All Activity

Great write up, Jeff! Appreciate all that you do!

@HookEmLonghornsthanks for sharing

I sure hope the current group does Jeff because after last year I can’t take another year of that at least my heart can’t

For those wondering, Texas would take a flip here

Tigah-bait!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard Kasey Studdard talk about how the offensive lines he played on would always bark that they wanted to "pound that rock." The mindset to move people in the running game and get the tough yards against quality opponents has to start somewhere, and it sounds like the current group at least understands where they need to be in that regard.

Last season’s Texas running game was the worst Steve Sarkisian has produced across 16 seasons as an FBS head coach or offensive coordinator. The Longhorns averaged 137.8 yards per game on the ground. That’s the lowest single-season average by an offense Sarkisian has been associated with since USC averaged 128 rushing yards per game in 2006 (Lane Kiffin’s last season as Pete Carroll’s offensive coordinator and one season after the Trojans lost Reggie Bush and LenDale White to the NFL). After a historically forgettable season (the 2025 rushing output was the worst on the Forty Acres since 2014, when Texas averaged 137.4 yards per game), Sarkisian's aggressive, across-the-board rebuild will, hopefully, positively impact how the Longhorns run the football. Texas overhauled the running back room with two proven commodities at the Power Four level (Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers) and its top high school target in the 2026 cycle (Derrek Cooper). When Laurence Seymore and Paris Patterson Jr. join Jonte Newman, Melvin Siani and Dylan Sikorski on campus in June, they’ll complete Sarkisian’s first group of offensive linemen acquired via the transfer portal. Along with the personnel changes (not to mention Brandon Baker’s shift inside to guard and the addition of Michael Masunas to be an in-line, run-blocking presence at tight end), the Longhorns have also adopted a new mindset in spring practice. “That means just being able to get set and pound that rock,” Baker said after Thursday’s practice when asked to define what Sarkisian means when he talks about getting the running game going. “Knowing and taking on that responsibility as a group of five, but also the guys behind us as well.” It might sound like a tired cliché, but 21 years ago, the 2005 offensive line’s battle cry was to “pound that rock.” It’s a creed Will Allen, Justin Blalock, Lyle Sendlien, Jonathan Scott, Kasey Studdard and the rest of the group lived by as they paved the way to the program’s most recent national championship. Better, more well-positioned personnel should help Texas move the football more consistently and effectively on the ground in 2026. But a mindset rooted in toughness and a desire to move opposing defenders against their will is the kind of foundation upon which championship-caliber running games are built. — I’ve viewed Ryan Niblett’s status heading into the 2026 season as one that mirrors where Keilan Robinson was at one point in his career. Like Niblett, Robinson earned his stripes as a difference-maker on special teams. Still, his role on offense didn’t expand until Sarkisian trusted him to be more intricately involved, which made the offense less predictable and tougher to defend with Robinson on the field. Niblett turned nine targets last season into eight receptions for 60 yards, with just three of those catches resulting in first downs (no touchdowns). He rushed for 15 yards on five carries, with none of those attempts gaining more than seven yards. It was hard for Robinson to find touches while playing alongside Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Jonathon Brooks. Robinson’s 20 touches from scrimmage in 2023 were the fewest in his career, but he averaged a career-high 9.5 yards per touch and scored three touchdowns while continuing to make plays in the kicking game. Niblett said after studying and watching Robinson as a true freshman in 2023, he learned what it takes to maximize a specialized role like the one he could have this season. “Just being able to see his role, just how he attacked the workouts, how he attacked special teams and just being able to be there when JB or anybody else was down,” Niblett said. “Being a student of him and watching him in front of me, it's helped a lot.” — One of the most encouraging things said by the four Longhorns who met with reporters on Thursday’s post-practice Zoom call was Ryan Wingo describing how much work KJ Lacey has put in, aside from the snaps he’s getting with the first-team offense in Arch Manning's stead. “I actually was throwing with KJ yesterday,” Wingo said. “That leadership thing — he hit me up to go throw. He's kind of putting that out there off the rip.” Even though Sarkisian said Tuesday that “the whole roster is competing their asses off right now for an opportunity to play” when asked if Dia Bell is competing for the No. 2 quarterback, there’s a reason why the Longhorns didn’t target a sure-fire backup to Manning in the transfer portal. While Lacey reaching out to Wingo to help him get in some extra work isn’t groundbreaking news on its own, those are the kinds of habits that will ease the staff’s mind regarding the state of the quarterback room whenever the post-Manning era begins. View full news story

This is one of Texas' top targets on the DL in 2027. A lot of upside.

Junior film: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/20741929/69399dbb3b15452370d62721

Thanks, Jeff. If Muschamp has effective (and imho most importantly consistently GOOD, not necessarily great) play from the ILB position and the pieces around have rush capability (and we do have this in spades), his defenses get so nasty. The QBs we're going up against this year are not going to know where the rush is coming from at any given moment. I would NOT want to be a drop-back QB with 'serviceable' speed playing the Longhorns this year.

SMU DL commit Amari Vickerson tells OTF he's set an official visit to Texas for June 12-14. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder from Cy Ranch is the son of Kevin Vickerson, who had a lengthy NFL career. Other official visitors June 12-14: Joakim Gouda, ILB, Douglasville (Ga.) South Paulding Jeremiah Culpepper, LB, LaGrange (Ga.) Troup County Ja'Bios Smith, LB, Swainsboro (Ga.) High Jabarrious Garror, EDGE/LB, Mobile (Ala.) Vigor SaRod Baker, RB, DeSoto (Texas) High Alvin Mosley, WR, Arcola (Texas) Crawford Trenton Yancey, WR, Duncanville (Texas) High Brian Swanson, OT, Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff Ismael Camara, OT, Gilmer (Texas) High Montre Jackson, CB, Garland (Texas) Lakeview Centennial Blake Jenkins, CB/DB, Katy (Texas) Tompkins\ Isaiah Udom, DB, South Oak Cliff (Texas) High Lincoln Mageo, IOL, Oceanside (Calif.) High Jimmy Kalis, OL, Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic

No bc even an aggie still has some mediocre sports knowledge. Kirk Bohl’s was that kid who never played sports and always envied the athletes so he spends his time trashing them with bad takes instead of solving his own issues. Dude is a brood of vipers. I don’t have twitter or social media but someone should get the #firekirkbohls movement going!

@CJ Vogel kid is a all around ATH, great kid with a good head on his shoulders

Really puts out a vibe that he's an aggie who is forced to report on Texas.

The 11 and 8 year old are my children btw.

I'm going to the game this year against Florida with my family. Do ya'll know of a good place to hang out with an 11 and 8 year old before the game?

Was on campus today and snapped these. The bones of the building are there now. It’s hard to see in the pictures but the huge indoor field area has a giant screen above the 50 yard line.

Rupp was good as well. Look.Its a big statement, I realize that. The season is nowhere near complete. Like the comment regarding protection behind him. On another note, Will Stein is preaching Texas High School football to BBN, Lake Travis specifically. Makes sense. Texas has yet to put a catcher into MLB that made a meaningful mark. Tinney may change that. Rupp may be as good as its been.

Aranda better find a way to be competitive in Golesh’s first Auburn game or he won’t last long.

Degenerates like myself

It's just a play on words and was intentional. It was used once on another message board as a misspelling and is used aa a running joke.