Four Longhorns on Preseason All-Big 12 team

IRVING, Texas – The Texas Longhorns had four players selected to the 2013 Preseason All-Big 12 football teamWednesday.

Cornerback Quandre Diggs, linebacker Jordan Hicks, defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and offensive guard Trey Hopkins were picked for the team by a media panel.

The Longhorns led the way with three defensive players and were tied for second overall with Texas Tech and TCU. Kansas State had five players combined on the offensive and defensive teams.

All four of the Longhorns have been listed among preseason candidates for national awards.

Diggs is on the watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy, Thorpe Award and College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Defensive Awards. He was a third team preseason All-America selection by Athlon and Sporting News.

Diggs ranks fourth on the FBS active career interceptions per game list (0.31). The junior has totaled 110 tackles, 22 pass breakups and eight interceptions the last two seasons.

Hicks, a junior, missed all but three games last year due to injury. He is on the watch list for the Nagurski Trophy and was also a preseason first team All-Big 12 pick by Athlon. Hicks has 111 career tackles, including eight for a loss.

Hopkins is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy and was also a preseason first team All-Big 12 choice by Athlon. The senior was a key reason the Longhorns posted the 23rd-best scoring offense in the country (35.7 points per game) last season, as well as allowing just 4.1 tackles for loss per game (No. 3 in the FBS) and 1.2 sacks pg (22nd in the FBS).

Jeffcoat is another defensive player who battled injury last season. After tallying 71 tackles, including 21 tackles for loss and eight sacks, in 2011, he missed the final seven games of 2012 with a pectoral injury. Jeffcoat still finished second on the team in TFL (11) and sacks (four).

Now a senior, Jeffcoat has been named to the watch lists for the 2013 Bednarik Trophy, Nagurski Trophy, Lott Trophy and CFPA Defensive Awards.