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. 4: TEXAS DB JAHDAE BARRON 

The history: Barron was a two-time all-district performer at Pflugerville Connally and left the Cougars as a Top 100 player in the Lone Star State. He was a Baylor commitment until Matt Rhule left for the NFL and he was released from his national letter of intent. He landed at Texas in his hometown of Austin ahead of the 2020 season. He played in five games in 2020 and nine games in 2021. His role increased in 2022 when he started nine times in 13 games and ended the season as an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. Barron was a Thorpe Award semifinalist in 2023 and a second-team All-Big 12 selection. He’s played in 41 games with 23 starts entering his fifth year in Austin and has three non-offensive touchdowns. 

The skillset: The 5-11, 200-pound Barron can do it all, dating back to his time as a prep star. He’s always played multiple positions and that Swiss-Army knife lifestyle created a college football player with positional flexibility. That’s invaluable in the secondary. Barron can play at nickel and deep safety, and he might even play cornerback as a fifth-year senior if that’s where the Longhorns need him. He’s a big-play defender who has scored on a blocked punt, interception return, and fumble return in his career. Barron was a sub-11 second 100-meter sprinter in high school and has evolved into a student of the game who excels in open field tackling. 

The impact: Few secondary members in the nation are more impactful than Barron. Texas struggled against the pass at times last year, but the Connally product was never the issue. He’s one of the nation’s top nickel backs. He can also play deep safety or cornerback. With the cornerback spot opposite of Malik Muhammad up for grabs, Barron could slide outside in 2024, which likely helps his NFL Draft stock. Barron’s ability to move around the defense allows the Longhorns to identify their weakest spot and plug him into that hole. He could win the Thorpe Award with a big season.