Andrew Mukuba, SAF, Texas
Size:
Height: 5112
Weight: 186
Arm: 30”
Hand: 9”
Accomplishments:
ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year (2021) • Third-Team All-ACC (2021)
“Andrew Mukuba can align anywhere in a defense’s secondary and has the athletic traits to make impactful plays.”
Strengths:
Versatile defender in the secondary
Plus-level instincts/ball skills
High motor/effort
Short-area quickness/explosiveness
Concerns:
Tackling technique
Technique in man-to-man coverage
Tweener size and skill set
Film Analysis:
Andrew Mukuba transferred to the University of Texas after spending the first three years of his career at Clemson. At Clemson, Mukuba became one of the most experienced players in the secondary, appearing in more than 30 career games and playing significant snaps since his freshman year.
At Texas during the 2024 season, Mukuba had a career year in tackles and interceptions, recording 69 tackles and 5 interceptions. He is a position-versatile athlete with the physical tools to play everywhere from cornerback to nickel to safety, with most of his snaps coming at the hybrid safety/nickel position. Mukuba is an instinctual defender with short-area quickness and explosiveness, allowing him to make impactful defensive plays.
In pass coverage, Mukuba is scheme-versatile and capable of playing both man and zone coverage. When aligned at nickel or deep at safety, he utilizes his quick twitch and explosiveness to cover receivers and stay in phase with them throughout the route. Mukuba has fluid hips and reactionary athleticism, enabling him to cover slot receivers and defend against sight-adjustment two-way option routes commonly run from the slot. When playing deep in zone coverage, Mukuba displays good overall range. He has strong ball-tracking ability and knows how to flip his hips to gain proper depth, allowing him to make plays on the ball in the deeper portion of the field.
Against the run, Mukuba is an impactful player. He quickly diagnoses the direction and flow of run plays and pursues the ball aggressively. Mukuba plays with explosive bursts and works downhill to the ball carrier. Despite his size, he embraces physicality and doesn’t shy away from contact when tackling bigger ball carriers. Mukuba has excellent closing speed and can break down in space to make one-on-one tackles, preventing extra yardage.
However, Mukuba has areas for improvement in both coverage and run defense. Due to his versatility and usage across multiple positions, his pass coverage technique has been inconsistent. He doesn’t always take the proper approach in coverage, sometimes allowing receivers to dictate the rep. This can lead to excessive grabbing and holding, increasing the risk of penalties. As a run defender, while Mukuba has the athleticism to cover the entire field, he needs to improve his tackling efficiency. He occasionally overruns ball carriers or resorts to diving at them, resulting in missed tackles.
Overall, Mukuba is an explosive defensive back with high-level physical traits. While his versatility is a strength, he may benefit from focusing on a single position in the NFL to refine his technique. His playmaking ability was evident during his one year at Texas, showcasing his potential to make an impact at the next level.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Winning Starter
Written By: Keith Sanchez
Exposures: Ohio State (2025), Michigan (2024), Georgia (2024), Georgia (2024), Florida State (2023), Miami (2023), Notre Dame (2023), South Carolina (2023)
