David Gbenda brings veteran range and assignment-sound linebacker play
Gbenda is the kind of experienced, downhill linebacker coaches trust: a sixth-year Texas veteran who finished his Longhorns run with 61 tackles in 2024 and showed steady production across six seasons, including a career-best 50 tackles in 2023 and 8 tackles plus a sack against Mississippi State in 2024.[5][8][10][13] His differentiators are feel, reliability, and special-teams/value versatility rather than pure sideline-to-sideline explosiveness, and he has also shown enough ball production to record career interceptions and pass breakups.[10][13][18] He looks like a fit for a defense that values disciplined run fits, communication, and mature, low-mistake linebacker play.[18]
