As the Longhorns’ offense struggled against Ohio State in their season opener, their defense was stellar. The Longhorns held the Buckeyes to 203 yards of total offense and made life difficult for quarterback Julian Slayin. One player that stood out was freshman safety Graceson Littleton, who is earning national praise for his play.
On Monday, PFF College released some of their rankings from Week One, and Littleton had a reason to celebrate. He was ranked as the highest graded true freshman with an 83.3 rating. It was an encouraging sign for Texas, who is counting on the Wiregrass Ranch Graduate to be one of its key pieces in the secondary.
In his first college game, the Tampa native recorded one tackle and one pass deflection. While those statistics may not jump off the page, he helped keep Slayin in check. The Buckeyes’ quarterback completed only 13 of his 20 passes for 126 yards.
Entering the season, expectations were high for Littleton because of what he did in high school. The Longhorns’ newest star was ranked as the 10th-best cornerback in his class by 247Sports. He demonstrated why on Saturday and should continue to improve as he gains more experience.
After a few days off, Littleton and the Longhorns will be in action on Saturday in their home opener. They will welcome San Jose State to town as they look to rebound from a frustrating performance against Ohio State. If Littleton can replicate his performance from last week, then the Spartans will have a hard time moving the ball through the air and pulling off an upset against Texas.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: True freshman Graceson Littleton earns high praise from PFF College
Reporting by Jamie Gatlin, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
