Texas Longhorns LB David Gbenda Raves About New Defensive Transfer Additions

What hasn't David Gbenda been through during his time with the Texas Longhorns?

A coaching search? Check.

A losing season? Check.

A conference title and College Football Playoff berth followed up by a heartbreaking loss? Check all three boxes just last season.

Gbenda has seen everything as he enters his sixth and final season of eligibility with the Longhorns, but he intends on making his final year in Austin one for the ages. And among everyone inside the building, he's the one person who knows what it takes to win and the costs to achieve greatness.

“We went from years where we (were) barely even contending for a Big 12 title to 12 yards away from winning and getting to the national championship,” Gbenda said last month. “I want the younger guys to understand that we were literally this close to being a part of history. If you’re a competitor, being that close would piss me off. Maybe that's just me personally.”

Texas might be the newbies of the SEC, but it's not looking to play second fiddle in Year 1. The Longhorns are four months removed from the College Football Playoff semifinal and proved last season they're talented enough to compete with the top names in the conference, as evidenced by a 10-point victory over champion Alabama in September.

If anything, Gbenda is pleased with the new talent that currently resides on campus. Yes, the Longhorns finished with another top-five recruiting class, headlined by the addition of five-star defensive end Colin Simmons, but they also bolstered the front seven with veteran talent added through the portal.

AAC Defensive Player of the Year Trey Moore (UTSA) is one of several fresh faces set to help Texas make its mark next fall. He's coming off a career-high 17.5 tackles for loss season to match his 14 sacks.

Defensive tackle Tiaoalii Savea (Arizona), defensive back Andrew Mukuba (Clemson), and linebacker Kendrick Blackshire (Alabama) also join the mix and should compete for starting reps by the end of spring practice.

So far, Gbenda has been impressed with their ability to transition to a new culture, especially Savea, who should step in as the replacement for future first-round pick Byron Murphy.

“Tia (Savea), I watched him look at his notes the other day, and his notes almost looked like mine, and I'm a linebacker,” Gbenda said. “That's very detailed for a D-tackle. The new tackles understand the job that they have to uphold. And they're not shying away from the fact; they're pushing themselves and stretching themselves.”

Mukuba, a native of Austin, should be another plug-and-play starter at safety in place of Jerrin Thompson. He was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2021 and started the previous two years as the backbone for Dabo Swinney's secondary.

“He's a good guy,” Gbenda said. “I've had many conversations with him. With him coming back from Austin, he's just fit right into the culture. He's been an amazing addition to the defense.”

Moore, arguably Texas' most promising acquisition, must be the feature pass rusher in 2024. The Longhorns continue to add pressure, but they haven't had a double-digit sack artist in over a decade.

Gbenda said Moore plays with a certain level of intensity that complements starters Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell. The same goes for Blackshire, who comes from a winning pedigree and standard during his tenure under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa.

"I remember one time during winter conditioning, I remember seeing he was a little tired and a little hurt, but he toughed it out. And he is open to learning new things, no matter how hard it was, no matter how hard the work we demanded, because our program is very demanding in the offseason," said the senior linebacker. "But for a guy like that to come in and just take it all in and learn, he has my respect.”

The attitude of the older faces has translated down to the newcomers. Gbenda says one of the biggest changes entering spring camp has been the energy leading up to practice.

“There’s a want-to to get better," said Gbenda. "The younger guys, they’re hungry to learn more. What I’m seeing on the field is correlating with the work outside the field, also.”

Gbenda, who still will have to earn starting reps opposite Anthony Hill Jr. under new coach Johnny Nansen, is ready to make the most of his last season. He continues to reiterate to players young and old that the Horns were knocking on the doorstep last offseason of being "back."

They now just have to turn the handle.

Said Gbenda: "I’m just allowing them to understand that if we put in the right amount of work, we clean up the little details and just improve that much, we could do it. We could win the natty.”