You can step up and solidify your place on the depth chart or you run the risk of a younger player surpassing you to claim your spot. While there have been instances where guys like John Harris and Tope Imade come out of nowhere as seniors and depart the Forty Acres with a bang, they’re the exception to the rule.

A player’s true junior or redshirt sophomore season has been, for all intents and purposes, a contract year.

That’s literally the reality for the members of the 2024 recruiting class who remain in the program in 2026.

Third-year college football players are now more like NFL rookies. Programs must decide whether to exercise their option to bring the player back for another season (likely, at a higher dollar figure than what the player previously earned) or be OK with them testing the waters to see what they can get on the open market.

How things played out for the 2023 high school signees during the winter transfer portal window should give the crop of third-year Longhorns a road map for how things might play out.

Anthony Hill Jr. and Malik Muhammad had good enough junior seasons to follow through with their expected departures for the 2026 NFL Draft. Arch Manning was always coming back, barring something unforeseen, and Trevor Goosby flirted with beginning his NFL career after one season as a starter. Still, both will be back as redshirt juniors, positioned to be high picks in the 2027 draft.

Although Jelani McDonald, Derek Williams Jr. and Ryan Niblett are among those who chose to return to Texas, CJ Baxter (Kentucky), Liona Lefau (Colorado), DeAndre Moore Jr. (Colorado) and Quintrevion Wisner (Florida State) decided to finish their college careers elsewhere. With NIL and revenue sharing a part of roster construction that's out in the open for public consumption, Steve Sarkisian admitted during his pre-spring practice conference on Feb. 23 that it’s a two-way street when it comes to the tough decisions that must be made in the portal window.

“I'd love for them all to stay, and I'd love for them all to finish what they started here with us, but contrary to, maybe, popular belief, our money isn't endless here either,” Sarkisian said. “We have to make real decisions — where we're trying to spend the money on the players that we have to try to put together a championship roster, but yet not lose sight of how powerful our culture is. Those are difficult decisions to make.”

There’s no right or wrong way to group the 2024 signees when trying to figure out where they stand heading into a fork-in-the-road season regarding their football careers. So, I broke them down into four categories:

NFL Bound — Barring something unexpected happening, a sure-fire NFL draft pick in 2027

— Colin Simmons

It’s pretty simple: If the All-American edge defender stays healthy and the combination of Will Muschamp and LaAllan Clark gets the most out of him that they can, Simmons should be one of the first players off the board in the 2027 draft.

Proven Commodity — Established, starting-caliber player with more to prove before the NFL becomes a realistic option

— Brandon Baker

— Ryan Wingo

The goal for Baker and Wingo should be to position themselves as McDonald did after the 2025 season, where he had a legitimate stay-or-go decision to make. Baker and Wingo could come back in 2027 and be featured in more prominent roles. Or they could decide to strike while the iron is hot, if in fact it heats up. But those scenarios aren’t sure things for either of them right now.

Bonafide Contributor — NFL future aside, this group is made of pieces who’d be hard to replace if something happened to them

— Alex January

— Ty’Anthony Smith

January will once again be a key part of a deep, talented interior defensive line rotation that figures to pack more of a punch than the 2025 group if Maraad Watson is healthy and Ian Geffrard allows Muschamp to bounce between playing even and odd fronts.  With Smith, his immediate future will be determined by his ability to keep making splash plays while playing more consistent, down-to-down football in a new scheme.

Now or Never — If you haven’t solidified your role yet, it’s time to make your move

— Kobe Black

— Xavier Filsaime

— Jordon Johnson-Rubell

— Wardell Mack

— Zina Umeozulu

This group has a few guys (namely Black, Filsaime and Umeozulu) who could become significant contributors in 2026 and foundational pieces in 2027. Volatility exists, though, meaning they could get passed up by incoming transfers or younger players on the roster if they fail to convince the coaches to give them more snaps.

