AUSTIN – Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton waited patiently for their turn in the burnt orange spotlight. 

The two defensive tackles watched Moro Ojomo and Keondre Coburn transform into NFL draft picks in the 2022 season. They watched T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy transform into two of the best defensive tackles in program history. Now, it is their time. And they don’t plan on wasting it. 

“We wanted to be next up,” Broughton said. “It is our turn now. We’ve been grinding for this moment, and we can’t wait to show the world what we can do.”  

Collins and Broughton arrived together in Texas' 2020 class that included Bijan Robinson. Hudson Card was part of that class. So was Ja’Quinden Jackson and Jaylan Ford. Teammates Jadae Barron and Jake Majors were also in the 2020 class that signed with Tom Herman. It was the ninth-best class in the nation, according to 247Sports. 

Collins, from nearby Bastrop Cedar Creek High School, is a Longhorn legacy. His mom, Benita Pollard, was a basketball player on the Forty Acres under famed head coach Jody Conradt. Collins was a five-star prospect from a school that didn’t produce those. A former basketball player, he outgrew the hardwood and found home on the defensive line. Broughton was a four-star prospect from Cy Ridge in the Houston area. Young for his grade, Broughton possessed incredible upside as a prep athlete. 

But neither became impact players early in their career as Texas struggled defensively and went through a change at head coach. Collins started once as a freshman in 2020 and then four times in 2021 before making one more start in 2022. Broughton didn’t earn a start until 2022 and enters 2024 with two starts in 40 games played. They never saw it as a negative, however. The two see their journey as a learning experience. 

“I never came in here expecting to start (early),” Broughton said. “It was a learning process. Playing behind Moro, Coburn, Sweat, Byron I learned so much. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without those guys. They helped out my game tremendously.” 

The evolution of the Texas program from perennial underachiever to national contender since the arrival of Steve Sarkisian is best illustrated along the defensive line. Texas ranked 114th nationally in rushing defense in 2021 when the Longhorns allowed 201.58 yards per game on the ground. They were also 114th in yards per carry allowed at 5.15. By 2022, the group climbed to 33rd nationally in rushing yards allowed per game and 23rd in yards per carry as the win total grew from five to eight. 

The metamorphosis didn’t stop there. Texas was third nationally in rushing yards allowed per game last year at 82.36. The defense only allowed nine rushing touchdowns in 14 games and were fifth nationally in rushing yards allowed per attempt at 3.48. Sweat won the Outland Trophy. Murphy was the first defensive player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

“Our attention to detail as a team and a position unit changed (when Sarkisian took over),” Collins said. “We’re locked in.” 

Collins and Broughton need to be locked in for the Longhorns to beat Michigan in the Big House in the marquee matchup of Week 2. The Wolverines won the national championship last year by bruising defenses with a powerful run game. They were tied with Georgia atop the national rankings with 40 rushing touchdowns last season. An SEC slate that includes Georgia is also waiting to test Collins, Broughton, and a new crop of defensive tackles. 

“I feel like we’re the best of the best and we’re trying to go against the best of the best,” Collins said. “There is no fear in our heart. We’re here to compete and see how we stack up.” 

Collins and Broughton credit their former mentors for changing the culture in the defensive line room. They also credit the offensive line for pushing the defensive line. For too long, the Longhorns were considered a soft program with plenty of talent on the outside but not enough toughness in the trenches. 

That perception no longer exists. Texas’ offensive line is in the mix for the Joe Moore Award. Kelvin Banks could be a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft. DJ Campbell and Cam Williams possess NFL potential. The Longhorns added depth at the defensive tackle position with Bill Norton, Tiaoalii Savea, and Jermayne Lole. To beat Michigan, Texas must win the lines of scrimmage - something this team couldn’t do when Collins and Broughton arrived on campus. 

“All that friendly stuff is for the locker room,” Broughton said about the competition between the offensive and defensive lines in practice. “We don’t look at each other as friends on the field. We’re out there to work.” 

And work is what Texas learned how to do over the previous few seasons. Play word association about their former defensive tackle teammates with Collins and Broughton and you’ll hear the phrase “hard-working” a lot. There is no secret sauce to Texas’ turnaround, according to Collins and Broughton. Success is as simple as showing up and grinding. They learned that from the best. 

“They set a standard for us to be dogs,” Broughton said about mentors like Ojomo, Coburn, Murphy, and Sweat. “We’re the lion in the jungle. We’ve got to carry that on because we can’t be the ones who allow a drop off. We tell the young guys that – there is a standard in this room and it’ll stay that way.”