They donned burnt orange, heard the roar of the crowds cheering for their success at Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium and gave their all to Longhorn Nation. Now, as they enter the professional level, new challenges await these former UT athletes in the next chapter of their career.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, Texas Athletics found success across multiple sports, bringing home two NCAA championships, eight top-five and 12 top-10 NCAA finishes, and winning a record 15 Big 12 Conference titles.
For some Texas athletes, this success marked the end of their collegiate careers, but the start of their next challenge. Here’s an update on top players from various sports who joined a professional sports team after the 2023-2024 season:
Volleyball
The Texas women’s volleyball team finished its 2023-2024 season with a back-to-back national championship with a 3-0 victory over Nebraska. From that team, stand-out middle blocker Asjia O’Neal was selected first overall by the Columbus Fury in the Pro Volleyball Federation. She signed with League One Volleyball to play for their Austin team, and will join seven other Texas alumnae for the league’s inaugural season, starting on Jan. 9, 2025.
Football
Texas football finished its last season in the Big 12 with a conference title and a 12–2 record.
From that team, 11 players were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, setting a program record for the most NFL players drafted in one year. Texas held the second most draftees, only falling short to Michigan, which had 13 players drafted.
Two of the 11 players drafted have found immediate success. Kansas City’s first round pick, wide receiver Xavier Worthy, has had seven targets with four receptions and one touchdown as of week two, averaging 16.0 yards per catch. His first NFL catch was a touchdown in the Chiefs’ week-one win over the Ravens.
Seattle Seahawks first round pick, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, has made an impact in his first two NFL games, securing six total tackles and 0.5 sacks, helping the Seahawks start their season 2–0.
Women’s Basketball
Longhorn women’s basketball finished last year’s season with a Big 12 Championship and an Elite Eight appearance in the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. From that team, guard Shaylee Gonzalez entered the 2024 WNBA Draft, but ultimately went undrafted. She joined the Italian basketball team Dinamo Sassari to compete in the Italian LBA, the highest club level competition in Italian professional basketball.
Gonzalez and her team are currently competing in the Euro Cup qualification round, where she recently won the first Mani MVP of the season after a dominant win over PAS Giannina. In the game, Gonzalez scored 22 points on 8-for-11 field goals and shot 5-for-6 from the three point line.
Men’s Basketball
The Texas men’s basketball team finished their 2023-2024 campaign in the Round of 32 with a loss to Tennessee in the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. Two draft-eligible players, guard Max Abmas and forward Dylan Disu, went undrafted, but signed summer league contracts: Abmas with the Utah Jazz and Disu with the Toronto Raptors.
In four summer league games, Abmas averaged 12.3 PPG and secured a contract with the Jazz. Disu averaged 3.0 PPG over 8.6 minutes per game. As of Sept, 20, there have been no updates on Disu’s contract status.
The future is bright for these athletes and their careers have only just begun. Their journey showcases the dedication to their craft while continuing the legacy of Texas Athletic programs in shaping world-class athletes.
