Is 2027 Still a Rebuild?

[SamuraiKnight]

At the beginning of the year, I thought 2027 was shaping up to be a pretty massive rebuild.

I assumed Arch, Cam Coleman, Melvin Siani, Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker would all be gone. And if the season went the way I think most of us expected, I thought there was a real chance all three starting WRs could leave for the NFL, with maybe Emmett Mosley being the one guy who came back and stepped into the WR1 role.

Seven games in, I’m not nearly as sure anymore.

I love the idea of Arch and Cam running it back for one more year with another season of experience and development. But the thing that may actually change my outlook on 2027 the most is the offensive line.

If Brandon Baker and Melvin Siani both come back, and you already have Dylan Sikorski returning, suddenly Texas isn’t replacing all five offensive linemen. You’re probably looking at replacing two starters, maybe three depending on how things shake out at center and tackle.

That feels like a very different situation than the full rebuild I was expecting in August.

Right now, I think Arch, Baker, Siani, Cam and Emmett Mosley would all benefit from coming back. On D, I am also hoping Cryer & Mascoe return. 

Who do you think actually returns? And which guys do you think are more likely to leave than I’m giving them credit for?

[Guts]

Do Cryer and Mascoe have another year?

Edited 2 hours ago by Guts

[Battrayal]

7 minutes ago, Guts said:

Do Cryer and Mascoe have another year?

In the old system they would be done since they didn’t redshirt but now with everyone getting 5 I think they do

[Rockin TL]

Rebuilds don’t exist in this era. 

[Jordan Scruggs]

11 minutes ago, Guts said:

Do Cryer and Mascoe have another year?

Yes they'll be able to come back in 2027

[Jordan Scruggs]

4 minutes ago, Battrayal said:

In the old system they would be done since they didn’t redshirt but now with everyone getting 5 I think they do

This is correct

[Guts]

Sick I would love for them both to come back. They are solid. 

[TexShoe]

In the portal era, there's no rebuild.  You just go buy good players off another team and hope they'll play together.  Also, where's Brandon Baker going?  

[GoHorns1]

13 minutes ago, Guts said:

Do Cryer and Mascoe have another year?

Would be foolish to return in 2017. Start the NFL 2nd contract clock after this season.

[Hookem72]

I think our defense will be better next year even with the loss of Simmons. 
 

Oline—who knows.   If our interior improves and we decide to be a running team we will be good. 

QB will be a wash whether Arch stays or goes.

WR room will be fine. Bishop will be a beast.

RB room will be as good if not better. 

I think it is a reload situation if we keep our defensive core intact.  

[Guts]

3 minutes ago, GoHorns1 said:

Would be foolish to return in 2017. Start the NFL 2nd contract clock after this season.

Damn they’re time travelers?

[Jordan Scruggs]

14 minutes ago, SamuraiKnight said:

At the beginning of the year, I thought 2027 was shaping up to be a pretty massive rebuild.

I assumed Arch, Cam Coleman, Melvin Siani, Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker would all be gone. And if the season went the way I think most of us expected, I thought there was a real chance all three starting WRs could leave for the NFL, with maybe Emmett Mosley being the one guy who came back and stepped into the WR1 role.

Seven games in, I’m not nearly as sure anymore.

I love the idea of Arch and Cam running it back for one more year with another season of experience and development. But the thing that may actually change my outlook on 2027 the most is the offensive line.

If Brandon Baker and Melvin Siani both come back, and you already have Dylan Sikorski returning, suddenly Texas isn’t replacing all five offensive linemen. You’re probably looking at replacing two starters, maybe three depending on how things shake out at center and tackle.

That feels like a very different situation than the full rebuild I was expecting in August.

Right now, I think Arch, Baker, Siani, Cam and Emmett Mosley would all benefit from coming back. On D, I am also hoping Cryer & Mascoe return. 

Who do you think actually returns? And which guys do you think are more likely to leave than I’m giving them credit for?

Definitely an interesting discussion. I had many of the same thoughts that this would be a season where a lot of money rolls off the books at the end and Texas is really young in 2027. But there's a few guys who could come back. I think Goosby, Cam Coleman, Jelani McDonald, Colin Simmons, Hero Kanu are in the for sure gone category. Arch, maybe. I'd assume Baker and Siani will be back but we'll see on their draft grades. I assume Biles will leave but he has another year left and could come back if he wanted. But Hollywood Smothers, Cryer, Mascoe, Brad Spence all have one more year as well. I don't really see Emmett Mosley going in the draft either. Wingo will be fascinating since this is such a loaded WR class and it'll be hard for him to get into round one this year, and he's someone Texas could pay to make sure they come back like they did with Jelani and Hero Kanu this past offseason.

