Anthony Hill Jr. Reveals Which Texas Longhorns Could Surprise in 2025

When Anthony Hill Jr. speaks, people listen.

Hill Jr. is the centerpiece of the Texas Longhorns defense and arguably the roster overall. As an All-American in his sophomore season and a projected top NFL draft pick after his junior one, he has proven to be all of what he was hoped to be out of high school as a 2023 five-star from Denton, Texas.

Hill Jr.'s significance to Texas throughout his time on the team has made him one of the vocal leaders of the Longhorns and someone that people trust as a trustworthy perspective. At SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Tuesday, he named players that he think will surprise the burnt orange faithful, per Orangebloods' Alex Dunlap. Hill Jr.'s support for the following players serves as a good sign for them going into this season.

Who did Anthony Hill Jr. say will surprise?

The first guys that Hill Jr. mentions are linebacker Brad Spence and edge rusher Colton Vasek.

Spence, a junior who transferred from Arkansas following the 2024 season, comes to the Longhorns as an important depth piece with SEC experience. In the matchup against Texas at Razorback Stadium last year, Spence had six solo tackles and a sack. He had the second-most sacks (4.5) and tied for fifth-most tackles (55) amongst Arkansas players over the course of the season.

Hill Jr. and Spence are similar in that they thrive as disruptive downhill linebackers, making Spence an exciting piece to complement Hill Jr. at the position in 2025.

This is not the first praise that Spence has received recently, as Arkansas quarterback and former teammate Taylen Green described him as "a smart player who's got a good feel for football and really good instincts," per CJ Vogel of OnTexasFootball.

Arkansas QB Taylen Green speaks on new #Texas LB Brad Spence and what he brings to the field.

More from Green coming on the https://t.co/lYdgN52JqF tonight. pic.twitter.com/VY6zzsVYlS
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) June 27, 2025

Vasek, a redshirt sophomore, made 11 appearances for Texas last season, totaling seven tackles and two sacks. He underwent shoulder surgery early in the offseason, now back healthy and preparing for a much bigger role in the upcoming season.

During his freshman year, now-NFL offensive lineman Christian Jones said Vasek's nickname was "Baby Bosa," per On3. An Austin native who went to the same high school as safety Michael Taaffe, Vasek stands at 6-5 and weighs 250 pounds -- he is someone that can come off the edge with power and pace. Vasek could prove an impactful asset behind Ethan Burke in the depth chart.

Hill Jr.'s last mention on the defensive side of the ball is Zina Umeozulu, a redshirt freshman edge rusher also with a big frame at 6-5, 262 pounds. Umeozulu only appeared in one game last season but, like Vasek, is anticipated to play a much bigger part in 2025 with the exit of some of Texas's defensive lineman from last year.

Likely playing behind Colin Simmons, Umeozulu should have opportunities coming off the edge to impress, Hill Jr. believing that he will.

"I feel like those three guys are going to have great years. I've been watching [Spence, Vasek and Umeozulu] work winter and summer, and they've been putting in great work," Hill Jr. said.

Anthony Hill Jr. on the Longhorns he thinks will surprise fans in 2025 ⁦@orangebloods_⁩ pic.twitter.com/Hl2k7XyZDd
— Alex Dunlap (@AlexDunlapNFL) July 15, 2025

How about offensively?

Hill Jr. named sophomore Ryan Wingo as a guy on offense who he thinks will breakout, then also mentioning DeAndre Moore Jr. building on what he produced last season.

Both of them accumulated at least 450 yards through the air last season, indicating promise for them as primary options. The two wide receivers are expected to be quarterback Arch Manning's top two returning pass-catching options in 2025.