The Price of Success - 7 Longhorns' Underclassmen Declare For NFL Draft
Austin, TX. - When a program storms through a perfect season and lifts the National Championship trophy, the celebratory confetti is often followed by tough decisions. For the 2036 Texas Longhorns, whose dominant campaign culminated in a 59–17 dismantling of Notre Dame, the fallout came swiftly — and predictably — in the form of NFL Draft declarations.
Seven underclassmen joined Texas’s 17 graduating seniors in leaving the Forty Acres, bringing the Longhorns’ total departures to 24 student-athletes. While expected exits like All-American tailback Lee Vela and electrifying wideout Miguel Jerman headlined the list, it was the inclusion of backup quarterback Darryl Ekanem that turned heads across the nation.
Ekanem, who never started a game during his time in Austin, announced his decision to forgo his senior season on social media — and wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room.
“Talking with pre-draft advisors, the feeling I got around the league was that I had the talent to start,” Ekanem posted. “I was just in a unique spot — me and Mo [Uwazurike] both had starter-level talent. I’m betting on myself. I believe the risk of declaring now is lower than returning and risking injury or getting buried.”
The timing of his decision raised eyebrows. With Maurice Uwazurike exhausting his eligibility, Ekanem was presumed to be the frontrunner to take over in 2037. But all season, when games were out of reach, it was true freshman Emilio Delgado who took the late reps — not Ekanem. That reality, paired with Savage’s public insistence that the QB job would be an “open competition,” likely influenced the redshirt junior’s move to jump now rather than wait.
“Darryl’s a smart kid,” said head coach Nash Savage when asked about the surprise declaration. “He wants to bet on himself — I respect that. He was a leader in our locker room even without starting a game, and I think a team’s going to see what he brings to the table.”
In addition to Vela, Jerman, and Ekanem, four more Longhorn underclassmen will take their talents to the professional ranks: backup tight end Jimmy Camarillo, Butkus and Bednarik winner linebacker Miguel Giuliano, disruptive edge rusher Diego Battles, and middle linebacker Titus Alli. The group includes some of the most impactful defenders on a unit that finished with 71 team sacks and allowed just 17 points in the title game.
Interestingly, the Longhorns aren’t the only powerhouse feeling the ripple effect. In Muncie, Ball State saw a similarly curious move, as redshirt junior Konrad Silverman declared for the draft despite losing the starting job to Manny Livings this season. Unlike Ekanem, Silverman was expected to step into the QB1 role in 2037 with Livings turning pro. Now, Ball State finds itself with just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster — and a lot of questions.
In both cases, it’s a reminder of the modern college football era: the transfer portal, early draft declarations, and roster churn are no longer anomalies — they’re the new normal.
2036 NFL Draft Results
Ball State
JR(RS) QB Manny Livings (93) - 1st Round
JR(RS) QB Konrad Silverman (90) - 1st Round
SR(RS) C Desmond Robinson (93) - 1st Round
SR HB Brian Ojabo (91) - 2nd Round
MLB Taylor Hawkins (91) - 2nd Round
SR(RS) T Von Pierre (88) - 6th Round
SR(RS) SS Reshard De Beer (87) - 6th Round
Texas Longhorns
JR(RS) HB Lee Vela (96) - 1st Round
JR(RS) WR Miguel Jerman (92) - 1st Round
JR(RS) TE Jimmy Camarillo (93) - 1st Round
SR(RS) G Kevin Vaccaro (94) - 1st Round
SR(RS) G Javier Pina (93) - 1st Round
JR(RS) LB Miguel Giuliano (92) - 1st Round
SR(RS) SS Jayden Singleton (95) - 1st Round
SR TE Tyler Biggs (91) - 2nd Round
JR(RS) QB Darryl Ekanem (91) - 2nd Round
SR(RS) QB Maurice Uwazurike (89) - 3rd Round
JR(RS) DE Diego Battles (89) - 5th Round
SR(RS) TE Cameron Ali (86) - 6th Round
JR MLB Titus Alli (89) - 6th Round
SR MLB Marvin Pitts (88) - 6th Round
SR WR Andre Mond (87) - 7th Round
