowed opponents into its red zone 10 times this season with only one touchdown. With its back against the wall, the Texas defense has shown that it can perform when it matters most.

The Longhorns aren’t just performing in the red zone though. The Texas defense ranks third in FBS for defensive drive efficiency, explosive drives and effective rushes, and fourth overall according to Sharp College Football’s Beta_Rank model. This means that the Longhorns are among the best in limiting their opponents’ rushing attack, plays over 20 yards and scoring drives.

Texas still has eight conference games to play, starting with the experienced Jayhawks coming into town Saturday. The Longhorns will have to shore up coverage on the deep ball and continue to play effectively against the run this weekend if it wants to get back to where Texas hasn’t been in 14 years, 5–0.