Jonah Williams’ Stock is Rising After First Texas Longhorns Scrimmage

Texas Longhorns safety Jonah Williams had a breakout performance during the team's first fall scrimmage.

Texas Longhorns safety Jonah Williams | @JonahW409 - X

Despite being a notable name on both the baseball and football teams, Texas Longhorns fans have been waiting for Jonah Williams to have his breakout moment on the gridiron.

It appears that moment came during the football team's first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday.

Now, for Williams, it's about taking that momentum and building off of it headed into the 2026 season as he looks to carve out a role in the Texas secondary.

Jonah Williams Had Interception in End Zone During Texas Scrimmage

Texas Longhorns defensive backs Xavier Filsaime (17), Jonah Williams (9) and Jordon Johnson-Rubell (23) huddle up during warm ups prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke to the media after the scrimmage and revealed that Williams had an interception in the end zone during the first drive of the day.

While the pick is no doubt impressive, it's even more notable considering that it came against Arch Manning and the first-team offense. Sarkisian confirmed this, adding that Manning played the first drive before rotating with the other quarterbacks.

"I did think there were some real highlight plays. I thought Jonah Williams had a nice interception in the end zone on the first drive," Sarkisian said.

If he's praciting against the starters, it means the coaching staff clearly likes what Williams brings to the secondary headed into Week 1. He'll have to continue working his way up the depth chart over the next few weeks, but Williams' stock is clearly on the rise.

That's certainly music to the ears of Texas fans that have been watching him closely since he first committed to the Longhorns as the No. 1 overall safety in the 2025 recruiting class.

Here's a look at Williams during drills on Day 2 of fall camp last week:

Texas safety Jonah Williams high-pointing an interception during Day 2 of fall camp. pic.twitter.com/g5q9UDrgyO

— Zach Dimmitt (@ZachDimmitt7) August 6, 2026

Williams appeared in eight games as a true freshman last season while posting nine total tackles (five solo).

This included two solo tackles in Athens against the Georgia Bulldogs and a season-high three tackles in the Citrus Bowl win over Michigan.

Expect these numbers to see a notable leap in 2026, just as long as Williams manages to stay healthy.

Where Is Jonah Williams on Texas Depth Chart?

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian runs across the field during warm-ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With still two weeks left until the Longhorns begin game-week prep for Texas State, it remains to be seen exactly what the depth chart will look like in the Texas secondary.

That said, here's where we expect Williams to land on the depth chart for the season opener based on what we heard after Saturday's scrimmage, per the Texas Longhorns on SI depth chart projections:

Strong Safety

Starter - Jelani McDonald

Backup - Jonah Williams

Third Team - Jordon Johnson-Rubell

Free Safety

Starter - Derek Williams Jr.

Backup - Xavier Filsaime OR Kobe Black

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