Texas Longhorns' Michael Taaffe Just Took Major Step Toward NFL Draft

The end of the regular season and an all-but-certain miss on the College Football Playoff means many Texas Longhorns players will have to make some major decisions on their future.

Whether that's entering the transfer portal, staying with the program or entering the 2026 NFL Draft, these decisions can be tough, though that isn't the case for safety Michael Taaffe.

Taaffe, who is in his final year of eligibility, would certainly stay at Texas for another season if he could, but fortunately, the former walk-on's hopes of making it to the NFL are taking a big step in the right direction.

Michael Taaffe Receives Invite to Senior Bowl

Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe celebrates with the golden hat after the Longhorns defeat the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

According to reports from Chip Brown of Horns247, Taaffe has been invited to play in the annual Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL., where some talented college players will look to impress NFL scouts.

Per Brown's report, Taaffe hasn't accepted the invite yet, but it feels all but certain he will be participating once the event rolls around on Jan. 31, especially if he wants to boost his draft stock.

Though Taaffe is not considered to be a major NFL prospect, he will have a chance to show scouts what he can do while also start to build relationships with teams in hopes of being a late-round pick or even an undrafted free agent.

At the least, Taaffe could potentially find his way onto an NFL practice squad down the line if he performs well at the Senior Bowl. Regardless of what happens, it's been quite a journey for the Austin native.

Michael Taaffe's Texas Career Stats

During his Texas career, Taaffe has played in 53 games while making 36 starts. In that span, he's posted 222 total tackles (119 solo), three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 21 pass breakups and seven interceptions.

He will have a chance to add to that total during Texas' bowl game in what will be his final game as a Longhorn.

In the 27-17 win over Texas A&M, his final home game at Texas, Taaffe made the game-sealing interception of Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed.

"I didn't cry. I think I'm still in shock of just what's going on and how cool this was for our team. So I'll probably get pretty emotional here shortly," Taaffe said.

Right after the interception, he looked toward the student section and celebrated.

"I went to the fans and just sucked it all up," Taaffe said. "Because I knew that these moments don't last forever. And I like to say it was one of the few lasts of my life, and it was just so cool that things come and go, and this is a special part of my life. And to go out with that, I just went off to the fans that were so supportive of me this whole journey."