New position coach Johnny Nansen will have a new man in the middle next season for the Texas Longhorns with linebacker Jaylan Ford foregoing his extra season of eligibility to declare for the 2024 NFL Combine, leaving a vacancy at the Mike position for Jeff Choate’s replacement.
It’s a significant offensive storyline for the Longhorns this offseason after Ford earned back-to-back first-team All-Big 12 recognition and finished as a Butkus Award semifinalist in 2023, totaling 220 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and six interceptions.
In Indianapolis for the combine, Ford expressed confidence in the state of Nansen’s position room when asked about which players will step up, including into the role as the quarterback of the defense filled by the middle linebacker.