Three Longhorn Defenders Named to Preseason All Big 12 Team

Joseph Ossai, Caden Sterns and D'Shawn Jamison were all honored by media covering the league

A trio of Longhorn defenders were named to the Preseason All Big 12 team. 

Joseph Ossai, Caden Sterns and D'Shawn Jamison were all honored by media covering the league. 

Jamison, a Houston native, is a third-year defensive back who has played in 26 career games with 10 starts. Last year, Jamison played in all 13 games and started nine times. He recorded 35 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Two of his interceptions came on the road at West Virginia, including a highlight-reel one-handed grab that was the No. 1 play on SportsCenter’s ‘Top 10 plays’ that night (Oct. 5, 2019). He tallied a career-high nine tackles (eight solo), intercepted a pass and logged one quarterback hurry against Kansas State.

Ossai, a Conroe, Texas native, is a third-year JACK who has played in 27 career games with 15 starts. Last season, he started all 13 games and led the Longhorns in total tackles (90), tackles for loss (13.5) and sacks (5.0). Ossai also registered two interceptions, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. He made at least eight tackles on eight occasions last year, the second-most by a Longhorn in a single season over the last 20 years (9 – Emmanuel Acho, 2011). Three times Ossai made at least nine tackles, including a career-high 10 (five solo) on the road against TCU. He capped his season by earning Defensive MVP honors in the Valero Alamo Bowl after registering nine tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks against No. 11 Utah. His three sacks were the most by a Longhorn in a bowl game since Alex Okafor’s school-record 4.5 during the 2012 Alamo Bowl. Ossai is the only FBS player over the last 20 seasons to record at least six tackles for loss and three sacks in a bowl game. It also marked his second-straight bowl game with at least eight tackles, making him one of only four Longhorns to do so in consecutive bowl games since 2000.

Sterns, a Cibolo, Texas native, is a third-year defensive back who has played in 22 career games with 21 starts. Last season, he appeared in nine games, missing four due to injury. Despite missing time, Sterns still registered 58 tackles (43 solo), four tackles for loss, one sack and one pass break up. His sophomore season was capped by an eight-tackle day (six solo) against No. 11 Utah in the Valero Alamo Bowl. As a freshman, he was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-Big 12 honoree. He started the first 13 games of the 2018 season, making him UT’s first true freshman defensive back to start the first 13 games of his career since Blake Gideon in 2008. Sterns led the Longhorns with four interceptions, and also totaled 62 tackles (46 solo), three tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups and one blocked kick. Two of his interceptions came against TCU, making him just the third Longhorn true freshman ever with two interceptions in a game. Sterns has recorded at least five tackles on 14 occasions during his time at UT, highlighted by a career-best 12 tackles against Oklahoma State last season.