The Texas Longhorns had a lot of talent on the field in 2024. A college football playoff semifinalist for the second straight year, the Horns won their fair share of individual honors. Now, ESPN is out with their All-America Team and three of the Texas stars from this season have made the list.
UT left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and defensive back Jahdae Barron are all first-team selections according to ESPN Senior Writer Chris Low. Safety Michael Taaffe is a second-team selection.
Banks won both the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy this year, a rare feat. Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back and Hill was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award.
Both Banks and Barron will be heading to the NFL. Hill and Taaffe will be back in Austin for another year. Ohio State and Texas have the most players on the All-America first team with three apiece.
Here is what ESPN had to say about the first-team Longhorns:
OT: Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Despite a left ankle injury that sidelined him for the SEC championship game, Banks was the centerpiece of a Texas offensive line that paved the way for one of the most balanced offenses in the country. The Longhorns were one of six FBS teams to average more than 275 passing yards and 160 rushing yards per game. The 6-4, 320-pound junior won the Lombardi Award this season as the nation’s best collegiate lineman and has been a starter at left tackle since his true freshman season.
LB: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
The epitome of a do-it-all linebacker, Hill went from being one of the best true freshmen in 2023 to one of the best defenders in the country this season. And, yes, he has another season remaining at Texas. The 6-3, 235-pound sophomore led the Longhorns with 113 total tackles and tied for fourth among FBS linebackers with 16.5 tackles for loss. He also had four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
CB: Jahdae Barron, Texas
Barron was already widely viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in college football but only raised his stock in helping limit Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith to one catch for 3 yards in the Longhorns’ playoff semifinal loss at the Cotton Bowl. Barron, a 5-11, 200-pound redshirt senior, was the Thorpe Award winner as the best defensive back in college football and tied for the team lead in a talented secondary with five interceptions.
