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Last fall, Byron Murphy II decided to flip his commitment from Baylor to Texas. As a result, the Longhorns will end up getting one of the most unheralded players in the class of 2021. Last season, the four-star defensive tackle wreaked havoc on offensive linemen as part of DeSoto's defensive front. After the season, Murphy was named as a first team player on the 2020 Texas MaxPreps All-State football team.
Senior Season Statistics
Defense: 79 total tackles, 14 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Strengths
What stands out about Murphy is his hustle. Usually, it is rare to see a defensive tackle that is capable of tracking the ball carrier from sideline to sideline. However, Murphy does not give up on plays and is always determined to be a factor on the field.
Also, Murphy's athleticism was always on display in high school as he was able to succeed against double teams thanks to his combination of strength and speed. Furthermore, Murphy utilizes a good repertoire of pass rush techniques which complements his athleticism.
Needs Improvement
Listed at 6'1", the knock against Murphy has always been on his size. However, Murphy was able to consistently produce against the state of Texas's best high school talent in the 6A classification. As a result, Murphy will have to continue to prove that he can line up against the best of the best.
What I See
Frankly, I think that Murphy ultimately has the potential to become a Longhorns fan favorite. Although it might take some time for Byron to adjust to the college game, he has the work ethic to eventually break through. As a result, I think that Murphy has the tools to be developed into a dominant force on Texas's defensive front before graduating. It is easy to say that new Texas defensive line coach, Bo Davis, will enjoy trying to get the most out of Murphy.

The #AllGasNoBrakes train keeps rolling along as Texas lands another top-tier commit for the class of 2022. University of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and staff land their first four-star defensive prospect as they gained a commitment from Aledo’s Bryan Allen Jr.
Allen is a four-star commit via the 247Sports Composite. He’s listed as the sixth-ranked player at his position in the nation, the 18th ranked overall player in the state of Texas, and the 88th ranked player overall in the nation for 2022.
Allen originally committed to LSU all the way back in April of last year. He along with Texas target, Bryce Anderson, were a deadly safety combination that looked to be the next big thing in Baton Rouge. Fast forward nine months later, and in January of 2021, Allen decided to re-open his recruitment.
The elite safety had offers from Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC among others. At the end of the day Allen decided he’s staying in-state and heading to the 40 Acres. Along with Jaylon Guilbeau and Trevell Johnson, Sark and staff are building a nice defense to go with the elite offensive players they’ve recruited.
Allen in 2018, was named the Defensive Newcomer of the Year in his district at Fort Worth Southwest. In 2019 after transferring to Aledo, he once again was named the Defensive Newcomer of the Year and won a state championship. In 2020 he won another state championship along with Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Player Information
Name: Bryan Allen Jr.
Position: Safety
High School: Aledo
City, State: Aledo, TX
Measurables
Height: 6’0
Weight: 180
Film

Three Best Traits
Experience – Allen has been a starter since his freshman year. After transferring to Aledo prior to his sophomore year, he’s been the starting safety for one of the best teams in the nation and still has one more year to go. In terms of experience, reps, and big game situations, Allen has Texas covered. There’s probably not a play he hasn’t seen and a situation he hasn’t been in. 
Great Anticipation – Allen has exemplary anticipation. He can figure out very quickly what type of play is coming in his direction. If it’s a run play, he can meet the ball carrier just past the line of scrimmage. If it’s a pass play, by the time the quarterback hikes the ball, he already knows who his man is. That anticipation is not something many safeties can develop and Allen already has it.
Winning Culture – He’s quite literally the star safety and star defensive player on one of the best teams in the country. Every year he’s been at Aledo he’s won it all. He comes from one of the best programs in the country. That experience will come in handy as the Texas staff tries to create their own winning culture.
Areas for Improvement
Fill out his Frame – Allen currently stands at 6’0 and 180-pounds. He’s more on the lean and athletic side of things. He makes his frame work for him at the high school level, but if he were to bulk up in the 200 lb. range, he could be very special.
Man Coverage – If Allen is lacking in an area it’s probably man coverage. While it isn’t the end-all, be-all for a safety prospect, it’s something he will have to be great at to stop some of the freakier wide receiver prospects in the Big-12. He’s a great center fielder but if he can learn to lock up a wide receiver coming right at him, then Texas has an above elite prospect on their hands.
Summary
What a recruiting win for the Texas coaching staff. Allen Jr. is one of the greatest safety prospects in the nation, hands-down. He’s a lean, athletic, fast safety with some of the best anticipation skills you will see at the position. He comes from a winning program in Aledo, has started all three years of his career thus far, and has been in every situation you can dream up. Plus, Texas poaches him from LSU. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Final Verdict
The commitment of Bryan Allen Jr. has propelled Texas from the seventh-ranked class in the country to the fourth-ranked class for 2022. Texas has seven commits with the average commit ranking as a .9549 via the 247Sports Composite. Thus far, it is a massive upgrade from last year’s average of .8887. Allen has a chance to be the leader of this new age Sarkisian staff defense and potentially one of the better defensive prospects to play at Forty Acres in recent memory.