#16

Michael Taaffe

Former defensive back at Texas. 2025: 2 interceptions, 1 pass breakup, 70 tackles.

DB · Texas · Sr. · #16

6′0″ · 189 lb · Austin, TX

CFB Index 76 · #64 of 544 safetiesLow confidenceAll-AmericanDrafted by Miami — Rd 5, Pick 18, #158 overall

On production he ranks #64 of 544 safeties; on reputation he is an All-American. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

How he plays

Moves between deep coverage and the slot.

Tackles: 91st percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

interceptions · 2025

1 PBU · 70 tackles · 1 TFL

Best game: 9 tackles, vs Oklahoma

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at Texas. 2025: 2 interceptions, 1 pass breakup, 70 tackles.

Drafted round 5 by the Miami in 2026.
Named All-America (AFCA) in 2025.
Named All-America (AFCA) in 2025.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Texas, 217 tackles, an All-American season (2025) — drafted at #158 overall by Miami.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

202416 games

All-America

202510 games

All-America
Wuerffelwinner
All-SECfirst

2026

Drafted by Miamiround 5, pick 158

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

Texas

2022–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R5 · #158

Miami · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

4 honors · 2 categories

🥇

ALL-AMERICA

Named All-American (2025)

1 selectors honored him

🥈

ALL-SEC · 1ST TEAM

All-SEC 1st team (2025)

Coaching lineage · 2022–2025

1 coach

2022–2025

Steve Sarkisian

Texas

Played his entire career under Steve Sarkisian.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Miami2026 NFL rookie season

#158Rd 5 · Pick 18

Miami2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Steve Sarkisian — 43-13 over that span.

2022Texas8-5HC: Steve Sarkisian · Run-leaning

2023Texas12-2HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced

2024Texas13-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced

2025Texas10-3HC: Steve Sarkisian · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

76All-Conference level #64 of 544?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (91st percentile). Strength: solo tackles (90th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (22nd percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Tackles#268 / 2975 · 91st pct

Solo tackles#271 / 2975 · 90th pct

Interceptions#114 / 817 · 75th pct

Sacks#847 / 2975 · 63rd pct

1.0

Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct

Tackles for loss#1936 / 2975 · 28th pct

1.0

QB hurries#1662 / 2975 · 22nd pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	6.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Road4g	8.2	0.0	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	6.8	0.2	0.2	0.0
Weeks 8+4g	7.2	0.0	0.0	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Steve Sarkisian

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

All-American

Named to an All-America team by a recognized selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

76 · #64 of 544 safeties

Unranked recruit. Now #64 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2025

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Texas	70	38	1.0	1.0	1	2	--
2024	Texas	78	40	5.5	2.0	10	2	--
2023	Texas	45	27	2.5	0.0	2	3	--
2022	Texas	24	12	0.5	0.0	1	--	--
Career		217	117	9.5	3.0	14	7	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 14 · 2025

W 27–17

vs Texas A&M

5 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 INT

With J. Bouwmeester — 48 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 58 LONG · A. Manning — 179 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 91.5 · 53 rush yds (7 car) · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week