The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Eight Longhorns sign as NFL free agents
04.29.2019 | Football
A total of 10 Longhorns have either been drafted or signed as free agents after the draft.
Eight Texas Football players have agreed to sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the 2019 NFL Draft. That brings the total to 10 Longhorns who have either been drafted or signed, along with two additional players who have received rookie camp invites so far.
Calvin Anderson – New England Patriots
Anderson played one season as a graduate transfer at Texas after playing his first three seasons at Rice. The Austin native started all 14 games as a Longhorn at left tackle and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2018. Prior to that, he was a two-time All-Conference USA pick where he started all 36 games he played in for the Owls.
Andrew Beck – New England Patriots
Beck is a five-year tight end from Tampa, Fla., who played in 51 career games with 30 starts and had 40 career receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns. He started his career as a linebacker before switching to tight end in 2014. As a senior he was named first-team All-Big 12 by the coaches after starting all 14 games and totaling 28 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
Davante Davis – Seattle Seahawks
Davis, a four-year defensive back from Miami, played in 48 games with 26 career starts. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 twice in his career, including this past season. He made 119 tackles (102 solo) in his career with seven tackles for loss. He added 24 passes defended with four interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Breckyn Hager – New York Giants
Hager, a four-year defensive lineman from Austin, played in 48 career games with 22 career starts and notched 136 career tackles (96 solo), 30 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and nine quarterback hurries. He was a two-time honorable mention All-Big 12 honoree who finished with 31 tackles (22 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as a senior.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey – New Orleans Saints
Humphrey, a three-year wide receiver from Southlake, Texas, played in 36 games with 18 starts prior to declaring for the NFL Draft. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2018, registering 1,622 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. A versatile player for UT, he became the first Longhorn non-QB since 1982 with a passing, rushing and receiving TD in the same season this past year.
Gary Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs
Johnson, a two-year linebacker for the Longhorns from Douglas, Ala., played in 26 career games with 20 starts. He made 150 career tackles (96 solo) with 22.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He also added two pass breakups, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 12 quarterback hurries in his career, garnering second team All-Big 12 recognition in 2018.
P.J. Locke III – Pittsburgh Steelers
Locke, a four-year defensive back from Beaumont, Texas, played in 47 career games with 31 starts and recorded 163 total tackles (116 solo), 11 tackles for loss, three interceptions, 15 passes defended, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. An honorable mention All-Big 12 honoree as a senior, he in 14 games with 13 starts in 2018 and finished third on the team with 77 tackles (57 solo), along with posting 5.5 tackles for loss, one interception, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry.
Chris Nelson – Pittsburgh Steelers
Nelson is a five-year defensive lineman from Lakeland, Fla., who played in 45 games with 29 career starts. He totaled 109 tackles (70 solo) with 15.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks and added four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. A team captain and honorable mention All-Big 12 choice as a senior, he started all 14 games that year and registered 39 tackles (26 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, two pressures and one pass breakup.
The two additional players invited to rookie camps are Patrick Vahe with the Baltimore Ravens and Anthony Wheeler with the Kansas City Chiefs.
