Anthony Hill Jr. Makes His Pick For the Next Texas Longhorns Star Linebacker

Anthony Hill Jr is currently at the NFL Combine trying to become the seventh Texas Longhorn under head coach Steve Sarkisian to get drafted in the first round.

Before drills begin, the invitees have a few rounds of media availabilities and meetings with teams.

Hill was available to the press yesterday morning and, among other inquiries, fielded a question regarding the future of Texas' linebacking corps.

Anthony Hill Jr Says he is Looking Forward to Watching Texas' Linebackers in 2026, Highlights Ty'Anthony Smith

Texas Longhorns linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith celebrates after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

If there is anybody that knows Longhorn linebacking in the Sarkisian-era, it is Anthony Hill Jr.

The three-year starter has been a leader on the Texas defense since he was a freshman and declared for the draft after racking up 249 tackles, 17.5 sacks and 11 takeaways across 40 games with the Longhorns.

When asked about the future Texas' linebackers, Hill had this to say:

Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. on younger Longhorn LBs he's excited to watch in the future @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/lqO31WtQb5
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) February 25, 2026

Hill was quick to mention rising junior Ty'Anthony Smith, who has played in all 28 games since arriving in the 40 Acres two seasons ago but has only made one start for the Longhorns.

Smith made the most of that start, which came against Michigan in last season's Citrus Bowl. He led the Longhorns in tackles with nine and hauled in two interceptions, aiding Texas en route to a 41-27 victory.

Hill said he did not really know any of the other Longhorns linebackers, which is a product of the complete overhaul Sarkisian and his staff made this offseason.

To Hill's credit, the only player other than Smith who played more than a handful of snaps at linebacker last season and is returning for 2026 is Brad Spence, who spends more time at edge rusher.

The Longhorns rebuilt their second level with transfers Markus Boswell, Justin Cryer and Rasheem Biles and blue-chip high schoolersTyler Atkinson and Rocky Cummings.

It is hard to know how such an entirely new group of players will perform, but expectations are high, and for good reason.

Biles is a two-time All-ACC member who has played in 31 games and already has 185 tackles to his name and while none of the other newcomers have quite those accolades, they were brought in by new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp for a reason.

While linebackers need to work together and that can be a challenge for a group with no prior history, some of them have already begun working out together to build that chemistry.

So while the future of Texas' linebacking corps is up in the air, Longhorns fans should be just a s excited as Anthony Hill.