Texas defensive back Malik Muhammad has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and will opt out of the Longhorns’ upcoming Citrus Bowl.
Muhammad ends his career with 41 appearances. In those outings, he logged 97 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, and three interceptions. During the 2025 season, Muhammad posted 30 tackles with 2.5 for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, and four passes defended. He missed the Florida game due to injury, the only game in his Texas career he was unavailable for.
Texas just completed a 9-3 regular season with losses to Ohio State, Florida, and Georgia and was left out of the College Football Playoff despite wins over Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt. It’s the first time since 2022 that the Longhorns have been left out of the College Football Playoff and failed to play for its conference championship.
The Longhorns will have plenty to do in the offseason ahead of 2026, including preparing for what is likely Arch Manning’s final season plus replacing defensive standouts like Michael Taaffe, Ethan Burke, and several others.
The program will be making changes throughout the offseason after signing the No. 10 class according to Rivals. The transfer portal opens on January 2, and the Longhorns will undoubtedly be active in that portion of the talent acquisition cycle.
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