The Texas football secondary has one of its stalwarts back for 2025.

 

Michael Taaffe makes decision on Texas football future ahead of 2025

The Texas football secondary has one of its stalwarts back for 2025.

Michael Taaffe, who received second-team All-American recognition from the AP this season, is set to return to the Longhorns for one final year, he announced Tuesday night.

Taaffe concluded the 2024 season with 78 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. He also forced one fumble and recovered another.

A former walk-on who played his way into a significant role for the Longhorns, Taaffe figures to anchor the Texas secondary in 2025. He starred for Westlake High School in Austin and chose to walk on instead of taking scholarship offers from Colgate or Brown.

Andrew Mukuba, who started alongside Taaffe at safety for most of 2024, exhausted his collegiate eligibility. So did Thorpe Award-winning corner Jahdae Barron, making Taaffe’s decision to return particularly important.

Taaffe played more than 800 snaps on a Longhorns team that finished 2024 at the top of the charts defending the pass. Texas allowed just 5.7 yards per passing attempt, which tied the Longhorns with Washington for the best mark in college football.