The countdown to kickoff is on. Inside Texas will take a look at every player on the roster ahead of the season opener versus Ohio State on August 30, checking in on every Longhorn grouped by jersey number. Up next is Nos. 59-55.
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No. 59
Not yet issued.
IT tends to relish the opportunity to heap praise on the long snapper. Most people who follow Texas Longhorns football, even those who absorb every bit and morsel about the team, don’t know much about the long snapper.
The best long snappers are anonymous. The only time you hear about them is when they have an errant snap or mess something up during their opportunities.
St. Louis enters year four as Texas’ long snapper, and his time mostly spent in anonymity reflects the good job he’s done since taking over that role. The torch will eventually be passed from St. Louis to Trott O’Neal for the 2026 season. Until then, St. Louis remains the player starting things for Jeff Banks‘ special teams.
No. 57
No. 56
Not yet issued.
Hills was one of two defensive tackles in the 2024 class along with Alex January. Though January saw some action in 2024, Hills never made an appearance on the field.
Hills now has more “classmates” as the Longhorns brought in a number of defensive tackles from the portal on a similar eligibility timeline. Hills will have to surge past his new teammates, and playing time in the 2025 season may be tough to come by because of transfer additions like Cole Brevard, Travis Shaw, and Hero Kanu. However, Texas shouldn’t complain about having a 6-foot-3, 304-pounder on the roster should the Horns need him at some point this season.
Hills may be a great fit for the defensive end role whenever Texas deploys its base 3-4. His work at 3-technique or 1-technique will need some work, but that makes sense as Hills is likely on a longer developmental curve than his teammates.
