Assuming that’s the case again in 2026, and the first depth chart isn’t made public until Saturday, when the Longhorns kick off Sarkisian’s sixth season against Texas State (2:30 p.m., ESPN), On Texas Football has you covered.

We’re making a final depth chart projection before the season starts, which comes with a few key things to know:

— Texas reportedly utilized two-back personnel in both camp scrimmages. That’s why we’re keeping Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown as co-starters at running back, although Smothers (based on what sources have told OTF throughout camp) is the current favorite to be the first back on the field.

— After the top three wideouts on the roster (Cam Coleman, Emmett Mosley V and Ryan Wingo), Sterling Berkhalter, Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Daylan McCutcheon appear to be locked in as the top three backups.

— Andre Cojoe, who’s in line to start against Texas State at left tackle if Trevor Goosby (knee) can’t go, is the team’s No. 3 tackle. Jaydon Chatman has worked at multiple positions in camp (and throughout his career). Along with Chatman, Jackson Christian, Cole Hutson and Dylan Sikorski are the top reserves on the interior.

— The Longhorns have listed three interior defensive line positions on the depth chart under Sarkisian. Expect to see the top two at each position featured in the rotation, with Myron Charles making a push throughout camp to earn snaps.

— We’ve got Colton Vasek on the depth chart at EDGE and SAM linebacker, where he’ll play situationally. We’re also putting Jordon Johnson-Rubell with the WLB group and the safeties.

— After the top-four safeties, Toray Davis is currently projected to be the fifth safety in line for snaps.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

1. (16) Arch Manning (6-4, 222, Sr.-2L)

2. (9) Karle “KJ” Lacey Jr. (6-0, 188, Soph.-SQ)

3. (6) Dia Bell (6-3, 206, Fr.-HS)

4. (19) MJ Morris (6-1, 201, 5YSr.-TR)

RUNNING BACK

1. (2) Hollywood Smothers (5-11, 196, Sr.-TR) — OR — (0) Raleek Brown (5-9, 193, 5YSr.-TR)

2. (5) Derrek Cooper (6-1, 212, Fr.-HS)

3. (21) Ryan Niblett (5-10, 189, Sr.-1L)

4. (11) Michael Terry III (6-3, 229, Soph.-SQ)

5. (31) James Simon (5-11, 208, Soph.-SQ)

6. (28) Jett Walker (6-1, 224, Fr.-HS)

WIDE RECEIVER (X)

1. (8) Cam Coleman (6-3, 204, Jr.-TR)

2. (7) Kaliq Lockett (6-2, 181, Soph.-SQ)

WIDE RECEIVER (Z)

1. (1) Ryan Wingo (6-2, 214, Jr.-2L)

2. (18) Sterling Berkhalter (6-3, 196, 5YSr.-TR)

3. (13) Kohen Brown (6-0, 202, Fr.-HS)

4. (14) Chris Stewart (6-0, 184, Fr.-HS)

WIDE RECEIVER (H)

1. (3) Emmett Mosley V (6-2, 199, Jr.-1L)

2. (4) Jermaine Bishop Jr. (6-0, 166, Fr.-HS) — OR — (17) Daylan McCutcheon (5-11, 183, Soph.-1L)

TIGHT END (Y)

1. (15) Michael Masunas (6-5, 259, 5YSr.-TR)

2. (83) Spencer Shannon (6-7, 260, Sr.-2L)

3. (88) Charlie Jilek (6-5, 238, Fr.-HS)

TIGHT END (H)

1. (81) Nick Townsend (6-3, 250, Soph.-1L)

2. (85) Emaree Winston (6-1, 245, Soph.-1L)

3. (87) Will Randle (6-4, 249, Sr.-SQ)

LEFT TACKLE

1. (74) Trevor Goosby (6-7, 325, Sr.-2L)

2. (77) Andre Cojoe (6-6, 339, Sr.-1L)

3. (78) Jordan Coleman (6-5, 356, Soph.-SQ)

4. (51) John Turntine III (6-4, 295, Fr.-HS)

LEFT GUARD

1. (50) Laurence Seymore III (6-2, 316, 5YSr.-TR)

2. (56) Dylan Sikorski (6-4, 335, Jr.-TR)

3. (54) Cole Hutson (6-5, 308, 5YSr.-4L) — OR — (76) Jackson Christian (6-5, 308, Soph.-SQ.)

