The Longhorns set school records and hit major benchmarks for the modern draft era.
Expectations were high heading into the 2024 NFL Draft for the Texas Longhorns, with more players selected to be drafted than they’ve seen in recent memory.
Somehow, those expectations were exceeded in the draft, with the Longhorns breaking their own records with 11 players selected — the most in a seven-round draft, and third-most in any draft behind the 17 picks in 12 rounds in 1984 and 12 selections in 12 rounds in 1982. But nestled within the record 11 selections are several other notable records and notable benchmarks, signaling an end to the narratives of Texas being unable to develop all of the elite talent it lands in the recruiting process.
Before the Longhorns broke the common draft era record when wide receiver Jordan Whittington was drafted in the sixth round and became the 11th Texas player selected, head coach Steve Sarkisian’s program broke several other school records.
The four players picked in the opening 46 picks were the most in program history, as were the five selections in the first 52 picks.
Combined with the five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, Texas now has at least five selections in back-to-back drafts for the first time since doing so from 2006-08.
When the Seattle Seahawks picked defensive tackle Byron Murphy and the Kansas City Chiefs traded up for wide receiver Xavier Worthy, Texas had the second-most first-round picks in school history behind the three players selected in 1980, a feat the Horns haven’t accomplished since 2007. Since running back Bijan Robinson was taken by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round last year, the Longhorns have back-to-back drafts with first-round picks for the first time since 2004-07.
Back to Murphy quickly — Texas hasn’t had a defensive tackle drafted as high as Murphy was with the No. 16 pick since the New England Patriots took Kenneth Sims with the first pick in 1982. And the Longhorns haven’t had a defensive player selected that early since safety Kenny Vaccaro was the No. 13 pick in 2013.
As for Worthy, he was the first Texas wide receiver taken in the first round since Roy Williams in 2004 and only the third Longhorn wide receiver during the common draft era with Johnny “Lam” Jones in 1980.
The Texas common draft era record was actually broken when running back Keilan Robinson was selected in the fifth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars, marking the eighth selection in the 2024 cycle. His selection was also notable because he joined fellow running back Jonathon Brooks — who was the first running back off of the board in the second round — giving Texas its second running back selected for the second consecutive year, something that has never happened in school history and only four times overall. That marks the first time since the 2008 and 2009 seasons when Jamaal Charles and Chris Ogbonnaya were selected that Texas had running backs selected in back-to-back years.
Speaking of Brooks, his selection in the second round means that for the first time in school history, Texas has RB1 in consecutive years, a feat that no other program has ever accomplished besides Alabama in 2011 and 2012. Brooks was one of five Longhorns selected in the first two rounds, setting yet another school record for players picks in the two opening rounds of the draft.
When tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders joined Brooks in Carolina with his fourth-round selection, with Worthy and Adonai selected in the first two rounds, Texas officially had four offensive players selected in the draft — its highest total since the 2008 season when Limas Sweed, Jamaal Charles, Jermichael Finley, and Tony Hills were picked. Sanders was the first Texas tight end drafted since Geoff Swaim in 2014 and the earliest tight end selection for the Longhorns since Jermichael Finley was a third-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2008.
Bringing things full circle, Whittington’s selection by the LA Rams to officially give Texas No. 11 on the year simultaneously closed the book on the draft class and the narratives about five stars going to Texas to disappear. Whittington was one of the elite players Texas recruited but struggled to make the most of his talent due to injuries and on-field struggles.
Now, he’s got his chance to make his mark in the NFL.
With this group of players making the leap to the next level, Texas is only behind the 13 selections from the defending champion Michigan Wolverines for the most in the class, but even that comes with an important caveat — the Longhorns had 11 picks through the first six rounds were the most of any program in the 2024 NFL Draft. And the five picks from Texas in the first two rounds tied with Alabama, Georgia, and Washington for the most of any program.
Now, Steve Sarkisian and his staff have further recruiting ammunition coming out of last year’s Big 12 title and first-ever College Football Playoff appearance by proving their ability to develop players on a level the program hasn’t seen since the peak of the Fred Akers era in the early 1980s.