OTF Premium Texas player media availability takeaways on pounding the rock, Ryan Niblett's role and KJ Lacey's leadership

[Jeff Howe]

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.

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[Jeff Howe]

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.

[Joe Zura]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

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.

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 

[Sasquatch3027]

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

[HalfmileHorn]

Great stuff Jeff!

I almost can't wait for baseball season to be over, but I have an enthusiasm brewing for the 2026 football season that I haven't had in a long time. 

 

 

Hook'em!!

[FatherofMinky]

Good stuff

[Califashorn75]

Wingo looks bigger. 

[Jarveaux]

Really great informative article Jeff ! “Hookem “

[Jeff Howe]

18 hours ago, Joe Zura said:

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 

I've seen so much underwhelming offensive line play from Texas in the post-Blalock/Sendlein/Studdard era that it takes a LOT to move the needle for me on negative O-line play. That said, I had to remind myself to exhale a few times during the Florida game after some of the shots Arch took. 

[Jeff Howe]

17 hours ago, Sasquatch3027 said:

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

Thank you for the kind words!

[Jeff Howe]

17 hours ago, HalfmileHorn said:

Great stuff Jeff!

I almost can't wait for baseball season to be over, but I have an enthusiasm brewing for the 2026 football season that I haven't had in a long time. 

 

 

Hook'em!!

I totally get it, but let's not rush baseball season! I enjoy the great game a great deal!

[Jeff Howe]

15 hours ago, FatherofMinky said:

Good stuff

🤘

[Jeff Howe]

15 hours ago, Califashorn75 said:

Wingo looks bigger. 

It's most likely him adding muscle. Getting his man body, as @Rod Babers would say.

[Jeff Howe]

15 hours ago, Jarveaux said:

Really great informative article Jeff ! “Hookem “

🤘

[Joe Zura]

7 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

I've seen so much underwhelming offensive line play from Texas in the post-Blalock/Sendlein/Studdard era that it takes a LOT to move the needle for me on negative O-line play. That said, I had to remind myself to exhale a few times during the Florida game after some of the shots Arch took. 

That’s the game that is unforgivable to me and it’s the game I can’t get out of my head that Sark and Flood were like yep this is the OL for Arch. That’s why I’m so critical. Yes it got better but it took till what Miss state to right. 

[Jeff Howe]

14 minutes ago, Joe Zura said:

That’s the game that is unforgivable to me and it’s the game I can’t get out of my head that Sark and Flood were like yep this is the OL for Arch. That’s why I’m so critical. Yes it got better but it took till what Miss state to right. 

At least they recognized the mistake and went the other direction (into the portal) in '26.

[Joe Zura]

2 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

At least they recognized the mistake and went the other direction (into the portal) in '26.

I guess my question is this did they not see the signs in spring ball and fall camp or was it just them and there hubris thinking everything was good?

[Jeff Howe]

1 minute ago, Joe Zura said:

I guess my question is this did they not see the signs in spring ball and fall camp or was it just them and there hubris thinking everything was good?

Sark has hinted at this, but I think there was a hangover-type feeling after the Ohio State loss in the Cotton Bowl that a lot of stuff got overlooked.

[Joe Zura]

1 minute ago, Jeff Howe said:

Sark has hinted at this, but I think there was a hangover-type feeling after the Ohio State loss in the Cotton Bowl that a lot of stuff got overlooked.

Thanks for the answer I guess I can stop my Sark and flood hate for now 👀😭

[Jarveaux]

1 hour ago, Joe Zura said:

Thanks for the answer I guess I can stop my Sark and flood hate for now 👀😭

No way you can hate Sark Joe Z .