CENTER

1. (62) Connor Robertson (6-4, 316, 5YSr.-3L)

2. (76) Jackson Christian (6-5, 308, Soph.-SQ)

3. (54) Cole Hutson (6-5, 308, 5YSr.-4L) — OR — (58) Devin Coleman (6-5, 340, Soph.-SQ)

RIGHT GUARD

1. (73) Brandon Baker (6-4, 315, Jr.-2L)

2. (75) Jaydon Chatman (6-4, 330, Sr.-2L)

3. (58) Devin Coleman (6-5, 340, Soph.-SQ)

4. (68) Paris Patterson (6-5, 354, Sr.-TR)

5. (72) Nicolas Robertson (6-3, 349, Fr.-HS)

RIGHT TACKLE

1. (71) Melvin Siani (6-6, 317, Sr.-TR)

2. (79) Jonte Newman (6-4, 310, Soph.-TR)

3. (70) Kaden Scherer (6-6, 291, Fr.-HS)

DEFENSE

NOSE TACKLE

1. (95) Ian Geffrard (6-5, 375, Sr.-TR)

2. (88) Maraad Watson (6-3, 333, Jr.-1L)

3. (90) Josiah Sharma (6-4, 341, Soph.-SQ)

4. (96) Zion Williams (6-4, 370, Soph.-TR)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

1. (93) Hero Kanu (6-5, 309, Sr.-1L)

2. (15) Justus Terry (6-5, 289, Soph.-1L)

3. (52) James Johnson (6-3, 279, Fr.-HS)

4. (55) Elijah Ali (6-4, 306, Fr.-HS)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

1. (97) Alex January (6-5, 308, Jr.-2L)

2. (33) Myron Charles (6-4, 312, Soph.-SQ)

JACK

1. (1) Colin Simmons (6-3, 246, Jr.-2L)

2. (99) Richard Wesley (6-4, 258, Fr.-HS)

3. (92) Colton Vasek (6-5, 252, Sr.-2L)

4. (46) Smith Orogbo (6-4, 238, Soph.-SQ) 

5. (80) Brinley Tita (6-2, 252, Fr.-HS)

END

1. (40) Lance Jackson (6-5, 274, Soph.-1L)

2. (19) Zina Umeozulu (6-5, 272, Jr.-1L)

3. (94) Jamarion Carlton (6-5, 280, Fr.-HS)

WLB

1. (3) Rasheem Biles (6-1, 222, Sr.-TR)

2. (45) Darius Snow (6-1, 219, 5YSr.-TR)

3. (30) Rocky Cummings (6-4, 227, Fr.-HS)

4. (23) Jordon Johnson-Rubell (5-10, 212, Jr.-2L)

SLB

1. (14) Brad Spence (6-2, 249, Sr.-1L)

2. (18) Kosi Okpala (6-3, 235, Fr.-HS)

3. (92) Colton Vasek (6-5, 252, Sr.-2L)

MLB

1. (28) Justin Cryer (6-1, 241, Sr.-TR)

2. (14) Brad Spence (6-2, 249, Sr.-1L)

3. (16) Tyler Atkinson (6-1, 219, Fr.-HS)

4. (44) Markus Boswell (6-1, 228, Soph.-TR)

NICKEL

1. (29) Graceson Littleton (6-0, 182, Soph.-1L)

2. (17) Xavier Filsaime (6-1, 193, Jr.-2L)

3. (27) Wardell Mack (6-0, 183, Jr..-1L)

CORNERBACK

1. (8) Kade Phillips (6-0, 191, Soph.-1L)

2. (11) Samari Matthews (6-1, 197, Fr.-HS)

3. (0) John Meredith III (6-2, 185, Fr.-HS)

4. (21) Hayward Howard Jr. (6-2, 182, Fr.-HS) 

CORNERBACK

1. (5) Bo Mascoe (5-11, 199, Sr.-TR)

2. (24) Warren Roberson (6-0, 189, Sr.-2L)

3. (36) Nick Hudson (5-10, 179, 5YSr.-TR)

FREE SAFETY

1. (4) Jelani McDonald (6-2, 201, Sr.-3L)

2. (9) Jonah Williams (6-3, 210, Soph.-1L)

3. (25) Toray Davis (6-1, 197, Fr.-HS)

4. (13) Zelus Hicks (6-2, 183, Soph.-SQ)

STRONG SAFETY

1. (2) Derek Williams Jr. (6-2, 199, Sr.-2L)

2. (6) Kobe Black (6-2, 202, Jr.-2L)