While logging 840 snaps (per Pro Football Focus) and serving as arguably the identity of the Texas offense, Manning accounted for just seven turnovers, all of which were interceptions. With that said, five of those interceptions came in the team’s first five games (one each against Ohio State, San Jose State and UTEP and two against Florida).

In the team’s four wins over opponents that ended the season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 15 Vanderbilt and No. 21 Michigan), Manning accounted for 10 touchdowns (seven passing and three rushing) and no turnovers.

To better frame what Manning accomplished, it's worth noting that the year-over-year improvement in ball security from the quarterback position was staggering.

After Quinn Ewers accounted for 17 turnovers (12 interceptions and five missed fumbles) in 14 games in 2024 (an average of 1.2 turnovers per game and a turnover every 53 snaps played), Manning’s turnover averages per game (0.54) and per snaps played (one every 120 snaps). With Manning keeping the football away from opponents in the second half of the season, the Longhorns committed the fifth-fewest turnovers in FBS (nine total) in 2025 while tying for fifth nationally in turnover margin (plus-14 overall and 1.08 per game).

Manning became the first Longhorn quarterback since Sam Ehlinger in 2020 to lead the position in snaps played while going through an entire season without losing a fumble. However, Manning, who recovered his own fumble against San Jose State and got an assist from Quintrevion Wisner, who recovered a Manning fumble in the Georgia game, played 155 more snaps than Ehlinger did in a season shortened to 10 games (including the Alamo Bowl against Colorado, of which Ehlinger didn’t play in the second half) by the pandemic.

Furthermore, Manning (2025), Ehlinger (2019 and 2020) and Shane Buechele (2017) are the only three Texas quarterbacks in the PFF era (since 2014) to log at least 500 snaps at quarterback without losing a fumble. Among the quarterbacks who've played at least 500 snaps in a season for the Longhorns over the last 12 seasons, only Ehlinger and Buechele had seasons with fewer turnovers accounted for than Manning’s seven giveaways in his first full season as the program’s starter.

Turnovers by Texas QBs since 2014 (minimum 500 snaps, per PFF)

Shane Buechele (2017) — 4 (all interceptions)

Sam Ehlinger (2020) — 5 (all interceptions)

Sam Ehlinger (2018) — 6 (five interceptions and one lost fumble)

Arch Manning (2025) — 7 (all interceptions)

Quinn Ewers (2023) — 7 (six interceptions and one lost fumble)

Quinn Ewers (2022) — 7 (six interceptions and one lost fumble)

Jerrod Heard (2015) — 7 (five interceptions and two lost fumbles)

Sam Ehlinger (2017) — 9 (seven interceptions and five lost fumbles)

Casey Thompson (2021) — 10 (nine interceptions and one lost fumble)

Sam Ehlinger (2019) — 10 (all interceptions)

Shane Buechele (2016) — 12 (11 interceptions and one lost fumble)

Tyrone Swoopes (2014) — 14 (11 interceptions and three lost fumbles)

Quinn Ewers (2024) — 17 (12 interceptions and five lost fumbles)

Of those 13 seasons, Manning’s 0.54 turnovers per game rank fourth behind Ehlinger in 2018 (0.43), Buechele in 2017 (0.44) and Ehlinger in 2020 (0.50). Ehlinger’s 2018 and 2020 seasons are the only two of the 13 in which a Texas quarterback had a better turnover-to-snap ratio than Manning’s 120-to-1 ratio (Ehlinger averaged one turnover every 163.2 snaps in 2018 and one turnover every 137 snaps in 2020).

How Manning protected the football is even more impressive when considering that he was one of the most pressured quarterbacks in the country.

No SEC quarterback felt heat from opposing defenses more than Manning in 2025, with foes pressuring him a league-high 165 times. All told, Manning was pressured on 35.6 percent of his dropbacks, which ranked sixth among SEC quarterbacks who were pressured on at least 15 dropbacks last season.

