Tony Thomas
Author
They say that everything is bigger in Texas. That includes the heart of champion that was born to play football for the Texas Longhorns.
He was a two-time state champion in the national recruiting hotbed that is Texas high school football and two-time defensive MVP in the state title games of 2019 and 2020. With the will to win and make a name for himself, Texas senior free safety Michael Taaffe is ready to be a leader for the Longhorns defense this season.
As a senior at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, Taaffe was a modern-day Jim Thorpe. He played on offense, defense, and special teams. As a defender for the Chaparrals, Taaffe recorded 60 tackles and five interceptions. In addition, he recorded seven tackles for loss and forced a fumble.
When his number was called on offense, Taaffe lined up as a receiver and caught three touchdowns passes.
Taaffe played on special teams, recording 356 punt return yards.
In the 2020 Texas 6A State Championship Game vs. Southlake Carrol, Taaffe made his presence known. He intercepted Southlake Carroll quarterback Quinn Ewers, his future Longhorns teammate, twice in that game to help Westlake to a 52-34 victory.
Being a Taaffe meant being a Longhorn. Determined to carry on the family legacy, Taaffe accepted an offer to be a walk-on for the Texas Longhorns. Burnt orange is his badge of honor.
After taking a redshirt in 2021, Taaffe played in 13 games and earned one start against Kansas, as a redshirt freshman in 2022. He posted 26 tackles that season. In December of that year, head coach Steve Sarkisian announced that Taaffe had earned a scholarship.
In 2023, Taaffe recorded 48 tackles and three interceptions in three consecutive games, a feat last accomplished six seasons earlier.
Last season, Taaffe was second behind teammate Anthony Hill, Jr. in tackles and second on the team in pass breakups (10). For his efforts, Taaffe was named second-team All-American by the Associate Press (AP).
Going into his senior season, Taaffe has logged 43 games in the burnt orange and white with 26 starts. Taaffe has carried on his family name, which will be forever associated with the Texas Longhorns. He has fulfilled his destiny.
Taaffe bleeds burnt orange and he will leave those blood stains on the field as the ultimate Longhorn leads his team to ultimate victory.
In the series history, the Tigers have outscored the Lions 79-7 and own a 2-0 record.
D.B.U. was back as the Tigers picked off five passes on Saturday night
Cody Slovensky
LSU Writer
Broadcast Information No. 16 Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0) at No. 8 Notre Dame (0-1) Time: 7:30 PM EST Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025 Where: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana TV: NBC/Peacock The Texas A&M Aggies travel to Notre Dame for a high-profile top 25 match-up. In 2024 the two teams opened the season against […]
