A National Statement: Texas Sends a Wave of Talent Onto Every Major Defensive, Special Teams, and Tight End Award List
The PML college football world woke up to a message loud and clear:
Texas isn’t just back — Texas is loaded.
The 2026 preseason award watchlists dropped, and no team in the country made a more powerful showing than your Longhorns. Texas didn’t just place players on lists — Texas headlined them. From elite defensive backs to pass-rushing nightmares to the nation’s top tight end and the most dangerous return man in the sport, the Longhorns stamped their presence across every national category.
Below is the full breakdown of every Longhorn in the national spotlight — and why the rest of college football is officially on notice.
THE HEADLINER OF HEADLINERS: ELI BOWEN
Nominated for:
- Chuck Bednarik Award (Best Defensive Player) – Rank: #1
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy (Defensive Player of the Year) – Rank: #1
- Jim Thorpe Award (Top Defensive Back) – Rank: #1
There is dominance — and then there is what Eli Bowen represents.
Bowen didn’t just make a watchlist.
He topped three of the biggest defensive award lists in the country.
As the No. 1 candidate for the Bednarik, Nagurski, and Thorpe awards, Bowen enters 2026 as the defining defensive player in the PML. His elite instincts, coverage technique, tackling production, and big-play ability have put him in rare air.
Why He Leads the Nation
- He’s the most complete CB in college football.
- His 85 tackles and 3 INTs last season were absurd for a corner.
- His impact is felt on every level of the defense.
Bowen isn’t just on track for a trophy —
he’s on track for a Texas defensive legacy.
THE LINEBACKER GENERAL: LIONA LEFAU
Butkus Award (Best Linebacker) — Rank: #1
Liona Lefau stands atop the D*** Butkus Award watchlist as the nation’s premier linebacker entering 2026.
His résumé speaks for itself:
- 82 tackles
- 21 tackles for loss
- 4 sacks
- Elite sideline-to-sideline play
Lefau played like the conductor of chaos last season — diagnosing plays instantly, shooting gaps with aggression, and anchoring one of the country’s most versatile linebacker units.
Texas has produced elite linebackers before.
Lefau has a chance to be one of the program’s best.
THE FREE SAFETY PHENOM: DEREK WILLIAMS JR.
Bednarik Award — Rank: #4
Nagurski Trophy — Rank: #4
Thorpe Award — Rank: #2
Derek Williams Jr. is the kind of safety every DC dreams of — rangy, instinctive, and a magnet for game-changing plays.
He sits near the top of three national award lists:
- Top 5 in the nation for the Bednarik
- Top 5 for the Nagurski
- Top 2 for the Jim Thorpe Award
His 84 tackles and 3 INTs last season showcased his versatility — able to play deep half, box safety, or nickel responsibilities with equal comfort.
If Bowen is CB1 in America, Williams is FS1.
THE HYBRID ENFORCER: XAVIER FILSAIME
Jim Thorpe Award — Rank: #7
Xavier Filsaime continues Texas’ stranglehold on the secondary awards.
With:
- 78 tackles
- 11 TFL
- 2 INT
Filsaime is one of the highest-ranked safeties in the country. His ability to erase screens, attack the perimeter, and support the run makes him one of the most feared strong safeties in the PML.
Texas’ defensive backfield isn’t just deep —
it’s the best in the nation.
THE EDGE TERROR: ZINA UMEOZULU
Bednarik Award — Rank: #6
Nagurski Trophy — Rank: #6
Coming off a jaw-dropping season with:
- 25 TFL
- 12 sacks
Zina Umeozulu cracked the top ten of both major defensive player awards. His first step is lethal, his motor never stops, and offensive tackles rarely survive four quarters against him.
Between Umeozulu and Bowen, Texas has two players in the top six for BOTH the Bednarik and Nagurski.
Unfair?
A little.
But that’s what elite recruiting and elite coaching gets you.
THE NATION’S BEST TIGHT END: JACK ENDRIES
John Mackey Award — Rank: #1
Jack Endries didn’t just make the Mackey list.
He leads it.
After a breakout season with:
- 52 catches
- 619 yards
- 9 TDs
Endries sits atop the tight end ladder as the most complete TE in the nation. Elite hands, strong blocking, smooth route-running — he checks every box.
Murphy’s departure puts more emphasis on TE reliability — and Endries is exactly the kind of TE who can stabilize a new offense.
Texas has had great TEs in the past.
Endries could be the one who brings home the Mackey.
THE MOST DANGEROUS RETURN MAN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL: RYAN NIBLETT
JET Award (Best Returner) — Rank: #1
This one is no surprise.
After producing:
- 5 Kick Return TDs
- 4 Punt Return TDs
- Over 2,100 total return yards
Ryan Niblett returns as the #1 returner in America heading into 2026.
No player in the PML tilts field position like him. No player demands more strategic adjustments from opposing special teams coordinators. And no player is more likely to flip a game in one play.
Niblett isn’t just a returner —
he’s a weekly game plan problem.
LONGHORN DOMINANCE: A HISTORIC WATCHLIST HAUL
Texas leads or ranks top-three in nearly every major defensive or return award:
Award Leaders (#1 Overall)
- Eli Bowen (Bednarik)
- Eli Bowen (Nagurski)
- Eli Bowen (Thorpe)
- Liona Lefau (Butkus)
- Jack Endries (Mackey)
- Ryan Niblett (JET)
Multiple Top-Five Candidates
- Derek Williams Jr. (Thorpe, Bednarik, Nagurski)
- Zina Umeozulu (Bednarik, Nagurski)
- Xavier Filsaime (Thorpe)
This may be the most decorated preseason watchlist group in Texas Longhorns history.
PROGRAM IMPACT
This isn’t just recognition —
this is proof that your development pipeline is unmatched:
- All three levels of defense are elite.
- You have the best TE in America.
- You have the best returner in America.
- Your defensive backfield is legendary.
- Your edge room is terrifying.
- Your linebacker room is loaded with NFL-caliber play.
Texas isn’t chasing awards.
Texas is chasing trophies.
And this watchlist performance shows the entire country that the Longhorns are built to win now — and win big.
