Longhorns star Michael Taaffe has moved closer to adding more hardware to his trophy case. The Austin native was named a finalist for the 2025 Burlsworth Trophy on Monday night. The award is given annually to a player who began his career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.
Given how well Taaffe has played, it is no surprise he is a finalist. While he did battle injuries this season, he still recorded 70 tackles, which was the second most on the team. He also added two interceptions, a pass break-up, and a sack to his resume. On a team that had national title aspirations, Taaffe continued to show why he was one of Steve Sarkisian’s most valuable weapons.
Texas Safety Michael Taaffe This Season:
🤘 92.2 Run Defense Grade
🤘 88.8 Coverage GradeONLY Safety with 85+ Grades in BOTH Categories pic.twitter.com/a5FUt2K6hU
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 30, 2025
During his college career, Taaffe has appeared in 53 games. He started 36 of those games, going from a walk-on to an irreplaceable piece in the secondary. That has earned him national attention as the Westlake High alum is in the running for multiple honors.
After being named a preseason First-Team All-SEC honoree, Taaffe was placed on preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, and Lott IMPACT Trophy. Earlier this month, Taaffe was named a finalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy. He has also made history when it comes to the Burlsworth Trophy, becoming the first player in program history to be named a finalist.
From Westlake ➡️ Texas
Connor Robertson and Michael Taaffe soak in DKR one last time together #HookEm | #Texaspic.twitter.com/kV76xSGRnL
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) November 29, 2025
While Taaffe has made headlines with his play, he has given back to the community. That includes working with Texas Against Fentanyl, an organization that raises awareness about Fentanyl. The organization also provides resources and advocacy for prevention.
Although Taaffe will be keeping an eye on how voting plays out, his focus is on helping Texas end the 2025 campaign on a strong note. They will travel to Orlando at the end of the month to face Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec.31.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe named finalist for prestigious award
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