Who is the ‘next man up’ at linebacker for Longhorns after exodus before Citrus Bowl?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas linebackers coach Johnny Nansen will call defensive players in Wednesday’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl after defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski was fired Dec. 18, and he’s looking at the game through a wider lens than what will happen on New Year’s Eve.

With incoming defensive coordinator Will Muschamp set to take the reins after the bowl game, Nansen has been doing his best to keep the approach as business-as-usual as he possibly can.

“We haven’t changed, from planning and the way practice has been structured,” he said. “I think guys have been used to hearing my voice in meetings. It has really been normal to us. They are used to change. We understand with guys opting out and now coaches and changes like this, we understand it is part of the business, and the players have been great handling it.”

The transfer portal and players opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft have decimated Nansen’s position group. Anthony Hill and Trey Moore opted out to prepare for their potential NFL careers, and Liona Lefau intends to enter the transfer portal. Lefau looked to be the heir apparent at linebacker once Hill left, something most people within the program expected, but his pivot to move on from Texas will create opportunities for other players.

That’s the mindset Nansen wants to see, not just from the linebackers, but from everyone on the defensive side.

“The ‘next guy’ mentality has been in our program for a very long time,” he said. “I think you have to trust your guys, and the guys we have.”

One of the players with a big opportunity is Ty’Anthony Smith. He turned into a very nice rotational player at the second level, and now he’s been thrust into a leadership role for the bowl game. He said he learned a lot from the departing players and is taking an academic approach to it.

“What I learned, it is just how to be confident in my approach, and that is through studying and
consistently studying,” he said. “I think that is what they taught not only me but the rest of the guys. I am just ready to see how we study, and also just go out and play.”

Smith also said Nansen has played a huge part in supporting him in developing his leadership style.

“I would say it is just exciting, having a coach that believes in you from the jump and
taking on his leadership skills and bringing that out to the team,” he said. “I think that is kind of what has prepared me for next year with this leadership role in the linebacker room.”

Smith logged 51 tackles this season with 4.5 for a loss. He also forced two fumbles, something Hill was excellent at during his three years. Perhaps Smith is the next man up to fill that role.

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