Along with displaying top-notch ball security, Manning’s 13.3-percent pressure-to-sack rate tied him with Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia for the sixth-best percentage in the SEC. Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed (11.5 percent) and Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss (12.6) were the only SEC quarterbacks with better pressure-to-sack rates on 200 or more dropbacks.

Manning’s scrambling ability makes the conditions ripe for him to keep his turnovers down in 2026. He established himself as one of the top scrambling quarterbacks in the country last season, ranking 14th in FBS with 349 scramble yards.

When you combine Manning's gradually improved decision-making throughout the season with his elite scrambling ability and the instincts to prevent pressure from turning into sacks, he has a chance to continue being one of the best quarterbacks in the country at taking care of the football.

After cruising to an 8-1 victory over No. 9 Coastal Carolina on Friday and holding off Baylor for a 5-2 win on Saturday, the Longhorns pounded out 12 hits on Sunday, including a two-run home run from Temo Becerra in the top of the third. Multi-hit games by Casey Borba (3-for-3 with a double, two walks and a run scored), Ethan Mendoza (2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored) and Jonah Williams (2-for-4 with an RBI, a double and a run scored) helped Texas (11-0) continue an unbeaten start to the 2026 season.

Here’s how the Longhorns ended a perfect weekend on the diamond in Houston:

BOTTOM 2: Texas 0, Ohio State 0

A walk and a hard-hit single back up the middle of the diamond put two Buckeyes on base with no outs against Dylan Volantis. Thankfully, the sophomore southpaw buckled down and struck out three consecutive Ohio State batters to get out of the jam.

Volantis rallied back by using his slider and the changeup he added to his arsenal of pitches in the offseason. The three strikeouts he recorded came on hitters swinging aimlessly at two-strike pitches, getting the game to the third inning with the Longhorns looking for a spark at the plate.

TOP 3: Texas 1, Ohio State 0

Casey Borba’s leadoff walk set the table for Jonah Williams to kickstart a big inning for the Longhorns. Williams went the other way for a double, ripping a 2-1 offering from Pierce Herrenbruck into the corner in left field.

After Josh Livingston drew a walk, Ethan Mendoza lined a single to center, scoring Borba for the first run of the game.

TOP 3: Texas 2, Ohio State 0

Carson Tinney got jammed and sent a slow-rolling grounder to first base, but it allowed Williams to score from third. That put runners in scoring position for Aiden Robbins with one out.

TOP 3: Texas 3, Ohio State 0

A sky-high pop-up off Robbins’ bat kept drifting toward shallow center field. With the roof open at Daikin Park, second baseman Henry Kaczmar lost the ball in the sun, causing it to drop into the outfield between three Buckeyes.

It was scored as a single for Robbins, with Livingston scoring and Mendoza advancing to third base.

TOP 3: Texas 4, Ohio State 0

Facing Adrian Rodriguez with runners on first and third and one out, Herrenbruck’s wild pitch brought Mendoza home for the fourth Longhorn run of the inning.

TOP 3: Texas 5, Ohio State

Herrenbruck’s once promising afternoon ended in disaster, with Rodriguez’s RBI double serving as the final blow that knocked the Buckeyes’ starting pitcher out of the game.

Rodriguez sent a 2-2 pitch from Herrenbruck screaming down the left-field line, over the head of third baseman Maddix Simpson. Herrenbruck left the game responsible for the runner on second (Rodriguez), while righty Owen Graff was called upon to stop the bleeding.

TOP 3: Texas 7, Ohio State 0

Temo Becerra poured salt into the open wound with a two-run home run into the Crawford Boxes in left field. Becerra’s 354-foot bomb was his third of the weekend, all of which went up and over the wall in left field.

When the dust settled on the top of the third inning, the Longhorns torched the Buckeyes for seven runs on five hits and left two runners on base.

TOP 4: Texas 7, Ohio State 0

Graf was ejected after sounding off toward Rodriguez following an inning-ending strikeout. Rodriguez then changed words with Simpson, which led to a brief verbal confrontation near home plate, but nothing came of it after cooler heads prevailed.