Crazy to think we're only 1-2 months away from talk around next season heating up with the portal opening and players making stay or go decisions for the NFL.

[Joe Z]

Not in the NIL and portal era. Ohio state Georgia ND Miami don’t rebuild why would we?

[Jordan Scruggs]

 

5 minutes ago, Jordan Scruggs said:

Definitely an interesting discussion. I had many of the same thoughts that this would be a season where a lot of money rolls off the books at the end and Texas is really young in 2027. But there's a few guys who could come back. I think Goosby, Cam Coleman, Jelani McDonald, Colin Simmons, Hero Kanu are in the for sure gone category. Arch, maybe. I'd assume Baker and Siani will be back but we'll see on their draft grades. I assume Biles will leave but he has another year left and could come back if he wanted. But Hollywood Smothers, Cryer, Mascoe, Brad Spence all have one more year as well. I don't really see Emmett Mosley going in the draft either. Wingo will be fascinating since this is such a loaded WR class and it'll be hard for him to get into round one this year, and he's someone Texas could pay to make sure they come back like they did with Jelani and Hero Kanu this past offseason.

Crazy to think we're only 1-2 months away from talk around next season heating up with the portal opening and players making stay or go decisions for the NFL.

And Masunas is technically in year 5 right now but I think he could get a 6th year if he applied for a medical redshirt waiver. He did a regular redshirt in year one, played in 9 games year two, started 4 games then suffered a season ending injury in year three, played/started 12 games in year four, and has played in all 7 games in year five.

He should be able to get a waiver for a medical redshirt for his 3rd year when he only played 4 games, since as of now only the regular redshirt has counted towards his eligibility.

Yes 5-for-5 was passed, but all of the players who were already in college before 5-for-5 passed are allowed to choose if they want to follow the new 5-for-5 rules, or the old NCAA rules where you have 4 years of eligibility not including a redshirt freshman or medical redshirt year. 

Since Masunas was grandfathered in when 5-for-5 was passed and he is allowed to choose which rules he wants to follow, he should choose the old rules and apply for a medical redshirt waiver which would give him a 6th year of eligibility if the waiver is granted.

Sterling Berkhalter did exactly what I just described and got his waiver granted which allowed to be eligible for the 2026 season which is his 6th year in college.

[TexShoe]

I think the biggest question in '27 is if the Manning camp decides Arch needs another year in college.  Where does he play and what's Texas' preferred position?  

Manning:  I think they still believe in Sark as the QB developer but I can see them demanding improved OL play.  I can see Miami being in play for this reason, because Cristobal has proven himself as the premiere OL coach.  Malachi Toney should also have another year.  It comes down of if the Manning family can lower themselves to set foot in a skank school like Miami.  I can also see Georgia since they always have a solid line, and it's still a premier SEC powerhouse.

Texas:  I think Texas would be nuts to not welcome Arch back.  He has the tools, and you would expect him to develop mentally as a QB.  His problem is that he's slow in dissecting the defense.  Time, reps, and classroom should continue to accelerate that development.  We'll hear things like "game has really slowed down for Arch".  I also have zero confidence in Lacey yet.  No clue how Bell is faring .  I'm sure they're all physically ready, but are they mentally and emotionally ready to play QB at Texas.  Nobody knows, but I can't imagine either would be more developed than a 5th year Arch.

[Jordan Scruggs]

8 minutes ago, Jordan Scruggs said:

 

And Masunas is technically in year 5 right now but I think he could get a 6th year if he applied for a medical redshirt waiver. He did a regular redshirt in year one, played in 9 games year two, started 4 games then suffered a season ending injury in year three, played/started 12 games in year four, and has played in all 7 games in year five.

He should be able to get a waiver for a medical redshirt for his 3rd year when he only played 4 games, since as of now only the regular redshirt has counted towards his eligibility.

Yes 5-for-5 was passed, but all of the players who were already in college before 5-for-5 passed are allowed to choose if they want to follow the new 5-for-5 rules, or the old NCAA rules where you have 4 years of eligibility not including a redshirt freshman or medical redshirt year. 

