OTF Premium Pete Kwiatkowski's Texas pass rush has a come a long way, but there's another level to reach in 2025

[Jeff Howe]

AUSTIN, Texas — Pete Kwiatkowski enters his fifth season as Texas defensive coordinator with the pass rush in a much better place than where it stood three years ago.

Kwiatkowski’s first season on the Forty Acres was largely forgettable. While allowing the second-most yards per rushing attempt (5.15) of any Longhorn defense and third-most yards per play (6.03) and points per game (31.1) in school history, Kwiatkowski’s first season saw Texas record 20 sacks in a 12-game campaign, good for a No. 98 finish nationally (1.67 sacks per game).

“What pass rush?” Kwiatkowski quipped before the start of the 2022 season when reflecting on the worst Texas pass rush since 1997 (15 sacks total and an average of 1.36 per game). The Longhorns improved over the next two seasons, averaging 2.08 sacks per game (No. 77 in FBS) in 2022 and 2.29 sacks per game (No. 52) in 2023 before the pass rush took off with authority in 2024.

“We’ve come a long way from whenever that was,” Kwiatkowski said Tuesday, when he and fellow coordinators Kyle Flood and Jeff Banks met with the media ahead of Wednesday’s first camp practice.

After sacking opposing quarterbacks 46 times (2.88 sacks per game, which was good for a No. 15 FBS ranking) en route to a second consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals, Texas heads into the 2025 season boasting arguably the nation’s fiercest pass rush.

The returns of Colin Simmons (nine sacks as a true freshman), Anthony Hill Jr. (eight) and Trey Moore (5.5) account for the bulk of the 32 sacks the Longhorns welcome back from last season. With Kwiatkowski stewarding the expansion of Moore’s job description to include more snaps at the second level of the defense, along with the shift of transfer Brad Spence (4.5 sacks with Arkansas in 2024) from linebacker to EDGE, the Longhorns have added more pieces to the chessboard.

Kwiatkowski said he’s excited about the possible sub-package looks and lineup combinations he can put on the field, even if maximizing his personnel is easier said than done.

“It makes it difficult because you've got all of these guys that you’re trying to put into position to make plays,” Kwiatkowski said. “It’s a good problem to have.”

An elite pass rush might be most responsible for the success Texas enjoyed on defense last season. The Longhorns allow the third-fewest points per game (15.3), total yards per game (283.4) and yards per play (4.4) in the nation.

Texas was ranked in the top 15 nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (109.6) and yards per rushing attempt allowed (3.24), which opened up more pass-rushing opportunities. With quarterbacks feeling the heat more often, the Longhorns led the SEC and were No. 2 nationally in takeaways (31), including 22 interceptions (tied for the FBS lead), and fielded the country’s No. 8-ranked third-down defense (31.4 percent conversion rate allowed).

With that said, there are two reasons to believe the encore could pack more of a punch.

For starters, Kwiatkowski said understanding and putting into practice the details of the EDGE position will lead to more consistent production from Simmons.

“He's a playmaker. He's got great ability and skill. It's just attention to the details; being more physical when we need him to be more physical,” Kwiatkowski said.

Even after Simmons won the Shaun Alexander Award and began an ascent toward an early selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, what LaAllan Clark said when asked for his initial impressions of the 6-foot-3-inch, 240-pounder should have the Texas faithful giddy for what’s to come.

“An elite player who left a lot on the bone last year,” said the man working with Simmons and the other Longhorn edge defenders. “He’s ready to take that next step.

“He’s just scratching the surface.”

Then there’s Hill, whose next step, Kwiatkowski said, is growing his game in pass coverage. Hill expanding his skill set could allow Kwiatkowski to use him as a decoy to open things up for other Texas defenders and make it tougher for offenses to try and exploit him when hunting matchups.

“He has a nose for the ball, plays his tail off and has a knack for big plays,” Kwiatkowski said of Hill, a second-team All-American linebacker as a sophomore and a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. “It's just the consistency in his pass coverage. That’s the next step, and he's doing a good job with that.”

If Kwiatkowski can do more with Simmons and Hill, it’s hard to imagine any collegiate defensive front being harder to deal with than the one the Longhorns will deploy.

Kwiatkowski didn’t tip his hand on what he’s cooking up for the Cotton Bowl rematch with Ohio State in 32 days. Still, it was hard for Kwiatkowski to hide his excitement about the personnel he’ll be working with in camp as he and the defensive staff begin molding the ball of clay that is the 2025 defense.

“I feel really good about what we've got personnel-wise,” Kwiatkowski said. “Guys coming off the edge, 'backers can rush the passer and we've got good D-tackles that can push the pocket.”

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[Jeff Howe]

Here's how the Texas pass rush has improved under PK from a team standpoint...

2021: No. 98 nationally (20 total sacks, 1.67 sacks per game)

2022: No. 77 (27 total, 2.08 per game)

2023: No. 52 (32 total, 2.29 per game)

2024: No. 15 (46 total, 2.88 per game)

[Jeff Howe]

And the strides the pass rush has made when it comes to the season leader...

2021: Ben Davis, 2.5

2022: Barryn Sorrell, 5.5

2023: Ethan Burke, 5.5

2024: Colin Simmons, 9

[Jeff Howe]

This quote from LaAllan Clark on Colin Simmons might've been the line of the day today: "An elite player who left a lot on the bone last year"

[Jarveaux]

Justus Terry gonna be an amazing addition to our defense “this” year .

[Sportsfan83]

1 hour ago, Jeff Howe said:

And the strides the pass rush has made when it comes to the season leader...

2021: Ben Davis, 2.5

2022: Barryn Sorrell, 5.5

2023: Ethan Burke, 5.5

2024: Colin Simmons, 9

🔥

[Texas fan in Georgia]

2 hours ago, Jeff Howe said:

This quote from LaAllan Clark on Colin Simmons might've been the line of the day today: "An elite player who left a lot on the bone last year"

That to go along with the fact we now know he got some lasik, the sack record may not be too crazy to think about now 😂

[Thailand T Sip]

@Jeff Howe very eye opening piece. Really highlights what the staff dealt with their first couple of years and the building process required to get us to 2025. Using the D as the example along with an earlier comment about the success of UT free agents, this really shows how poorly the prior staffs developed the players. Our improvement is a chicken and egg deal. We're getting not good recruiting classes. We're getting elite ones. With elite players , the team can continue to compete at the top of college football. We get get these players due to development. Sark, Flood, PK & Banks 

[thatdude2]

I'm giddy

[Jarveaux]

Well written article Jeff . Really enjoy reading your articles . It’s obvious this isn’t your first Rodeo. 

[Jeff Howe]

29 minutes ago, Jarveaux said:

Well written article Jeff . Really enjoy reading your articles . It’s obvious this isn’t your first Rodeo. 

Appreciate the kind words, Jarveaux!

[Drew Lockhart]

18 hours ago, Jeff Howe said:

This quote from LaAllan Clark on Colin Simmons might've been the line of the day today: "An elite player who left a lot on the bone last year"

Jeff: thanks for the read. opposing QB's will be running for their lives with the talent and speed in our front 7!!!!!!! Hook'em

[Drew Lockhart]

18 hours ago, Jeff Howe said:

This quote from LaAllan Clark on Colin Simmons might've been the line of the day today: "An elite player who left a lot on the bone last year"

Well that's SCARY!!!!!!