3. (23) Jordon Johnson-Rubell (5-10, 212, Jr.-2L)

4. (37) Jonathan Cunningham (6-2, 198, Soph.-SQ)

5. (31) Yaheim Riley (5-11, 187, Fr.-HS)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PUNTER

1. (43) Mac Chiumento (6-4, 228, 5YSr.-TR)

2. (45) Mikey Bukauskas (6-2, 210, Fr.-HS)

KICKER

1. (44) Gianni Spetic (6-3, 221, Sr.-TR)

2. (46) Spencer Barnett (6-0, 215, Jr.-1L)

3. (49) Jake Collett (6-0, 182, Fr.-HS)

PUNT RETURN

1. (21) Ryan Niblett (5-10, 189, Sr.-1L)

2. (0) Raleek Brown (5-9, 193, 5YSr.-TR)

3. (17) Daylan McCutcheon (5-11, 183, Soph.-1L)

KICKOFF RETURN

1. (0) Raleek Brown (5-9, 193, 5YSr.-TR) — AND — (4) Jermaine Bishop Jr. (6-0, 166, Fr.-HS)

2. (5) Derrek Cooper (6-1, 212, Fr.-HS) — AND — (21) Ryan Niblett (5-10, 189, Sr.-1L)

“I was glad I went to church,” Sarkisian said after Saturday’s scrimmage.

Sarkisian, who met with the media on Zoom after wrapping up the scrimmage, which came with two weeks to go until the Sept. 5 season opener against Texas State, said Goosby “is making really good progress.”

While the Longhorns took the field for their second camp scrimmage without the 6-foot-7-inch, 325-pound Goosby available, he’s expected back sooner rather than later. That’s a much better outcome than the initial concern that Texas might’ve lost its 2025 All-SEC bookend for an extended period of time to a non-contact injury.

“Those are probably more scary than contact injuries," Sarkisian said. "Why did that occur non-contact? Why did he kind of buckle the way that he did? We were on grass. It wasn't during the day; it wasn't too hot to where he didn't have his balance.

“That was as good of news as we could've received,” he added. “For that to be the result back, it was definitely a sigh of relief.”

With Goosby on the mend, Andre Cojoe has made the most of his opportunity. The 6-foot-6-inch, 339-pound Cojoe, who took all of the first-team snaps at left tackle on Saturday, On Texas Football has learned, has come on strong enough that Sarkisian publicly gave him the nod as the team’s No. 3 tackle behind Goosby and Melvin Siani heading into the season.

“The fact that he's getting these quality reps right now with the ones and having to block Colin (Simmons) and Lance (Jackson) and Zina (Umeozulu) and those guys, and Rasheem Biles coming off the edge, I think those are great opportunities for him,” Sarkisian said of Cojoe, who was competing with Brandon Baker for the starting right tackle job last preseason before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Sarkisian acknowledged that the road to recovery for an offensive lineman attempting to return from a knee injury can be arduous. Nevertheless, Cojoe’s work has positioned him to be the first offensive tackle off the bench for what has the potential to be one of the most explosive and productive offenses in the country in 2026, a little more than a year after his injury.

“He's got his weight to where, you know, he's a big man, but he's light on his feet,” Sarkisian said. “He can move. He's explosive.”

Sarkisian said Cojoe will come out of the scrimmage having learned more about the physical and mental conditioning required to play consistently well for upwards of 70 snaps against top-notch competition. Still, Saturday capped off a week in which the fourth-year lineman’s stock is on the rise.

“I would argue there were two or three days this week you didn't notice that it was him at left tackle,” Sarkisian said. “That's a great thing as an offensive lineman. When you're not noticing who it is, that just means the guy is doing his job really well.”

The strides made by Cojoe and Dylan Sikorski, who took the bulk of the first-team left guard snaps throughout the week and in Saturday’s scrimmage as Laurence Seymore works through what Sarkisian said was an “injury hiccup” coming out of the first camp scrimmage, have gone a long way toward Sarkisian and Kyle Flood fielding the kind of depth the Longhorns lacked last season. Sarkisian expects Seymore to be back on the practice field on Monday, but the progress of Cojoe and Sikorski has Sarkisian feeling good about how things are unfolding on the left side of the offensive line.

“I do think we're going to get the left side back, but on the same token, I do think these reps are good for these guys because, knock on wood, I don't know if, when, what, how injuries might occur in season,” Sarkisian said. “The fact that these guys are getting some reps with our ones against high-level defenders, I think is good for them, preparing them for the season.”

