Following this Wednesday’s Citrus Bowl matchup against Michigan on New Year’s Eve, the Texas Longhorns will enter a pivotal offseason. After a season in which they missed the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2022, multiple position groups are facing significant changes. This includes the secondary, which will be without several familiar faces next season. Malik Muhammad, Michael Taaffe, and Jaylon Guilbeau have all declared for the NFL Draft, and Santana Wilson and Derek Williams Jr. Have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal. These departures leave head coach Steve Sarkisian and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp with both production and depth to replace in the defensive backfield.
Jelani McDonald is back at Texas for 2026.
Fortunately for Texas, the Longhorns received some much-needed stability last week. On Friday, safety Jelani McDonald announced his return to Texas for his senior season. This move will provide experience and leadership in a room that will feature new starters and younger contributors. Beyond the stat sheet, his familiarity with high-leverage situations will be invaluable as Texas moves forward under Muschamp.
Jelani McDonald is Coming Back to Texas for His Senior Season! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/Kp5eygx44E
— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) December 26, 2025
McDonald was a consensus four-star recruit in the 2023 cycle. The Connally H.S. (Waco, TX) product played in 12 games as a freshman in 2023, primarily on special teams, before making 14 appearances and 4 starts in 2024. This past season, he started in all 12 regular-season games and led all Texas defenders in total tackles (73) and interceptions (3).
With McDonald returning, Texas now has a proven leader at safety to guide the secondary, and his presence gives the Longhorns another defensive cornerstone to build around as they aim to return to title contention in 2026.
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