Since Masunas was grandfathered in when 5-for-5 was passed and he is allowed to choose which rules he wants to follow, he should choose the old rules and apply for a medical redshirt waiver which would give him a 6th year of eligibility if the waiver is granted.

Sterling Berkhalter did exactly what I just described and got his waiver granted which allowed to be eligible for the 2026 season which is his 6th year in college.

Actually just tried to double check this with an agent who knows NCAA rules better than me and he said Masunas will only be eligible to come back in 2027 if he was granted the waiver before July 31st. 7/31 was the cutoff date no matter what apparently. I'm under the impression Masunas does not have that waiver.

When the NCAA passed 5 for 5 they also passed that cutoff date which I did not know about

[William Gillean]

Arch just does a lot better with more spread concepts in the passing game and a viable running game.

I don't trust play caller Sark to deliver that consistently.

If we roll with Arch, then we need a new OC/play caller with more spread game and proven running game credentials.

Otherwise, Arch is better off (and we are too) going somewhere else.

[TexShoe]

12 minutes ago, William Gillean said:

Arch just does a lot better with more spread concepts in the passing game and a viable running game.

I don't trust play caller Sark to deliver that consistently.

If we roll with Arch, then we need a new OC/play caller with more spread game and proven running game credentials.

Otherwise, Arch is better off (and we are too) going somewhere else.

I don't really watch the NFL, so don't know the answer, but does the NFL run much spread?  My impression is that there's a mandate from the Manning camp to develop Arch into a prototypical drop back NFL QB, and Sark is doing just that, shoving post graduate level workload onto a gifted college kid.  I do believe Arch can do real damage at the college level by incorporating more a spread offense and running more, but that's not the deal with the Mannings.

[William Gillean]

2 minutes ago, TexShoe said:

I don't really watch the NFL, so don't know the answer, but does the NFL run much spread?  My impression is that there's a mandate from the Manning camp to develop Arch into a prototypical drop back NFL QB, and Sark is doing just that, shoving post graduate level workload onto a gifted college kid.  I do believe Arch can do real damage at the college level by incorporating more a spread offense and running more, but that's not the deal with the Mannings.

If the Mannings want him to work on being a prototypical NFL dropback QB then that is fine.   Just not on Texas's dime IMO.

He flourishes whenever we call spread stuff.  I don't see how it's good for UT for a player family to drive our style of offense.

I think Arch is a great kid but if that is the path they want then probably go somewhere else.

[LonghornFan4Ever]

Yes.  Rebuild the coaching staff and roster a bit so Texas can have a CFP Quarterfinal floor next season.

[TexShoe]

1 minute ago, William Gillean said:

If the Mannings want him to work on being a prototypical NFL dropback QB then that is fine.   Just not on Texas's dime IMO.

He flourishes whenever we call spread stuff.  I don't see how it's good for UT for a player family to drive our style of offense.

I think Arch is a great kid but if that is the path they want then probably go somewhere else.

Helluva decision on UT though, innit?  Arch will continue to improve.  I think that's a safe assumption.  Are we ready to relinquish him just as he's getting better?  Are we sure a handcuffed Arch isn't still better than Kacey or Bell?  

I mean, he sat for 2 years.  Last year he ran on occasions, with success mind you.  But this year, you can just tell he's making an effort to NOT take off and run.  Sark even said he wishes Arch would run more.  So what it is?  Whos' really making this call here?

[Oskies1279]

Maybe I'm just negative, but when you've had 4 years in the system and you haven't seen much development then maybe it's time for a new QB. I would really like to see what KJ brings to this offense next year

[William Gillean]

There are a 100 kids in the program.

If the Mannings are truly dictating how the offense works, then I personally would move on.  That is not good for the culture of the program.

 

[SueVide]

49 minutes ago, TexShoe said:

It comes down of if the Manning family can lower themselves to set foot in a skank school like Miami. 

I just don't see it happening. They are too classy and seemed to enjoy the University and Austin very much. 

[TexShoe]

11 minutes ago, William Gillean said:

There are a 100 kids in the program.

If the Mannings are truly dictating how the offense works, then I personally would move on.  That is not good for the culture of the program.

 

Yeah, I agree, but the end result, if we ever get there, actually benefits the program and other players as a whole. It’s just a high ceiling low floor situation.