Before the 2024 season, senior Jahdae Barron made the switch from the more internal position of “star” to full-time cornerback. His switch improved not only his performance but the Texas defense overall.
Barron is now a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back in college football. He is tied in the SEC in interceptions with four and according to PFF is the No. 2 rated corner in the nation.
His leadership has transcended his play off the field, as he is one of the most respected guys in the locker room. After Texas’ win over Florida, fellow senior defensive back Andrew Mukuba left the media room yelling “Barron for Thorpe.”
Barron had a chance to play in the NFL after last season but decided to come back for his fifth year. It’s more than paid off.
“I try to tell myself, can I be committed to the process without ultimately being tied to the result of what I’m doing?” Barron said. “So every day, can I just get up and just go to work and not look (at) what I’m gonna get out of it? Can I just be committed to the process without being tied to the results of what I’m doing? And I think every day, if I have that mindset, and I can just go to work and just go to work and try to get 1% better every day, I think that’s been the best thing for me.”
His mindset has translated to his teammates, as the entire defense and offense share the “1% better everyday” mentality. Barron could not have been more excited for the switch to corner, knowing that defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski could put him in the best position to succeed on the field.
“(The coaches) just keep putting me in position to benefit myself and the team, but they’re allowing me to just play free, and they trust me,” Barron said. “So just the trust, and then the amount of film I put in, (Kwiatkowski) trusted me, just knowing that I know what to do at corner, or nickel or any other position they want to put me in.”
Barron not only has the trust of his coaches but also his teammates. His fellow seniors, offense and defense, know they have lots to learn from him and have all seen positive influence from his decision to take his fifth year.
“It’s massive, to have a leader like that come back, and he’s played a lot of college football, so to have him back this year to hopefully go on a championship run, it would speak volumes to Jahdae’s character,” senior tight end Gunnar Helm said. “Just (him) coming back and trusting and knowing that he has to lead this team on the defensive side of the ball, and just as a whole, in general, like I said before, it’s massive to have him.”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian also has high praise for Barron, citing his selflessness and versatility. On top of his four interceptions, he has made 38 total tackles and one sack.
“It was, ‘we’re going to move you to corner and make this a kind of a full-time deal, and then use your versatility and nickel and dime and those types of things that present themselves,’” Sarkisian said about Barron. “His commitment to that has been one of the more impressive things of understanding, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go play corner, I’m gonna do it at a high level. When I go play dime and linebacker, I’m gonna Blitz, I’m gonna do those things that I do well.’”