BOTTOM 5: Texas 7, Ohio State 1

Righty Ryan Zamora kept the Longhorns off the scoreboard in the top of the inning, striking out Livingston after Borba and Williams attempted to start a two-out rally with back-to-back singles.

Volantis, who retired 10 in a row before hitting catcher Grant Mangrum, got into trouble with one out. CJ Reid’s double to right field put runners on first and third and Volantis’ 3-2 pitch to Simpson was wild, allowing Mangrum to score the first run of the game for the Buckeyes.

After striking out center fielder Miles Vandenheuvel and walking shortstop Lee Ellis to load the bases, Jim Schlossnagle gave Volantis the hook. With 91 pitches under his belt, Volantis departed with the bases loaded and two outs in favor of Brett Crossland.

BOTTOM 5: Texas 7, Ohio State 1

Crossland induced a ground ball to first base off the bat of designated hitter Mason Eckelman to get out of the inning. Borba flipped the ball to Crossland, who stepped on the bag to end the threat by the Buckeyes.

BOTTOM 6: Texas 7, Ohio State 2

Right fielder Noah Furcht took Crossland deep to left field, putting one in the Crawford Boxes to lead off the inning. Thankfully, Crossland minimized the damage and got through the sixth with three consecutive outs.

TOP 7: Texas 7, Ohio State 2

With one out, a walk drawn by Becerra and a single through the right side of the infield by Anthony Pack Jr. chased Zamora. Andrew Edrington got Borba to pop one down the line in right, but the ball dropped for a single to load the bases.

TOP 7: Texas 8, Ohio State 2

Williams’ ground ball up the middle was scored as a fielder’s choice, with Borba getting rung up via a force at second base. Still, Becerra scored from third, adding to the Longhorn lead.

TOP 7: Texas 9, Ohio State 2

Pack scored easily on Ashton Larson’s pinch-hit single to center field. Even with Williams back in the lineup as an everyday position player, the Longhorns are developing multiple options with the designated hitter spot and for pinch-hitters late in games between Larson, Livingston and Presley Courville.

BOTTOM 7: Texas 9, Ohio State 3

Brody Walls hit Vandenheuvel with one out, which led to the third run of the game for the Buckeyes, when Ellis ripped a triple to right-center field. Pack had a hard time playing the ball off the mesh wall, something Major League outfielders who lack experience with the unique wall configuration in the left-field power alley at Daikin Park deal with.

Regardless, Walls battled back and held the runner at third by getting Eckelman to pop one up in foul territory down the first-base side of the infield, where he was retired by Borba.

TOP 8: Texas 9, Ohio State 3

The fifth Buckeye pitcher of the game, Jake Michalak, got himself into a bind upon toeing the rubber. A throwing error allowed Tinney to reach base and consecutive walks issued to Robbins and Rodriguez loaded the bases with no outs.

TOP 8: Texas 10, Ohio State 3

Becerra’s third RBI of the game was a sacrifice fly to center field. The ball was hit deep enough to get Tinney home, pushing the Longhorn lead back to a seven-run advantage.

Unfortunately, that was the only run Texas pushed across after loading the bases with nobody out. Pack struck out and Robbins was tagged out trying to score on a ball in the dirt, ending the inning with runners stranded in scoring position.

BOTTOM 9: Texas 10, Ohio State 3

Cal Higgins sandwiched two singles between his second strikeout of the inning before hitting Eckelman to load the bases with two outs. Hudson Hamilton was among the pitchers who got up and started getting loose in the Longhorn bullpen with the Buckeyes threatening.

BOTTOM 9: Texas 10, Ohio State 3

Higgins got Furcht to hit one on the ground to short. Rodriguez flipped the ball to Mendoza for the out at second to end the game.

