Call it a trade — Trey Moore for Brad Spence.
As Texas Longhorns assistant coaches met with the media on Tuesday ahead of the start to preseason camp, edge coach LaAllan Clark broke the biggest news of the day, revealing that junior Brad Spence is making the full-time move from linebacker to edge.
Texas Edge Coach LaAllan Clark talking about the decision to move Brad Spence to edge full time pic.twitter.com/EOXk5poMbI
— John Burrows (@JohnBurrowsOTF) July 29, 2025
A transfer from Arkansas during the winter window, Spence makes the move months after
the position change of redshirt senior Trey Moore from edge to linebacker to afford more playing time to sophomore edge Colin Simmons, a decision that left limited depth at the position with redshirt freshman Zina Umeozulu slotting at Jack.
“The explosion was great in spring, saw a little bit of it rushing off the edge, and this summer, finally decided to permanently move him there,” Clark said of Spence.
Co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was less definitive about Spence’s move, but did hint at it.
“You’re going to see him do multiple things like Trey did for us last year,” Nansen said. ”We have the flexibility to move guys around — that’s the great thing about the way we’re putting together the linebacker room. I want guys to play multiple things and give us some flexibility to get up on the line of scrimmage and rush the passer, so I think Brad can bring that to us.”
Spence’s experience at inside linebacker dropping into coverage — the 6’2, 241-pounder had a solid 65.8 coverage grade by Pro Football Focus last year while allowing 9.9 yards per reception — gives the Razorbacks transfer the ability to play backwards at edge with a higher degree of effectiveness than most players at the position.
“Brad might end up being one of those guys because we ask that position to do a lot, not just rush the passer, but we’ve also got to drop into areas depending on what we’re in,” Nansen said.
As a true freshman, Spence had an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown against Western Carolina.
True Freshman Brad Spence with the pick six!! #Razorbacks extend the lead to 56-10!!! #WPS
— Grayson Pierce (@GraysonPierce4) September 2, 2023
pic.twitter.com/Vs6MXGJZLW
Ultimately, Spence’s move solves two problems for Texas — how to build depth at the edge position without sacrificing playing time for Moore, and clarifying the role for Spence amidst a lot of attacking talent.
“It makes it fun, but it makes it difficult because you’ve got all these guys that you’re trying to get put in position to make plays, and it’s a good problem to have, obviously,” Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiakowski said on Tuesday in regards to sorting out those roles.
“A lot of that is factored into matchups, different ways we can attack, whether it’s players or from schematic decisions, using them as decoys to open it up something else on on the opposite side.”
A Houston Klein Forest product, Spence signed with Arkansas as a member of the 2023 recruiting class as a consensus three-star prospect ranked as the No. 1,000 player nationally and the No. 96 edge, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Spence held more than 32 offers, including Arizona State, Cal, Cincinnati, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin. Texas also offered, but Spence committed to Arkansas in July of 2022 after taking official visits to Fayetteville and Berkeley.
So the Longhorns staff did have a familiarity with Spence from his original recruitment.
“Brad Spence is a guy that we actually recruited pretty extensively out of high school, Klein Forest, who was more of an edge player in high school,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said in December.
After signing with the Razorbacks, Spence was a rotation player as a true freshman, including making one start, recording 16 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and one interception, which came in his collegiate debut against Western Carolina.
In 2024, Spence played the third-most snaps among Arkansas linebackers, recording 34 tackles, 25 defensive stops, and five sacks in 12 pressures. Spence was a steady tackler, too, only missing three tackles for a missed tackle rate of six percent. If the Texas staff needed any more familiarity with Spence’s development, they saw it on display in the road win in Fayetteville.
“When he got to Arkansas, they played him off the ball some on regular downs, and then on third down, they used him as kind of a DPR [Designated Pass Rusher] and allowed him to rush. Had an excellent game against us, oddly enough, and he gets seven tackles and a sack against us,” Sarkisian said.
Now it appears that Spence’s role at Texas will look more like that third-down DPR designation at Arkansas than as an inside linebacker.
More from burntorangenation.com:
- Former Texas silent commit Keawe Brown releases statement on re-opening recruitment
- Deep, talented Texas RB room seeks elite status
- Sophomore Eszter Meri takes women’s tennis singles gold at FISU World University Games
- Longhorns Daily News: What QB will Texas football face when they play Ohio State?
- Steve Sarkisian updates the progress of Texas freshman WR Michael Terry
- Texas 2025 MLB Draft tracker: Grayson Boles signs with the Kansas City Royals
- How Arch Manning can bolster the Texas run game