Even though Sarkisian admitted that Cojoe isn’t a finished product, he’s liked what he’s seen from the Mansfield Timberview product throughout camp enough to believe Texas is better equipped now than it was in 2025 to handle sudden lineup changes in the trenches.

“He's still got room to grow and still can continue to improve, but I have been pleased with his ability to step in at that position,” Sarkisian said of Cojoe. “I think it gives us confidence for the future if something were to occur that he could step in and play well for us.”

Nevertheless, there’s never a good time for a starting-caliber player and a college football program to part ways, especially two weeks before the season starts.

With Smith out of the picture, there are a few things to consider about where Texas goes from here.

— Rasheem Biles was already one of the most indispensable Longhorns on the 2026 squad. While his status doesn’t change in the wake of Smith’s departure, Justin Cryer is suddenly significantly higher on the list of players Texas can least afford to lose.

Behind Biles and Cryer, Darius Snow (232 snaps played last season at Michigan State, according to Pro Football Focus) and Markus Boswell (199 snaps at Akron in 2025) are the only experienced scholarship linebackers in Johnny Nansen’s room (Brady Sarkisian has 20 career snaps, according to PFF). Brad Spence has a specific role as the overhang linebacker in Will Muschamp’s defense, but he’s limited as an off-the-ball defender playing in space.

Smith’s departure means there’s no margin for error. The Longhorns are one stroke of bad luck away from being in a world of hurt at the second level.

— Could Texas go into the transfer portal for help?

“Never say never,” is what a source told On Texas Football earlier in the week (the comment was regarding the roster in general, not linebacker specifically).

It’s not as simple as targeting an experienced player with the most skins on the wall and putting forth a competitive NIL package to add another body to the room.

Even before scouting comes into play, the Longhorns would have to target players who have rock-solid cases for remaining eligible in 2026. The focus would then shift to acclimation on the field (two practices in helmets only, two in shells and then full-pads practices would be green-lit under NCAA rules) and how quickly Muschamp and Nansen could get the new acquisition up to speed.

It’s a nuanced process and would be something the staff would have to vet quickly, but searching the portal for linebacker help is a road Texas might travel.

— What about converting a player from another position to add depth?

Jonathan Cunningham, who has worked with the secondary throughout camp, has spent time at linebacker since getting to campus. Jordon Johnson-Rubell has also been in the linebacker room, giving the coaches two immediate options if adding numbers at the position is a priority.

Other than the two defensive backs, there aren’t any slam-dunk options for position conversions. Similar to the portal, an unexpected position conversion would likely focus developing a player who can provide depth late in the season, potentially when it's all hands on deck for a deep run in the College Football Playoff.

— The most realistic option Muschamp and Nansen have is to get the three true freshmen (Tyler Atkinson, Rocky Cummings and Kosi Okpala) up to speed and ready for action in a hurry.

The Longhorns’ ability to control the two non-Power Four non-conference games against Texas State and UTSA is now paramount for the expedited development of the young linebackers. Those are the only two games on the schedule where the coaches can plan for the three freshmen to play consequential snaps.

That will likely only happen if the outcome isn’t in doubt in the second half against the Bobcats and Roadrunners, respectively.

Nothing about what the Longhorns are facing is ideal. Although Texas having better front-line players at linebacker or safety is debatable, it's also fair to say the Smith news allowed the former to overtake the latter as the biggest positional question mark on defense in 2026.

The injury, which occurred Monday evening during a Longhorn camp practice, was initially reported by Anwar Richardson. OTF’s Bobby Burton reported that Goosby "walked off the field fine" after the injury, which occurred in the first half of practice, while OTF’s Gerry Hamilton was told that the injury was a left-knee hyperextension.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told OTF on Tuesday that Goosby underwent an MRI on Tuesday morning. At approximately 10:45 a.m., ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the injury was a bone bruise, which OTF has confirmed.

The timetable for Goosby’s recovery and return to action is still to be determined.

Although Goosby will be out of action for an undetermined period, the burnt orange faithful can breathe easy, knowing that the 6-foot-7-inch, 325-pound first-team All-SEC selection will be back at some point. The focus now shifts to what Steve Sarkisian and Kyle Flood will do to fill a Texas-sized void at left tackle with Goosby on the mend.

