Potential Return of Star Player Could Play Big Role in Texas vs. Vanderbilt

The Texas Longhorns' defense struggled against Mississippi State in their first game without one of their star players

Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Joe Tatum (18) reacts with teammates after a touchdown during overtime against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns finally saw their offense have an explosive game in a nail-biting overtime 45-38 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, which included their most points allowed on the season, eight games into the year.

For the Longhorns, it was their first game without safety Michael Taaffe, as he recovers from thumb surgery he underwent after the overtime win against the Kentucky Wildcats. The adjustment was rough, as evidenced by the points allowed, and took some time to correct as the game went on.

Now that Taaffe could make a potential return, what would it mean for the Longhorns' defense as they prepare to host the top-10-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores?

Coach on the Field

Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrates after the Kentucky Wildcats fail to score during overtime at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

It's a well-known feature that teams have two quarterbacks: the one who is in charge of the offense, and then the one on defense, who is often viewed as the commander of that side of the ball. For the Longhorns, that role is taken by Taaffe, an experienced safety who commands through his knowledge and leads by example.

That's why, with Taaffe out against the Bulldogs after having thumb surgery, the Longhorns allowed their highest amount of points (38) and the second-highest amount of yards (445) from their opponents this season. Losing a player of his caliber in a position of value would hurt any defense in the country, and they were no exception, as evidenced by head coach Steve Sarkisian.

"You know when you don't have a player of Michael's [Taaffe] caliber, you're going to miss him, you're going to miss the communication, you're going to miss the play-making ability," Sarkisian said during his weekly SEC teleconference call. "You're going to miss his ability to fix issues in real time as they're happening on the field, and not have to wait to get to the bench to fix it."

While the defense is jam-packed with high-end talent, including some of the best players in the country, such as Collin Simmons, Anthony Hill Jr., and Malik Muhammad, none of them are the heartbeat or the coach on the field, the same way Taaffe is. Especially on the road, where an environment can make adjustments harder on the fly for a defense, his presence was clearly missed.

Now, the Longhorns return to the Forty Acres for the first time in over a month, ready for a top-20 showdown against the Commodores as they continue to push to keep their season alive. With Taaffe listed as questionable for the game, a return would mark another bout of confidence for one of the best defenses in the country, in their biggest game of the season.

The Longhorns will host the Commodores on Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. CT