The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Trio from Football named Sporting News All-Americans
12.13.2023 | Football
Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat collected his fourth first-team All-America honor; defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and WR/PR Xavier were selected to the second team.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 3 Texas Football defensive tackles T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II and wide receiver/punt returner Xavier Worthy were named Sporting News All-Americans, the organization announced on Wednesday. Sweat was voted to the first team and Murphy to the second team, while Worthy also collected second-team honors as a punt returner. It marks the fourth first-team All-America honor of the year for Sweat, who also earned the distinction from the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Sweat, the 2023 Outland Trophy Award winner as the nation's best interior lineman, has had a breakout season for Texas, establishing career highs with 42 tackles, 17 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and four pass breakups, while adding a blocked kick on an Iowa State point after attempt that was scooped up by Austin Jordan and returned 82 yards for a two-point score for Texas. The Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year also caught a two-yard touchdown pass in the Longhorns' Big 12 Championship Game victory over Oklahoma State.
In addition to his selection as a first-team All-American by the Sporting News, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Football Writers Association of America, and AP, the Huntsville, Texas native was also a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
Murphy, a junior from DeSoto, Texas who also earned second-team All-America honors from the AP, has registered 26 tackles and established career highs with 12 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks. He has registered at least two tackles in seven games and recorded a tackle for loss in six of 13 games this season, including a four-tackle, three tackle for loss and two-sack performance at Baylor. In the victory over Wyoming, the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year hauled in a 1-yard touchdown reception, becoming just the fourth Texas lineman to score an offensive touchdown. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the conference's coaches and the Associated Press.
With Sweat and Murphy leading the way, and the Texas defense topped the Big 12 in third-down defense (26.5 percent) and red zone defense (71.4 percent), respectively ranking second and fourth nationally in each category. The Longhorns also rank 13th nationally in scoring defense (17.5 ppg) and 22nd in total tackles for loss (82). Texas has held eight opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing this season, the most since 2009 (10), including a stretch of five-straight games against Houston, BYU, Kansas State, TCU and Iowa State that was the longest for UT since 2009 and tied for the third-longest for a Big 12 team over the last 15 seasons. All totaled in those five games, opponents have rushed for 241 yards (48 ypg) on 118 carries (2 ypc). The Longhorns lead the conference and rank third in the nation in rushing defense, yielding only 80.8 yards per game, the fewest surrendered by UT since 2008.
Worthy, a second-team All-American selection as a punt returner by the FWAA and third-team honoree as an all-purpose player by the AP, has caught a career-high 73 passes for 969 yards and five touchdowns and returned 20 punts for 358 yards. He leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation averaging 17.9 yards per punt return, while leading in the conference in receiving yards, ranking second in receiving yards per game (74.5) and third in receptions and receptions per game (5.6). He is just the second Longhorn to have three seasons of 60-plus receptions (Roy Williams). A threat to score each time he touches the ball, the junior had a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown against BYU that is tied for the ninth-longest punt return for a score in program history and the 10th-longest punt return overall. His punt return average ranks second in program history (Bobby Dillon – 22.3, 1950) and his 358 punt return yards this season are the seventh-most all-time for a Longhorn. A native of Fresno, Calif., Worthy was a first-team All-Big 12 selection as a wide receiver and return specialist by the Big 12 coaches and the Associated Press, while also earning first-team honors as a return specialist by the conference and as an all-purpose player by the AP.