One option is to move right tackle Melvin Siani into Goosby’s spot until the projected 2027 first-round NFL draft pick returns.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 317-pound Siani was a 13-game starter at left tackle for Wake Forest in 2025, logging 859 snaps. An accomplished pass blocker, Siani received a glowing review from Sarkisian following the team’s Monday morning walkthrough for his rapid development and prowess as a run-blocking tackle.

“Honestly, I'll be quite frank with everybody — I thought I was getting a pass protector when we recruited him,” Sarkisian said. “I'm getting a tough-ass run blocker who is a good pass protector. That's encouraging for us because, clearly, we know how important the run game is going to be for us.”

If Siani moves to left tackle, the question then becomes whether the Longhorns would move Brandon Baker back to right tackle, where he started all 13 games as a sophomore in 2025, or keep him at right guard, where his athleticism has given the Texas offense a lift?

Baker moving back to right tackle would open a spot for Cole Hutson, who recently rejoined the team after the door was open for members of the 2022 recruiting class to play an additional season. With starts under his belt at center and left guard in his four-year career, Hutson was a 13-game starter at right guard as a true freshman, helping pave the way for Bijan Robinson to become the fourth Longhorn to win the Doak Walker Award and the fifth Texas running back to be named a unanimous All-American.

Hutson and Dylan Sikorski rotated at left guard during the team's scrimmage last Saturday after Laurence Seymore's exit. Sarkisian said on Monday that Seymore is dealing with "a little bit of an injury hiccup."

"Nothing long-term," Sarkisian said of what Seymore is dealing with, "but he only got a chance to play 11 plays of real, live football."

Baker sticking at right guard would cloud the picture of what the Longhorns might do, especially with Siani at left tackle.

Jordan Coleman, who took all of the first-team snaps at left tackle during spring practice while Goosby was recovering from shoulder surgery, could be an option at right tackle or at left tackle if Sarkisian and Flood wanted to keep Siani on the right side. Jonte Newman, who transferred to Texas from Texas A&M during the portal window, has reportedly made strides during camp. Andre Cojoe continues to work his way back from a 2025 preseason knee injury. Jaydon Chatman has worked at both tackle spots throughout his career, including at left tackle in camp.

No matter the direction the Longhorns go, they aren’t dealing with the worst-case scenario, which would be going through the season without Goosby. While a player of Goosby's caliber can't be replaced (for however long he's out, Texas will sorely miss his presence and production at one of the most important positions on the field), Sarkisian and Flood have suitable options to keep the offensive line afloat until Goosby returns.

The arrival of the Wake Forest transfer, who flashed legitimate NFL potential as the Demon Deacons’ left tackle in 2025, strengthened the Longhorns' offensive line by allowing the staff to move Brandon Baker inside from right tackle to right guard.

It’s quite another, however, for Siani to surpass internal expectations before playing a game in burnt orange.

“Honestly, I'll be quite frank with everybody — I thought I was getting a pass protector when we recruited him,” Steve Sarkisian said after the Longhorns’ Monday morning camp practice. “I'm getting a tough-ass run blocker who is a good pass protector. That's encouraging for us because, clearly, we know how important the run game is going to be for us.”

Sarkisian was right to believe in Siani’s ability to protect the quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-6-inch, 317-pound Siani allowed only nine pressures on 456 opportunities in 2025.

Siani’s PFF grade of 67 as a run blocker (PFF considers a grade of 70 above average) wouldn’t indicate he dominated Wake Forest’s competition in the ACC (although the Demon Deacons were most successful running the ball over the left side of the line). Still, Siani’s grade on 372 run-blocking snaps would’ve been the fourth-best grade among Texas offensive linemen last season, trailing only Trevor Goosby (82.1), DJ Campbell (73.6) and Cole Hutson (71.6).

Siani graded slightly higher as a zone blocker (68.4) than on gap runs (64.3). With Siani’s athletic ability and Baker's move to guard, the revamped right side of the Longhorn offensive line has the tools to help Sarkisian establish a ground attack with a zone-based foundation.

Nevertheless, that might be the tip of the iceberg for the Texas running game considering Siani has barely scratched the surface of his potential.

Siani played one season of high school football in Canada before attending Wyoming Seminary, a college preparatory school in Pennsylvania. After preserving a season of eligibility after playing in just four games as a true freshman at Temple in 2023, Siani opened the 2024 season as the starting right tackle for the Owls, making nine starts in 11 games and playing 600 snaps.

