AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Malik Jefferson had lost his mojo and so had the Texas Longhorns.
The sophomore middle linebacker who was handed the role of team leader the moment he stepped on campus as a freshman was not playing well and the Longhorns were losing. Then Jefferson got benched.
He responded with two of the best games of his career as Texas (5-4, 3-3 big 12) beat Baylor and Texas Tech, and the resurgent Longhorns have pumped life into what looked like a dead season for embattled coach Charlie Strong. Next up is a home game Saturday against No. 11 West Virginia (7-1, 4-1), which still has eyes on a possible Big 12 title.
“I just mentally figured out that I’m a leader. It’s time for a leader to step up and be on every play,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson has always been a public face of the team, arguably the biggest recruit Strong has signed. Even as a freshman, he had a mature voice in interviews and has been willing to tackle issues outside of football, notably publicly speaking out against a new Texas law that allows concealed handguns on campus.