T’Vondre Sweat Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Background: T’Vondre Sweat was a 3-star defensive tackle out of Huntsville, Texas. He played for Huntsville High School and was an all-state selection as a senior, while having multiple all-district selections throughout high school. Sweat was named the District MVP in 2018. T’Vondre led Huntsville to the state playoffs in 3 straight seasons, winning at least one game in all 3 appearances. He also used his large frame to dominate on the basketball court in high school as well. T’Vondre Sweat chose to stay home and play for Texas over Alabama and Oklahoma.

College: Sweat has been named to the Big 12 Honor Roll in 3 of his 4 seasons. He played in every game as a freshman as a rotational defensive tackle. He was clearly a part of Texas’ future on the interior. In both his sophomore and junior seasons, his numbers greatly improved and he was a pillar to stopping the run. As a senior in 2022, Sweat had his most productive season. He started 9 games and was a Big 12 honorable mention. In 2023, Sweat was an Outland Trophy award winner and a unanimous First Team All-American. He was also the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Strengths: T’Vondre Sweat is a prototypical 1-technique who can stuff the run as well as muddy the pocket when pass rushing. His size comes with some elite strength. He knows how to get under the pads and push his opponent back and onto their heels. His lower half is thick, allowing Sweat to plow himself forward. His strength is defending the run. He not only wins reps and diagnoses run fits well, but he does not let his opponent move into the 2nd level of the defense. He frees up the linebackers behind him, allowing them to make a play on the football. Sweat explodes out of his stance and into the pads of his opponent, often knocking them off their foundation with pure strength and explosiveness.

Weaknesses: The most concerning thing on tape for T’Vondre Sweat is his motor. He can be caught giving up on plays and not really moving his legs. He clearly does not give it his all on every snap. He also is not used at nearly as high of a frequency as some other players at the same position. These two attributes could be due to a lack of conditioning. Sweat’s large frame can also lead to him naturally getting too high on the pads of his opponent, which is a main reason for his lack of reps won.

Conclusion: Sweat can turn into an above average starter in a lower usage role. He has a high ceiling but that lack of a motor is a serious concern.

Scheme Fit: 3-4

Ideal Role: 1-tech

Best Team Fits: SEA, LAC, CLE

Player Comparison: Jordan Davis

Player Grade: 78.9