Texas Longhorns Safety Jelani McDonald Reveals Plans for Next Season

The Texas Longhorns are in the midst of an offseason full of change.

With the new era of college football, NIL and the transfer portal run things. Each season, coaches have to rerecruit players on their team, while recruiting the next group of high school recruits. On top of recruiting players, coach Steve Sarkisian has to recruit staff members, too.

With Texas players entering the transfer portal and declaring for the NFL Draft, players will start announcing their decision to depart at an increasing rate. However, Texas safety Jelani McDonald is not one of them.

Jelani McDonald Returning for 2026

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jelani McDonald against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

McDonald announced on social media that he will be returning to Texas for one final season before likely declaring for the NFL Draft next offseason.

"After prayerful consideration and meaningful conversations with my parents, family, and representation, I will be returning to the University of Texas to complete my career as a senior," McDonald wrote on Instagram. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue developing on and off the field and to represent the Longhorns at the highest level one final season."

Jelani McDonald is Coming Back to Texas for His Senior Season! 🤘 pic.twitter.com/Kp5eygx44E
— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) December 26, 2025

In McDonald’s three seasons with the Longhorns, he has recorded 108 tackles, five tackles for loss, four interceptions and eight pass breakups.

Derek Williams Jr. and Santana Wilson entering the transfer portal is a major move in keeping McDonald in the starting lineup. McDonald’s leadership and strengths should push him into more of a leadership role on the defense in 2026, and we will undoubtedly see him emerge as the leader of the Texas safety room.

“Jelani, I still think his best football is ahead of him," Sarkisian said in November 2024. "You think about this guy in high school. He was a high school quarterback that kind of moonlighted on defense when they needed him. I mean, he was an offensive player that we just saw the raw athleticism. And then we checked on his dad, and his dad was one of the leading tacklers in TCU football history. So we said, okay, it's in there, somewhere in there too."

"And then when we got him, we didn't know how his body was going to evolve. One day he was an outside linebacker, the next day he was playing corner, the next day he was at nickel, the next day he was at safety. We were just kind of trying to figure out what he could be all the while he had an impact on special teams as we were going and so when kind of finally found a home for him at safety this spring, you can see a lot of growth in his play."

Texas has had success in recruiting and developing defensive back talent, with the Longhorns becoming a no-fly zone of sorts for opposing teams, especially in 2024.

"I think it's been huge for him to be in a room with Michael Taaffe and an Andrew Mukuba, two guys who have a ton of experience that he can lean into, and he's really grown at the position," Sarkisian said. "And again, I thought he played a great game Saturday, but I also think his best days are ahead of him. This is his first time ever really doing this, and so just through experience alone, I think his play is going to improve.”

Judging by his constant improvement, it is safe to say Sarkisian was right.