It is officially game week for the Texas Longhorns, and we are hitting the home stretch of our countdown to kickoff. Jaylon Guilbeau is the subject today, and he has made a move to a true corner position after taking over the nickel role a year ago. He heads into his fourth year, and will be asked to step up in a big way in a contract year.
2024 Stats: 58 tackles, 1 sack, 3 PDs in 16 games
The huge plus that Guilbeau brings to the table is he is likely the most consistent tackler on the backend for Texas. He only missed 11% of his tackles, according to PFF, and was instrumental in the Texas back end being as productive as it was. This year, he’s going to be forced into being a higher level player in coverage this year, particularly in five days.
If Texas is going to have a Jahdae Barron type figure on the back end this year, it will be Guilbeau. He can play both sides of the field at the CB position, can play inside at the nickel and even play deep safety if needed. He’s an incredibly versatile player on the backend and it’s a huge reason why the coaches felt comfortable moving him to field corner, and why he’s taken the job by the horns.
Guilbeau being so versatile makes things easier on the backend, because if the nickel position doesn’t come together, you can move him there and he will play good football. That is a great “break glass in case of emergency” option for the nickel role, although Sarkisian and company would not like to use it. As of right now, he is set at likely the field corner spot, which is fairly consistently the toughest 1-on-1 position on the field.
We talked about how important Malik Muhammad was going to be to this team, and Guilbeau is right there as well. If the Texas safeties, led by Michael Taaffe and Jelani McDonald, can play as free as possible, it’s going to be a nightmare to throw into this defense. It’s part of what made the group so special a year ago, with Jahdae Barron allowing Andrew Mukuba and Michael Taaffe to play the ball the way they can.
Jaylon Guilbeau is someone that was overshadowed a year ago, but made a huge impact on the team and the defense. He played the nickel position so consistently and strongly, and it led to a bigger, more “front page” role this year. That comes with more pressure and more responsibility, but comes with the ability to become a household name this season.
It’s hard to know exactly what the Longhorns are getting from Jaylon Guilbeau this year, at least at the true corner position. What is known is the depth is really talented and Sarkisian and company didn’t need to move Guilbeau outside to have an effective secondary, but they did. That gives me, and I think should give Texas fans, confidence heading into the year. He is likely to get his toughest test in five days when he lines up across from Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, so it won’t take long to find out what he’s going to be this year.
Tomorrow, it’s all about the player I believe will be the breakout star of this defense, Jelani McDonald. He could play nickel to open the year, he could be a true safety over the top, and I think he’s going to be effective regardless. We will get into why I think that tomorrow.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Jaylon Guilbeau steps into new position and new role
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
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