The Texas Longhorns have produced an astonishing amount of NFL talent over the years, but this year the school didn't have a prospect drafted for the first time since 1937.
Texas' streak of having at least one of its prospects picked in the draft had been the longest in the country.
Fifty-five Texas players had been drafted by NFL teams since 2000, but the school was one of two in the Big 12 that didn't produce at least one pick this year (Kansas was the other). The news was all the more shocking considering Longhorns defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat was the conference's co-defensive player of the year last season. He led the team in tackles and earned All-American honors in 2013, but heads to the NFL as an undrafted player.
Jeffcoat is also the son of former NFL defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, who won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys.
To make matters worse for the historic powerhouse, former Longhorns quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who finished his career at SMU after transferring, was taken in the sixth round by the St. Louis Rams. In-state rival Texas A&M saw three players drafted -- all in the first round -- while Oklahoma produced four selections. To add insult to injury, all other FBS schools in the state had at least one player drafted.
Normally one of the most reliable programs in the country when it comes to churning out NFL talent, the only other time Texas' streak appeared to be in jeopardy during the draft's final round was back in 1998, when the program had just a single seventh-round draft pick (Chris Akins to the Eagles). The Longhorns had three players drafted in 2013, including first-round safety Kenny Vaccaro.
The absence of draft picks at Texas is one contributing factor as to why former head coach Mack Brown is no longer in charge of the program. Current coach Charlie Strong had three of his former Louisville players taken in the first round alone this year (Teddy Bridgewater, Calvin Pryor and Marcus Smith).
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
