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As “Fresh Faces on the Forty” marches on, it’s officially time to turn the page to the defense (barring ANOTHER surprise commitment on the offense). To start, I figured I’d go with the “crown jewel” of the defensive class and someone that has been tabbed as a potential All-American by a number of outlets, Rasheem Biles. Biles comes in from Pitt where he was a walking highlight reel, totaling 181 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 6 forced turnovers over the last two seasons.
2025 Stats: 100 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 FFs, 1 FR, 2 INTs, 2 TDs
Biles is a gamechanger. He’s someone that can fundamentally take over a game from start to finish or can make the gamebreaking play at any moment. Not only is an elite pass rusher but his coverage ability is very strong as well. He has 3 INTs in his career, including one against Notre Dame and Louisville this season. On top of that, anytime he gets his hands on the ball, he can take it back for six points.
Biles has been looked at as the possible replacement for Anthony Hill Jr in the Texas defense. I don’t expect Biles to be the #1 communicator of the defense like Hill was, but I do expect him to bring the versatility Hill did. However, for that to be the case, Ty’Anthony Smith and Justin Cryer need to step up as the “green dot” players. That will allow Biles to play all over the field while having an "anchor" next to him at MLB.
The Longhorns LB room has been subject to some questions this offseason, losing Anthony Hill to the draft and Liona Lefau and Bo Barnes to the portal. Biles is the player that can erase so many of those questions. Adding his experience and ability to Ty’Anthony Smith, Justin Cryer, Brad Spence and Tyler Atkinson is massive. The Texas LB is set to be one of the better coverage units in the country and incredibly dangerous in pass rush with Biles and Spence.
The Longhorns defense is going to be quite a bit different in 2026 schematically from 2025. You will likely see more press-man coverage, more blitz heavy and allowing the LBs to flow downhill consistently. That aligns perfectly with the abilities Biles brings to the table. He brings experience, explosivity and playmaking ability to a room that just lost one of the best defensive playmakers in the country.
Biles is the headline catcher and I expect him to compete for an All-American spot in 2026. That being said, the other LB addition, Justin Cryer brings tons of experience and ability to add to the room as well. We will discuss the former Florida State LB and his elite coverage ability in depth tomorrow.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas Football transfer profile: Pitt LB Rasheem Biles
Continue reading...
2025 Stats: 100 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 FFs, 1 FR, 2 INTs, 2 TDs
Biles is a gamechanger. He’s someone that can fundamentally take over a game from start to finish or can make the gamebreaking play at any moment. Not only is an elite pass rusher but his coverage ability is very strong as well. He has 3 INTs in his career, including one against Notre Dame and Louisville this season. On top of that, anytime he gets his hands on the ball, he can take it back for six points.
Biles has been looked at as the possible replacement for Anthony Hill Jr in the Texas defense. I don’t expect Biles to be the #1 communicator of the defense like Hill was, but I do expect him to bring the versatility Hill did. However, for that to be the case, Ty’Anthony Smith and Justin Cryer need to step up as the “green dot” players. That will allow Biles to play all over the field while having an "anchor" next to him at MLB.
The Longhorns LB room has been subject to some questions this offseason, losing Anthony Hill to the draft and Liona Lefau and Bo Barnes to the portal. Biles is the player that can erase so many of those questions. Adding his experience and ability to Ty’Anthony Smith, Justin Cryer, Brad Spence and Tyler Atkinson is massive. The Texas LB is set to be one of the better coverage units in the country and incredibly dangerous in pass rush with Biles and Spence.
The Longhorns defense is going to be quite a bit different in 2026 schematically from 2025. You will likely see more press-man coverage, more blitz heavy and allowing the LBs to flow downhill consistently. That aligns perfectly with the abilities Biles brings to the table. He brings experience, explosivity and playmaking ability to a room that just lost one of the best defensive playmakers in the country.
Biles is the headline catcher and I expect him to compete for an All-American spot in 2026. That being said, the other LB addition, Justin Cryer brings tons of experience and ability to add to the room as well. We will discuss the former Florida State LB and his elite coverage ability in depth tomorrow.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas Football transfer profile: Pitt LB Rasheem Biles
Continue reading...
