The Jaylon Guilbeau Conundrum
Nearly generally in college football, when a group returns a protective starter, it is viewed as a factor for confidence for that player’s system going forward. Disallowing a player who was simply terrible or one that was thrust into the lineup because of failures throughout the group, this player must be a crucial piece for the roster.
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Texas has a lot of these in 2025: Michael Taaffe, Anthony Hill, Malik Muhammad, and so on. More particularly, they have three players who played considerably in 2024 who are now entering their senior seasons in 2025– Ethan Burke, Trey Moore, and the title’s name, Jaylon Guilbeau.
Guilbeau and Moore share a similar path this offseason, being tasked with changing positions. In Moore’s case, Texas was so gifted at edge rusher that they saw him as a much better fit at off-ball linebacker, the spot he would likely be playing in the pros anyhow.
That situation is a bit different for Guilbeau. Texas has actually moved nickels outside as just recently as last season with Jahdae Barron, however it wasn’t because Texas was so proficient at STAR that they simply wished to get their best five players on the field. Texas is moving Guilbeau outside, however doesn’t really have a response after him at STAR.
Directly taking a look at Guilbeau as a player, there is factor to be positive in him as a border corner. He was recruited there as a top-150 player in the class of 2022. Though it was in the slot, he began three of Texas’ first 4 games as a freshman but missed the latter half of the season with a torn ACL. In 2024, he was excellent– not fantastic– in coverage at the nickel, but will now be over two years eliminated from that tear. He’s running at NFL-level speed.
“It’s been going smoothly. Just getting in the rhythm of playing corner and getting my characteristics back,” Guilbeau stated about moving outside. “I seem like corner is much easier than nickel. Corner, you have actually got a better advantage because you can utilize the sideline.”
However even with a pretty major shift in identity for Guilbeau, it’s been mostly quiet on the reporting front. Protective organizer Pete Kwiatkowski endorsed him as an emerging leader of the defense, but primarily simply called names when inquired about how the cornerback depth chart looks.
Guilbeau exemplifies among the most significant concerns that includes this Texas secondary in 2025: who’s going to go get the football?
As our own Ian Boyd placed on our boards yesterday: “It resembles the opposite of in 2015 when I was excited all offseason by the number of guys they had that were most likely to crack the beginning lineup who were proven players in protection. This year they have a lots of men who are rangy in zone and will strike you, which is alright but frankly inferior.”
In spite of some confidence in his relocation outside, Guilbeau has never taped an interception and hasn’t been charged with covering elite receivers on the limit. Muhammad and securities Jelani McDonald and Derek Williams have simply 3 combined in their professions. These five, along with Taaffe, are Texas’ finest five to throw out at any given point, but Taaffe is the only ball hawk of the group.
That brings the conversation back to the STAR position since, at the moment, it’s anyone’s guess who plays it. There were reports of Taaffe getting associates, but that didn’t happen the other day. McDonald looked like a terrific prospect this offseason, but he’s just taking representatives at security. That leaves initially and second-year Graceson Littleton and Wardell Mack by themselves in the room.
While both are gifted, Texas is going to start turning most of its focus to the Ohio State game soon. Do you actually desire a duo with a combined 25 profession snaps lining up against Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate?
A minimum of for the first week of the season, the best response may be to return Guilbeau to where he played in 2024, at that STAR position, and intend to lean on the similarity Kobe Black and Warren Roberson on the outside. Once again, however, those players are rocking under 140 profession protective snaps.
Even with PFF calling Texas as the very best secondary in the nation for 2025, it seems like there’s a big question mark that all centers around the use of Guilbeau. Put him in the slot and you potentially put Smith one-on-one with an inexperienced boundary corner. Press him outside and the nickel is a new player to big moments.
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What we can feel strong about is that Guilbeau must be a good player for Texas– one that is healthier than ever and among the most experienced on the back end. Ohio State would like to be able to run him opposite DeAndre Moore Jr. for this approaching game. But his improvement does pose a huge concern for what Texas will appear like come Week One. Football can’t come any quicker.