Siani has shown enough growth to be on the radar as a prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft. Mike Renner of CBS Sports has Siani ranked as the No. 10 offensive tackle prospect for next spring’s draft with a late-third-round grade (Siani is listed on the Texas roster as a senior, but he has two seasons of eligibility remaining).

Where Renner (and, presumably, NFL coaches, scouts and executives) wants to see Siani improve is where Sarkisian has seen notable growth in the seven months that Siani has been a member of the program.

“Where I need to see Siani improve is in his play strength and balance,” Renner said. “Often, those problems go hand in hand, as the latter compensates for the former. He gets overaggressive trying to make first contact and ends up on the turf. He'll have two years to fix that problem against SEC competition if he wants to.”

And Texas might be the perfect place for Siani to continue his upward trend.

Along with Goosby’s return tempering expectations for Siani as a portal addition at one of the most important positions on the field and the aforementioned factors working in his favor (like playing next to Baker, who has a full season of SEC trench battles under his belt), Siani is in an offense that’s similar to the one he played in at Wake Forest under offensive coordinator Rob Ezell.

Ezell was a graduate assistant at Alabama while Sarkisian was an analyst for Nick Saban in 2016 and was an analyst for the Crimson Tide when Sarkisian returned to Tuscaloosa as Saban’s offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020 (Kyle Flood followed Sarkisian from the Atlanta Falcons to be Alabama’s offensive line coach and then to Austin). Siani's experience in Ezell's offense paid off when he started learning the Longhorns' offense in the spring.

“Some of the plays literally have the same name because it’s all that Nick Saban tree,” Siani said in an interview with "3rd and Longhorn" earlier this month. “There’s a lot of similarities in the offense that just made that transition even easier and more seamless. I wasn’t complaining at all.”

The only complaints coming from Siani's side of the line of scrimmage will likely be the opposing defenders reacting to being on the receiving end of the physical play of Texas' budding star.

— I’ve been a part of post-scrimmage media sessions in which Sarkisian’s thoughts on the running game didn’t give off positive vibes.

The opposite was true on Saturday. Sarkisian was encouraged by what he described as a “pretty good” day running the football.

Specifically, the tone set by the first-team offensive line (left tackle Trevor Goosby, left guard Laurence Seymore, center Connor Robertson, right guard Brandon Baker and right tackle Melvin Siani) is the most positive offensive note from the scrimmage.

“We've been harping on physicality and we've been harping on running the ball all offseason and I thought they did that today,” Sarkisian said. “I thought they played a physical brand of football.”

It can be argued that the offense should’ve succeeded moving the football on a day when Raheem Biles, Brad Spence and Justus Terry were out and Colin Simmons was held out for large portions of the scrimmage. Nevertheless, with Kyle Flood’s top group still learning how to play together (keep in mind that Goosby missed most of the spring recovering from shoulder surgery, Baker was making the transition to guard, Siani was a spring newcomer and Seymore didn’t get to campus until June), coming out of the first scrimmage with confidence after winning its share of battles against Will Muschamp’s defense is a far cry from where the offensive line’s collective confidence stood through the first half of last season.

With Derrek Cooper, who Sarkisian described as “a hard-charging guy” who’s been pushing the veteran running backs and “going for it and trying to earn his opportunities,” helping reestablish a physical edge in the backfield (something Jabbar Juluke deserves his share of credit for cultivating), the offensive line doesn’t need to be perfect for the offense to succeed. From that standpoint, the unit is a microcosm of the offense as a whole: the multitude of playmakers in the fold should make the Texas offense one of the most potent attacks in the country if every player focuses on doing their job with some level of consistency.

— Arch Manning’s legs and his feel for when to bail out of the pocket and pick up whatever yardage he can also take pressure off the offensive line.

It was Manning’s arm, however, that was under the microscope on Saturday.

Two interceptions (one by Jonah Williams near the goal line and a pick-six by Graceson Littleton) seemed to overshadow the big plays on which he connected with Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo.

Sarkisian described Manning’s scrimmage as “a little up and down,” although he took the blame for the uneven collective showing when Manning, Coleman, Wingo and Emmett Mosley V were on the field together.

“Blame Coach Sark for not being quite as fair to him,” said Sarkisian, who wanted Saturday to feel more like an NFL preseason opener for Manning and the proven commodities in the passing game. “(It was) one series and then sit for, you know, 30 minutes and then one series and then sit again.”

