Texas football put its NFL talent on display at Pro Day as Anthony Hill Jr., Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad impressed scouts from across the league.
Texas football took center stage again at Longhorns Pro Day on Tuesday, as NFL scouts packed the facility to get one last close look at some of the program’s top draft prospects.
For Texas football and Steve Sarkisian, the event doubled as both a showcase of elite talent and another sign of how far the Longhorns have climbed as an NFL pipeline.
That was the story from the moment drills began in Austin.
A year after Texas produced a program-record 14 NFL draft picks, another strong group of Longhorns stepped up in front of evaluators, hoping to boost their draft stock.
Fourteen players worked out, but much of the attention centered on the defensive side, where projected early-round names like Anthony Hill Jr. and hard-nosed defensive back Michael Taaffe drew plenty of eyes.
Hill, one of Texas’ top NFL Draft prospects, already carried momentum into the day after a strong pre-draft process.
The linebacker said, “This process is so unique,” a reminder that for even the most highly regarded prospects, Pro Day is still about proving you belong and finding the right fit at the next level. Hill, a projected first-round pick, is expected to hear his name called early when the draft opens.
Taaffe’s day had a different feel. The Austin native and Westlake product reflected on what it meant to wear burnt orange one final time with something meaningful at stake.
“This is my last time wearing burnt orange with something on the line,” Taaffe said. For a player who grew up dreaming about Texas, the moment carried real emotion.
Malik Muhammad also used the day to highlight what the Longhorns’ culture has become under Sarkisian. Muhammad said Texas prepared him with a routine that feels “like a professional program,” pointing to the structure, accountability, and daily standard inside the building.
Now the waiting begins. The 2026 NFL Draft begins April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, PA.
The workouts are done, the interviews are nearly complete, and the next step is hearing their names called.
But Pro Day made one thing clear: Texas football is still sending NFL-ready talent into the league, and that’s become part of the program’s identity again.
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