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How exactly does UNC defensive line transfer Travis Shaw fit into the Texas defense and what does he bring to the table with his prospect and production profile? Let's look into it.
Travis Shaw
versus NC State (2024)
- Shaw was not a starter for UNC in 2024 but was certainly front-line depth.
- Shows excellent flashes as a one-gap penetrator and holds up well inside against inside runs. Versus outside runs and outside-zone angles from the offensive line, he has a tendency to let his pad level get too high and get washed away, but as far as holding up at the point of contact in closed spaces, he has a really good anchor and is tough to move off his spot.
- It's really interesting that Shaw didn't opt to stay put at UNC, of the four main interior DLs who got reps in the NC State game, the other three have no eligibility left. Here's a former 5-star talent that still has a lot of that flash to his game (despite having clearly been on a slower development track than UNC likely hoped for) who was set to step into a surefire starting role based on the surrounding cast. Maybe it had to do with Bill Belichick coming in, maybe it had to do with just wanting to test the open market money-wise -- maybe it had a little to do with both or none of either -- but Shaw was, from an outside perspective, seemingly positioned really well at UNC heading into 2025.
- Here's an excellent example of the upside that Shaw brings and the flashes we see of the five-star pedigree he brings to the table. If you could get a play like this per series (not even one that always resulted in a big play -- just a similar level of effort, we'd be talking about an all-conference level competitor at such a key position. The first step is elite and it almost seems like he got away with encroachment with how fast he is off the football aligned directly over the center.
- Here's another play that sort of encapsulates what you see from Shaw all the time through the game: a jet-pack explosive burst that is evident in how he just craters the offensive lineman that just needs to be married together with better control of his body and gap integrity:
- On a completely unrelated note, what a brutal loss for Mack Brown in a game where UNC RB Omarion Hampton put the team on his back to the tune of 263 scrimmage yards and 2 TDs. Hampton is just a monster in this elite 2025 NFL draft running back class. Bill Belichick would have loved to have that guy for his first season in Chapel Hill. My Goodness.
versus Virginia (2024)
- Again did not start this game.
- Once again, Shaw entered the game as a pure nose tackle when Virginia got down to the goal line despite mainly playing the 3-tech in base personnel packages. It goes to show that the staff really liked his explosive burst in the short areas.
- Shaw doesn't have super-skinny calves like Vernon Broughton, but doesn't have huge pythons, either -- built through the lower half more like an athlete than a pure tree stump.
- Watching this game, you start to wonder why No.98 (Kevin Hester Jr.) and No.5 (Jahvarrie Ritzee) played well ahead of Shaw. Not because Shaw was light-the-house-on-fire consistent per se, but because neither of those two guys really seem all that good. Shaw's traits pop off much more often than either player. It could be due to what we've all seen in Mack's deference to veteran players in the program (spilled blood, etc) or it could have to do with a lack of consistency from Shaw over time -- something that is somewhat evident watching him through games even in 2024 despite the immense flashes. I guess we'll find out soon enough.
- Here's another example of Shaw showing good burst and some athleticism with a little inside spin move to get free toward the QB and get pressure.
*****
In all, over the two games charted, the Carolina defense played 143 snaps while Shaw was on the field for 57 (39.86%). This snap-share is very similar to Texas' 2024 usage of Jermayne Lole (a 43.36% snap participant) while being a more utilized contributor at Carolina than Bill Norton was at Texas in 2024 (23.02% of snaps). Shaw's usage at Carolina was basically right in line with what Texas expects to get out of its 3rd interior lineman -- right at 40% of snaps.
Shaw aligned 5% of the time at the nose or 1-shade, 11% of the time head up on the guard, 81% of the time at the three-technique, 2% of the time head up on the tackle, and 2% of the tackle and one snap outside the tackle on a weird swinging gate offensive formation.
On those snaps, Shaw generated one assisted tackle, 3 QB pressures, 1 TFL, 1 run-stuff and he missed one tackle. Meaning, on the Deep Dig scale, he generated production once every 11.4 snaps. This is not a particularly efficient number for Shaw over the sample. It is nowhere near as good as 2024 Alfred Collins (generated production once every 6.51 snaps), and still well behind Jermayne Lole (8.68), Vernon Broughton (8.82) and Bill Norton (8.89). Shaw was more efficient over this sample, though, than a very disappointing Tiaoalii Savea at Texas last season (12), and much more efficient than freshman Alex January who played a limited sample of snaps in 2024 but was clearly still very wet behind the ears and not at all productive or efficient (26.67).
If we compare Shaw's defensive efficiency in these two games to historical comps among Longhorn interior defenders dating back to 2015, he most closely resembles (over this sample) 2023 Alfred Collins who generated production once every 11.09 snaps, and -- ironically -- 2022 Alfred Collins who generated production once every 11.22 snaps. Dating back to 2015, these two seasons are by far the closest comps to what we saw out of Shaw in this sample and it's telling.
The reason it is telling is because Shaw sort of reminds you a lot of 2023 Alfred Collins without even looking at a single cockamamie number. How? Well, that's easy. He's a huge guy who can move with mouthwatering quickness and athleticism that shows you flashes of crazy upside, but isn't necessarily that productive or efficient. Remember, Alfred Collins' excellent 2024 season was not representative of his entire career at Texas at all. The guy was basically on a milk carton outside of a few flash plays here and there and coming into 2024, and there were MAJOR question marks about whether he could finally turn it on and show those flashes with greater consistency. Of course, what happened next is history and we know that Collins did just that, doubling his efficiency en route to really boosting his draft stock and being a main lynchpin on one of the country's best all-around defenses.
And this is not to say that just because Shaw has been relatively inefficient thus far that this alone means he can follow in Collins' footsteps. What I am trying to say is that you do see truly similar and elite traits in Shaw that you got the same precious few glimpses of from Collins prior to 2024 that Kenny Baker was somehow able to pull out into the open. Great feet and explosion, natural athlete, big and long, all physical boxes checked. Shaw is at the same place that Collins found himself in last year. Meaning, this is the year for him. He's coming to Texas and it looks like he'll probably at least be in MAJOR consideration to start at the three-technique next to Cole Brevard at the nose in what should be a pretty tight 4-5 man rotation at those two positions if recent history is any indicator.
Shaw was set to be next man up at UNC, and in coming to Texas, he finds himself in a similar role. Remember, again -- it should not be surprising to see such flashy traits from this player; after all, he was a 5-star and one of the top overall recruits in the nation. If Kenny Baker can get out of him a similar level of improvement that he was able to tease out of Alfred Collins in his first year on campus then we're in for some fireworks.