The team’s second scrimmage next Saturday will be a different format, Sarkisian said. To use the comparison between college scrimmages and NFL preseason games, the second scrimmage is typically what NFL teams would do in their dress rehearsal (the third preseason game), with the starters seeing more action and the coaches structuring it more like a regular-season game.

That should lead to a more even performance by Manning, who “had a great first week and a half of training camp,” Sarkisian said.

Ahead of the scrimmage, I said there was nothing Manning could do short of putting up a complete clunker that I’d consider a red flag. To that end, I’m not concerned about Manning and neither is Sarkisian, who said Manning “can play cleaner than he played today and a little bit more efficient, a little bit more accurate."

While the interceptions on their own shouldn’t be discarded or completely written off, Manning’s play in the second half of last season was impressive enough to make me believe that the early-season struggles he went through are behind him for good and won’t rear their ugly head in his second season leading the Longhorn offense.

— Maraad Watson was the member of a deep Texas interior defensive line rotation I was most intrigued by before playing like one of the Longhorns’ top run-stoppers in the scrimmage. If the 333-pound Watson can truly play multiple shades as a reliable early-down defender, he could become the biggest asset in Kenny Baker’s room.

Watson’s ability to play closer to the ball would allow him to spell Ian Geffrard and maintain the kind of presence Muschamp wants in the middle of his defense. A tandem of Geffrard and Watson would also let the development of Zion Williams and Josiah Sharma continue, rather than forcing them into high-leverage snaps if they're not ready for such roles.

Watson can also play next to Geffrard if the Longhorns want more beef on the interior, forming an impenetrable wall in front of Biles, Justin Cryer and the playmaking potential Texas has at the second level.

Geffrard, Alex January and Hero Kanu in the fold set a high floor for the kind of presence and production Muschamp and Baker can count on from the guys who serve as the tip of the spear defensively. Watson and Justus Terry, however, will determine where the ceiling is for a group that looks deeper and more versatile than it did last season.

First and foremost, Vince Young absolutely ran away with the No. 1 spot. Vince received more than 82% of the first place vote, with only one ballot (out of hundreds) not including him in the top three spots.

His lowest ranking from anyone who voted for him? No. 4.

Ricky Williams was nearly as universal. Ricky appeared on 94.9% of ballots, and 88.1% of those voters had him inside the Top 3.

In fact, Vince and Ricky were basically the consensus top two. On 76% ballots, they occupied the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in some order.

Then things got really interesting.

Colt McCoy did not receive a single first-place vote, yet still finished comfortably at No. 3. Derrick Johnson finished fourth.

This created what looked like a pretty obvious Big Four among the fan base:

Vince, Ricky, Colt, DJ

After that, the debate really started.

Cedric Benson edged Bijan Robinson for No. 5 despite Bijan appearing on more ballots. Bijan showed up on five more ballots than Cedric did, but the fans who voted for Cedric generally ranked him higher. Bijan was the only player, outside of Vince and Ricky, in the eventual top ten to receive a first-place vote.

The tightest race came near the bottom of the Top 10, however:

Michael Huff - 226 points
Casey Hampton - 225 points
Earl Thomas - 220 points

Six total points separated three Texas legends.

Hampton actually had stronger high-end support than Huff, with 19 Top-5 votes compared to Huff’s 11, but Huff appeared on more ballots and narrowly grabbed the No. 8 spot.

When we compared the fan vote to the OTF staff composite, both groups independently produced the exact same Top 6 in the exact same order:

Vince Young, Ricky Williams, Colt McCoy, Derrick Johnson, Cedric Benson, Bijan Robinson

Ten staff voters and hundreds of fan voters somehow agreed on the top six perfectly.

That’s pretty remarkable.

Now let’s argue.... here is your Top 15, as selected by OTF Subscribers:

Steve Sarkisian referenced physicality or toughness 13 times in the opening statement of his post-practice media availability on Monday. For a coach who likes to point out that you get what you emphasize, Sarkisian knows the kind of team Texas has to be to get where it wants to be in 2026.

“There's a mindset to it that this team, maybe, better than some other teams, have really embraced that mindset,” Sarkisian said. “I think that's a credit to the coaches, as we touched on that first practice, that they've got these guys buying into the physicality of which we need to play the game. Our players aren't naive to the schedule that we have and the teams that we're going to play and that physicality is going to be required to have the type of team in the season that we want to have.”

— If physicality hasn’t been the main theme of the first week of camp, it might be that Sarkisian and the Longhorns are getting back to basics.

