The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

NO. 23: Houston S AJ Haulcy

The History: Haulcy netted just seven offers despite winning District Defensive MVP as a senior at Fort Bend Marshall. Then, he suited up for New Mexico and displayed what most of the country missed on. He started the final nine games of the season and compiled 87 tackles with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.Haulcy transferred to the hometown team ahead of his sophomore season and instantly established himself as one of the Big 12's best safeties. His 98 total tackles and 73 solo stops were the most for Houston since Austin Robinson in 2018, and he tied for the national lead with four games of 10+ tackles. 

The Skillset: Haulcy earned the nickname 'Mr. Give Me That' for snagging interceptions, but it's his tackling that separates him from the pack. His 85.6 run defense PFF grade ranked first among Big 12 safeties. Houston, however, would prefer the front seven holds up better in 2024 so Haulcy doesn't have to lead the team in tackles. He was heavily relied on to save would-be touchdowns. Haulcy looks to improve his pass defense skills after posting a 57.8 coverage grade, per PFF.

The Impact: Defensive coordinator Shiel Wood takes over a complete renovation project with seven new transfers in the secondary. He's betting on the development of transfer cornerbacks Latrell McCutchin and Jeremiah Wilson, but Haulcy is the most proven defensive back. He'll need to quarterback a group learning a 3-4 scheme while serving as the last line of defense in the run game.