OTF Premium Four Longhorns who need big summers for Texas to reach its potential in 2026

[Jeff Howe]

If Texas is going to maximize its potential in 2026, four Longhorns need to make strides during summer workouts, which began on the Forty Acres on Monday.

— Jutus Terry is in the group of players (including Arch Manning) who underwent surgery after the Citrus Bowl against Michigan and were limited throughout spring practice.

The hope was that they’d be ready to go when summer conditioning started. Of the non-Texas Tech-related comments Steve Sarkisian made during the Touchdown Club of Houston luncheon on May 21, saying that everyone was on schedule and that there had been no setbacks among the group was arguably the most significant.

Terry can be the interior disruptor that the Texas defense didn’t have last season. That’s not a slight at what Alex January or Hero Kanu brings to the table. What Terry showed in brief flashes as a true freshman is the kind of playmaking potential that guys like Byron Murphy II and Alfred Collins had, which is to say that he can consistently generate organic pressure in the opposing quarterback’s face.

If Terry is healthy and uses the summer as a springboard to show up ready to get after it in preseason practice, Will Muschamp should have a chess piece capable of playing multiple shades up front. Terry can amplify what might already be the best pass-rushing defensive front in college football.

— Laurence Seymore was recruited to be the team’s starting left guard in 2026. Still, the Western Kentucky transfer must earn the job to fulfill the lofty expectations accompanying his arrival.

Part of the equation needed to put a better product on the field is one of Jaydon Chatmon, Jackson Christian or Dylan Sikorski pushing Seymore for the spot. The other part is for Seymore, who spent the spring semester on his own, to hit the ground running in summer conditioning to position himself to be the no-doubt answer Kyle Flood needs to round out what looks on paper to be an upgraded unit from 2025.

— I keep going back to Sarkisian’s comments around the time Muschamp was hired regarding Xavier Filsaime. Specifically, it was the idea that Filsaime could log snaps at nickel.

After being limited throughout the spring, Filsaime is capable of pushing Derek Williams Jr. for playing time at safety. Filsaime also profiles as the bigger nickel Muschamp has preferred in the past, making him an intriguing Swiss Army knife of sorts in the secondary.

Getting Filsaime and/or Williams to the point where they can run alongside Jelani McDonald with as minimal a drop-off as possible is one of the reasons why it was important for Sarkisian to get Blake Gideon back on the staff. Along with the fact that Gideon recruited Filsaime and Williams, his personal and professional relationship with Muschamp (he coached Gideon at Texas for three seasons and hired him for his first coaching job as a quality control coach at Florida in 2014) should make for clearer communication between Muschamp and the safeties, as well as helping his group understand Muschamp’s expectations for a position that plays a crucial role in the success of his system.

— Emmett Mosley V is another Longhorn who underwent surgery after the bowl game. Thankfully, Mosley’s recovery wasn’t as prolonged as his injury against Michigan might’ve initially indicated.

While Mosley’s delayed start to the 2025 season because of an offseason injury wasn’t the biggest reason why the offense was slow out of the blocks, it didn’t help. Mosley is a proven commodity and a reliable target for Manning, but he must take the necessary steps this summer to ensure that his body stands a better chance of holding up over the long haul.

As good a duo as Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo can be, Mosley can elevate the wide receiver to become one of the best in the country if he can be counted on as, effectively, WR3. Mosley's ability to play in the slot or be split out wide offers Sarkisian a lot of flexibility in both personnel groupings and formations, while also allowing Jermaine Bishop Jr. to settle into a specific role, without anyone feeling like the true freshman needs must have the kind instant impact Xavier Worthy did in 2021 for the offense to function properly (a lot like what bringing in Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers from the transfer portal can do for Derrek Cooper's development at running back).

That scenario can only come to fruition, however, if Mosley is on the field.

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[NothinButDaHorns34]

I was just thinking it’s nut cutting time/year for justus terry, michael terry III and jonah williams. They are taking up big NIL money as former five stars and haven’t produced as such yet here. 

[hookem1014]

My 4 are everyone on the OL except Goosby lol

[harveycmd]

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, and Moe.

[Joe Zura]

18 minutes ago, hookem1014 said:

My 4 are everyone on the OL except Goosby lol

Well well well I’m not the only one 

[nicray0920]

Mosley could have a big year in the slot! I think Terry has put in the weight room time and will be healthy and ready to disrupt OL this season!

[BornOrange]

8 minutes ago, nicray0920 said:

Mosley could have a big year in the slot! I think Terry has put in the weight room time and will be healthy and ready to disrupt OL this season!

Terry had the weight room time as an 8th grader.

[nicray0920]

1 minute ago, BornOrange said:

Terry had the weight room time as an 8th grader.

True that!

[hookem1014]

16 minutes ago, Joe Zura said:

Well well well I’m not the only one 

Your 4 are Kyle Flood, Coach Flood, the OL coach, and Mr. Flood

[Joe Zura]

1 minute ago, hookem1014 said:

Your 4 are Kyle Flood, Coach Flood, the OL coach, and Mr. Flood

[Deep in the heart]

I just get scared because Laurence Seymour is such an enigma. He has money. Did he hire a trainer in Miami? Where did he workout? I'm not on here as much as I'd like so I don't know how much reporting we had on him but the silence from him since he's been committed is unsettling.

[Mark Futrell]

Great piece Jeff. I'm fired up! Hook'em!!!

[Burnt Orange Horn]

Justus Terry!  Justus us his little brother!  😅

Nice article, as usual.

[WRNC]

13 minutes ago, Deep in the heart said:

I just get scared because Laurence Seymour is such an enigma. He has money. Did he hire a trainer in Miami? Where did he workout? I'm not on here as much as I'd like so I don't know how much reporting we had on him but the silence from him since he's been committed is unsettling.

Kyle Flood  has been working to keep Laurence Seymore involved remotely while he finishes his degree at Western Kentucky University.

 

[Jordan Scruggs]

I don't know how much it'd change the potential for 2026 but Jonah Williams having a big summer would be terrific and would vastly change the outlook for the future of the safety room.  It would be huge if he can stay healthy through the entire season

[Deep in the heart]

24 minutes ago, WRNC said:

Kyle Flood  has been working to keep Laurence Seymore involved remotely while he finishes his degree at Western Kentucky University.

 

I actually remember seeing that video, thanks for reposting it. I knew scheme wise he was going to get what he needed, I was just wondering who he was working out with and his progress in that area. But seeing that again definitely reminded me about his maturity.

[Deep in the heart]

16 minutes ago, Jordan Scruggs said:

I don't know how much it'd change the potential for 2026 but Jonah Williams having a big summer would be terrific and would vastly change the outlook for the future of the safety room.  It would be huge if he can stay healthy through the entire season

A healthy Jonah in Muschamp's defense is wild.