Austin, Texas – No. 3 defensive tackle in Texas football Founder Sweet And Byron Murphy II and wide receiver/kick returner Xavier deserves it He has been named a Sporting News All-American, the organization announced Wednesday. Sweat was voted to the first team and Murphy to the second team, while Worthy also earned second-team honors as a punt returner. This marks the fourth All-America Team of the Year honor for Sweat, who also received honors from the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Sweat, the 2023 Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s top interior lineman, had a breakout season for Texas, setting career highs with 42 tackles, 17 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and four pass breakups, while adding a blocked punt on a State Trophy Iowa after the catch Austin Jordan It was returned 82 yards to score two points for Texas. The Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year also caught a two-yard touchdown pass in the Longhorns’ Big 12 Championship Game win over Oklahoma State.
In addition to being selected as a first-team All-American by Sporting News, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America and the AP, the Huntsville, Texas native was also a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik and Walter Camp Awards. Player of the year.
Murphy, a junior from DeSoto, Texas who also earned second-team All-America honors from the AP, recorded 26 tackles and set career highs with 12 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks. He has recorded at least two tackles in seven games and recorded a tackle for loss in six of 13 games this season, including a four tackles, three tackles for loss and two sack performance at Baylor. In the win over Wyoming, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year hauled in a 1-yard reception, becoming just the fourth Texas lineman to score an offensive touchdown. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches and the Associated Press.
With Sweat and Murphy leading the charge, the Texas defense led the Big 12 in third-down defense (26.5 percent) and red zone defense (71.4 percent), ranking second and fourth, respectively, nationally in each category. The Longhorns also rank 13th nationally in scoring defense (17.5 ppg) and 22nd in total tackles for loss (82). Texas held eight opponents to under 100 yards this season, the most since 2009 (10), including a five-game winning streak against Houston, BYU, Kansas State, TCU and Iowa State that was UT’s longest since 2009. It is tied for third-longest by a Big 12 team over the last 15 seasons. In those five games, opponents rushed for 241 yards (48 ypg) on 118 carries (2 ypc). The Longhorns lead the conference and rank third in the nation in rushing defense, yielding just 80.8 yards per game, the fewest UT has surrendered since 2008.
Worthy, a second-team All-American selection as a kick returner by the FWAA and a third-team honoree as an all-purpose player by the AP, caught a career-high 73 passes for 969 yards and five touchdowns and returned 20 punts for 358 yards. He leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation with an average of 17.9 yards per punt return, while leading the conference in receiving yards, ranking second in receiving yards per game (74.5) and third in receptions and receptions per game (5.6). He is just the second Longhorn to have three 60-plus reception seasons (Roy Williams). Threatening to score every time he touched the ball, the junior had a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown against BYU that is tied for the ninth-longest punt return for a score in program history and the 10th-longest punt return overall. His punt return average ranks second in program history (Bobby Dillon – 22.3, 1950) and his 358 punt return yards this season are seventh all-time for a Longhorn. A native of Fresno, California, Worthy was named first-team All-Big 12 as a wide receiver and return specialist by the Big 12 coaches and the Associated Press, while also earning first-team honors as a return specialist by the conference and as a player Multipurpose by AP.
The world of football is always abuzz with news of standout players who have risen to the top of their game, and this year, a trio of exceptional athletes has been recognized as Sporting News All-Americans. These players have demonstrated unparalleled skill, determination, and leadership on the field, earning them a well-deserved place among the most esteemed in the sport. Their outstanding achievements have solidified their status as true football legends, and their impact on the game continues to inspire and captivate fans across the nation. Let’s take a closer look at the incredible talents of these three Sporting News All-Americans.