The Outland Trophy winner is expected to be a coveted draft pick after a productive career in Austin.
After picking up the award for best collegiate interior lineman, Texas Longhorns defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat is ready to hear his name called at the 2024 NFL Draft.
Sweat hails from Huntsville, where he was a three-star defensive end with offers from Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Since high school, Sweat has added an extra inch of height and over 100 pounds to his frame in conjunction with his move from the edge to interior.
This position and stature change proved fruitful for Sweat. He finished his five-year career with a total of 18 starts and 62 appearances while having one of the greatest single seasons from an interior defensive lineman in Texas history.
As a super senior, Sweat won nearly every award possible including the Outland Trophy, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, unanimous first-team All-American, All-Texas Defensive Player of the Year, and All-Texas Best Defensive Lineman. In addition he was a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Badnarik Award. Sweat was the fifth Longhorn defensive tackle to be named a unanimous All-American and the first in over 40 years.
With a career-high 42 tackles this season, including 17 solo stops and eight for loss, plus two sacks and four PBU, @TexasFootball DT @TvondreSweat has earned the 2023 @outlandtrophy!#CFBPlayoff • #HookEm pic.twitter.com/caAR0XRUpe
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 9, 2023
During this historic campaign, Sweat recorded 45 tackles (18 solo), eight tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass break ups, and one blocked kick. He routinely took on double teams and penetrated those while simultaneously allowing for more gaps to open up for other Longhorns. In addition, Sweat recorded a touchdown, a two-yard snag in the Big 12 Championship game win over Oklahoma State.
T’VONDRE SWEAT BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN!!! pic.twitter.com/5NHKuiwm9M
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) December 2, 2023
Sweat’s ability to disrupt opposing offenses makes him a highly-enticing prospect. As one of the premier defensive lineman in college football this past year, he put himself on the radar of every NFL coaching staff. Sweat utilizes his size to eat up space as a run defender. When coupled with his strength, his size becomes lethal at defeating single blockers, handling double teams, and disrupting interior run plays. In addition, Sweat has a quick and powerful first step that allows him to influence the pass game at times. With more technique development, he possesses more than enough to become a capable pass rusher.
Unfortunately, NFL teams do have concerns regarding his status as a prospect. While Sweat demonstrated an ability to play exceptionally well at 366 pounds, NFL teams may be skeptical of whether that is sustainable at the next level. Sweat would be the heaviest player in the league and while this is not an immediate danger sign, it is a factor that has been regularly discussed.
#Longhorns Pro Day Clips of #Texas DTs T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II from the LHN coverage. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/wfQB6S6uvo
— Blake Munroe (@BlakeMunroeOTF) March 21, 2024
The second and final concern relates to Sweat’s recent arrest for operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. While the 22-year-old Sweat has historically been a fan favorite and remained out of trouble, the arrest and its connection to a reputation for partying that Seat was trying to move post has the potential to impact his draft stock and move him down the board out of the second day of the draft.
“According to a team source, Sweat has been up front with NFL teams about his ‘partying’ as an underclassman,” NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler said on Twitter. ”And made it a point of emphasis in interviews that it was all in the past. Obviously, today’s incident (3 weeks from the NFL Draft) won’t help answer any concerns with teams.”
All in all, Sweat is one of the biggest and most accomplished lineman in the class. His run-clogging skills and combination of speed and size will make him an asset for whichever team calls him name in Detroit.