Whether it’s something as significant as starting the program’s Culture Wednesday meetings in the spring instead of the summer, or moving players into the dorms on campus for camp, Sarkisian is taking the steps he feels are necessary for Texas to consistently play the fast, physical, smart and tough brand of football he sought to bring to the Forty Acres when he was hired in 2021. While describing the process the Longhorns are going through to put that kind of product on the field, Sarkisian delivered one of his most profound statements of the offseason.

“When I think about the style of play in which we want to play the game and that we have to recreate it every year,” Sarkisian said. “It just doesn't happen.”

Although it hurt everyone in the program to miss out on a third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff, in hindsight, it might’ve been the best thing to happen to Sarkisian and the program. Along with using the transfer portal window to turn the roster and put together a championship-caliber squad, the time between the team’s triumph over Texas A&M in the regular-season finale and its Citrus Bowl win over Michigan forced Sarkisian to take a long look at what changes had to be made to get Texas back on the path toward a championship.

So far, Sarkisian’s changes to the coaching staff, the program’s offseason structure and what he, as the leader of the organization, had to fix to be better in 2026 have benefitted the organization.

— Leadership doesn’t form during camp so much as it crystallizes. The best news in that regard is that Arch Manning continues to let his authentic voice and leadership style evolve, which is a big part of him taking the next step in the hierarchy of college football quarterbacks.

“Arch loves football. He loves to practice. He loves to work. It's funny because Arch probably talks a little more shit than people give him credit for outside of our building, so in practice there's a good amount of banter that goes on,” Sarkisian said. “Now, Arch has more confidence.”

It’s hard to be the kind of leader a quarterback needs to be when he isn’t confident. It’s also hard for said quarterback to be confident when he isn’t playing well.

Manning has done a 180 in that regard, fighting through some forgettable performances in the first half of last season to end his 2025 campaign playing as well as any quarterback in the country.

It’s fun to think about the jawing back and forth between Manning and Colin Simmons that Sarkisian described on Monday. What Sarkisian’s words said about where Manning’s confidence and comfort levels are ahead of the season, however, shouldn’t be lost while taking delight in the head coach dropping an unexpected expletive during a press conference.

Here’s the first part of the official university release:

“Excitement surrounding the 2026 Texas Football season continues to build in anticipation of the Longhorns’ home opener on September 5. Season tickets and individual game tickets for all home games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium are officially sold out through Texas Athletics.

The sellout continues the incredible momentum surrounding the program under Head Coach Steve Sarkisian and marks the fifth consecutive season that Texas fans have sold out DKR well before the opening kickoff of the season. While tickets available to the general public are sold out, returning and incoming UT students can still purchase the Big Ticket with Football student ticket package, providing access to 100+ Texas Athletics regular season home events during the 2026-27 season. Student tickets for football home games must be claimed during each game’s mobile ticket claim process.”

At the top, two of the most iconic players in Texas football history separated themselves from the rest of the field.

Vince Young finished No. 1 overall, narrowly edging Ricky Williams for the top spot. Young totaled 247 points across the 10 ballots, while Williams finished just four points behind with 243.

Young received seven first-place votes, while Williams received the other three. Every voter ranked both players either first or second.

Behind them, Colt McCoy came in at No. 3 with 227 points, followed closely by Derrick Johnson at No. 4 with 223.

The top four created a clear consensus among the OTF staff, but the rankings became much tighter from there.

Cedric Benson rounded out the top five, followed by Bijan Robinson, Casey Hampton, Michael Huff, Kelvin Banks Jr. and Brian Orakpo.

Banks, Orakpo and Earl Thomas were separated by just one point, with Banks finishing ninth at 160 points and Orakpo and Thomas tying at 159. Orakpo earned the No. 10 spot through the composite tiebreaker (using the highest individual placement on any ballot).

The list features players spanning more than three decades of Texas football, from stars of the early 1990s to members of the Longhorns' recent College Football Playoff teams.

It also highlights just how difficult it is to compare players across positions and eras.

Quarterbacks and running backs dominate the very top of the ranking, but the Top 25 also includes elite linebackers, defensive backs, offensive linemen and defensive linemen who helped define their respective eras.

Still, the biggest debate may be the one at the very top.

Williams owns one of the greatest individual résumés in college football history, including the 1998 Heisman Trophy, while Young delivered perhaps the most iconic season and championship performance Texas football has ever seen.

When the votes were totaled, Young had just enough support to claim the title of On Texas Football's No. 1 Longhorn.