Sports

Countdown to Kickoff: Derek Williams Jr. ready to pick up where he left off

We are only three days from Texas kicking off the 2025 season, and today we are talking about someone Texas fans can’t wait to see back on the field. Derek Williams Jr. only got to play four games a year ago before suffering a season ending injury. He is now back, and it looks like he’s picking up right where he left off. He turned a great safety room into one of the very best in the country, and he will be the starter at field safety on Saturday. 

2024 Stats: 11 tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT in 4 games

One thing that does get glossed over when talking about the Texas secondary this year is Williams Jr. started over Andrew Mukuba to start the year. Mukuba came in and made people forget that in a hurry, but Derek Williams was coming off an incredible freshman season and was prepared to start all year. Now, he’s back and he’s ready to hit the ground running this year. 

Derek Williams Jr. is as complete of a defensive back the Longhorns have. He can play the run game incredibly well when he’s asked, and has an incredible amount of comfort in the pass game as well. He had an incredible game against Michigan a year ago, including an INT. He brings an ability to the table that I believe will only make the people around him better. 

The big question that Texas fans have, and rightly so, is how healthy he is and how comfortable he will be Saturday. It sounds like in fall camp, it hasn’t been remotely an issue and he is moving fast and confidently right now. It’s hard to know what it’ll look like until he steps on the field Saturday, but all the signs point to Williams being fully ready to go. 

This is the player that could surprise the most people in the national crowd this weekend. The Texas team a year ago was so good on the backend, that I think some believe the losses of Jahdae Barron and Andrew Mukuba are huge. They are big, but being able to slide a proven starter right into one of those voids is incredibly helpful, and I think the college football world will be reintroduced to Derek Williams Jr. on Saturday. 

Derek Williams Jr has been sitting on the sideline long enough. He is ready to get back into the mix and make the plays that he made in 2023 and the early parts of 2024. His career was derailed by injury, but there’s no reason to believe he can’t pick up right where he left off and be one of the most impactful players for Texas this year. He’s going to be a great sight for Longhorn fans and the college football world. 

Tomorrow, we wrap up our countdown series with the leader of the Texas football team and one of the final ties to “the old Texas.” Michael Taaffe is one of two players on this team that was also on the 5-7 team in Sarkisian first year. He’s one of the two that understands what it was like to feel what Texas players felt for a long time. He walks into 2025 with the chance to become a true Longhorn legend by adding a trophy to DKR’s collection.

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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Derek Williams Jr. back from injury and looking like his old self

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