The college football season begins on Sept. 2 for 12 of the 13 FBS teams in the state of Texas. The lone exception in the Lone Star State is UTEP, which faced Jacksonville State in Week 0 to begin Conference USA play. 

As we approach the start of another season, we'll countdown the 50-most important players in college football. We'll go one-by-one until Sept. 1 as we enter the top 20.

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No. 2 Texas LB Jaylan Ford

The History

Ford was the lowest rated recruit in Texas's 2020 class after flipping his commitment from Utah, despite capping an illustrious career at Frisco Lone Star with 142 tackles and 11 tackles for loss in his senior 2019 season. After two seasons as a spot starter primarily competing on special teams, Ford burst onto the scene in 2022 leading the Longhorns with 110 tackles, four interceptions and three forced fumbles. His emergence played a signature role in Texas lowering their points per game allowed from 31.1 to 21.6 in defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski's second season.

The Importance

Ford won't take anyone by surprise this season, evidenced by his nomination as the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He's arguably the best player in the conference, but his position group on Texas's defense is the weakest after the departure of DeMarvion Overshown to the NFL. Senior David Gbenda gets the first shot lining up next to Ford, but he enters his fifth season with little experience and 59 career tackles. Longhorn fans are amped for five-star Anthony Hill Jr. to see action, but the Denton Ryan product won't be a game wrecker instantly. Ford will need to captain the defense and hide the thin depth in the middle of the field.

The Outlook

Texas improved their run defense exponentially in 2022, surrendering merely 123 yards per game. The front should be stout with the return of 355-pound T'Vondre Sweat and 300-pound Byron Murphy II. The Longhorns' secondary should be better in 2023 with the additon of Arkansas transfer Jalen Catalon and key contributors Ryan Watts and Jahdae Barron back. If Ford can replicate his monster junior campaign, the Texas defense could be among the best in the conference.

Previous: No. 3, TCU cornerback Josh Newton