The Texas Longhorns are losing one of their cornerstones who has seen the Longhorns rise to national prominence over his years with the program. That player is safety Michael Taaffe, as the Austin native decided to stay in his home city and walk on to the Longhorns program. And after his five seasons with the Longhorns, Taaffe went from walk-on to All-American, becoming one of the faces of the Texas program. Now the safety heads to the next phase of his football career with his selection by the Miami Dolphins in the Round 5 of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Longhorns will look to replace Taaffe, who had started in the backend of the secondary, and Texas should have a player in mind to take the reins. Derek Williams Jr. Will Look to Step Up Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer walks off the field next to Texas Longhorns defensive back Derek Williams Jr.…