Top 3 Texas Longhorns players who could be drafted in Round 1 

The Texas Longhorns have become a factory of NFL talent over the past few years. Last season, the program set a record with 11 Longhorns selected in the 2024 NFL draft, and UT appears set to shatter that with as many as 14 players appearing on the latest mock drafts.

Ever since coach Steve Sarkisian took over and revitalized the program in 2021, the Longhorns have consistently been one of the most talented programs in college football.

One example of their depth is in the quarterback spot. Texas is losing Quinn Ewers to the 2025 NFL draft, but it already has his replacement in much-heralded prospect Arch Manning next season, and he continues to generate way more hype than Ewers was ever able to muster.

This draft also sees them with potentially as many as three players being called in the first round Thursday night. Here's a spotlight on the top stars coming out of Austin.

Kelvin Banks, OT

Kelvin Banks established himself as the cornerstone of the Longhorns’ offensive line, culminating in a great 2024 season, winning the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. The Texas native wasted little time making his presence felt when he came in, starting an incredible 42 games at left tackle, widely believed to be the hardest position to master on the offensive line, in just three seasons.

Even with the shift to more elite competition when Texas entered the Southeastern Conference, Banks kept that offensive line solid. He racked up an extensive resume in his three-year college career, being named to multiple All-American selections in addition to all-conference honors from the Big 12 and the SEC.

Draft boards project Banks as a top three offensive linemen, with a mock draft having him as high as in the middle of the top 10, where teams like the Raiders, Saints and Jets are looking for help on the offensive line. He could also go down around the teens, where teams like the 49ers, Dolphins and Cardinals look to shore up their own aging offensive lines.

Matthew Golden, WR

When Golden was starting out with the Houston Cougars, he wasn’t thought of as a game-changing wide receiver, but he was good enough to play in the pros. In two years down for his hometown college, he put up relatively modest numbers: 988 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns from 76 receptions.

Once he transferred to Austin, he broke out, starting all 15 games and putting up 987 yards and nine touchdowns from 58 receptions. He saved his best performances on the big stage as well, logging 162 yards in the SEC title game against Georgia and 149 yards in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Arizona State. He showed off in the NFL combine as well, running a 4.29 in the 40-yard dash, which cemented him as one of the draft's best overall athletes.

He is widely considered the first wide receiver off the board in this year’s draft (not counting Travis Hunter), with some mocks projecting him to go to the Dallas Cowboys to provide a much-needed boost to an offense that has become too dependent on CeeDee Lamb.

Others project him to go to the Miami Dolphins, considering the Tyreek Hill situation has just become a little toxic for the team, and the Arizona Cardinals to form a dynamic duo with their top pick from last year in Marvin Harrison Jr.

Jahdae Barron, CB

Staying in school proved to be a wise decision for Jahdae Barron as he was one of the best defensive backs in college football last season.

Logging 66 total tackles, one sack, five pass breakups and five interceptions, Barron rode that performance all the way to bagging the Jim Thorpe award and a consensus All-American selection. To add the cherry on top, he was also named the 2025 Peach Bowl MVP.

He brings his incredible work ethic and relentless effort from his five-year stint with the Longhorns to be one of the first cornerbacks chosen in the draft.

Mock drafts have him either the top or the second cornerback on the board behind Michigan’s Will Johnson (Travis Hunter notwithstanding).

Teams in the teens who could use a player like Barron are the Dolphins, who need a replacement for Jalen Ramsey, the Falcons and the Bengals, who badly need a shutdown corner to stop wideouts burning them consistently, and the Seahawks and Buccaneers, who look to shore up their secondary.