The Longhorns held the Aggies 18 points under their season scoring average (88.7 points per game) on their second-worst shooting performance (38.6) in an SEC game this season, including a 5-for-19 effort from 3-point range (tying a season low for 3-pointers made by Bucky McMillan's squad). Texas (18-11, 9-7 SEC) dominated Texas A&M (19-10, 9-7) on the glass to the tune of a 41-32 edge (the third-most rebounds by a Texas A&M opponent this season) en route to a victory that guarantees the Longhorns of finishing at least .500 in conference play.

While both clubs remained among the last four teams safely in the field of 68 just after tipping off, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, Texas now has a chance to finish in the top eight of the conference standings and get a bye in the SEC Tournament with a win over Oklahoma in next Saturday's regular-season finale at Moody Center.

Here's how the Longhorns avoided a third straight loss and gave themselves some breathing room with regular-season games left on the schedule:

FIRST HALF

Texas 7, Texas A&M 3 (15:55)

The Longhorns led the Aggies by four at the first media timeout, a position in which they were highly fortunate to find themselves.

Daylin Swain and Matas Vokietaitis both picked up two fouls by the 16:35 mark, with Vokietaitis needing to be lifted for Nic Codie 63 seconds into the game. With five team fouls at the game’s first stoppage, the Longhorns’ tough challenge of dealing with the size of the Aggies' front court, due to Lassina Traore missing a sixth straight game with a knee issue, became even more daunting.

Texas 16, Texas A&M 10 (11:21)

Avoiding another team foul after Swain picked up his second, the Longhorns got huge three-point plays from Tramon Mark and Chendall Weaver to go into the second media timeout of the half up by six.

With Traore out and Vokietaitis on the bench, the Aggies went after Codie and Cam Heide while hunting paint points. Credit Codie, however, for making two tremendous defensive plays to deny Rashaun Agee points, including a swipe of the ball to send it out of bounds when Agee had his eyes on a dunk down the right side of the lane.

Texas A&M opened the game just 3-for-13 from the field. That was due in part to how well Texas defended, especially without Swain and Vokietaitis on the court.

Mark’s block of an Ali Dibba 3-pointer to force a shot-clock violation highlighted a good stretch of play on the defensive end of the floor by the Longhorns.

Texas 20, Texas A&M 15 (7:42)

The Aggies entered the third media timeout of the half in a 1-for-8 shooting slump, including five consecutive missed shots, which led to a 3:13 drought without a field goal. Accounting for three of the Longhorns’ six blocked shots, Codie did his part to help Texas own a 10-4 edge in points in the paint.

Texas 29, Texas A&M 28 (3:13)

A 3:31 scoreless stretch and an 11-0 run by the Aggies ended with a driving bucket by Swain at the 5:09 mark of the half. Even though Jordan Pope had a 3-pointer changed to a 2-point field goal after a video review, Texas outscored the Aggies 9-4 heading into the third media timeout, regaining a one-point lead in the process.

Texas A&M 30, Texas 29 (HALFTIME)

While the Longhorns missed their last six shots of the half, the Aggies weren’t much better, going 1-for-7 from the field. Nevertheless, Agee’s bucket inside the final minute of the half put Texas A&M on top heading into the locker room.

Agee (14 points on 5-for-9 shooting) carried the Aggies offensively, with the rest of the team shooting the ball at a 5-for-24 clip. Texas got 11 points in 11 minutes from Swain (4-for-7 shooting), but the rest of the squad combined to go 7-for-23.

Texas A&M only turned eight Longhorn turnovers into three points at the other end of the floor. That, along with the Aggies owning just a 5-3 edge in bench scoring, helped Texas survive the early foul woes, with Swain and Vokietaitis starting the second half with two fouls apiece.

SECOND HALF

Texas 37, Texas A&M 34 (15:57)

The offensive struggles continued for both sides to start the second half. Nevertheless, Mark’s elbow jumper before the first media timeout, his second bucket since coming out of the locker room, put the Longhorns up by three.

Texas was doing what it needed to in a slow, grind-it-out kind of game, owning a plus-four edge in rebounding (28-24) and keeping pace with Texas A&M in paint scoring (20 points for both sides).

Texas 42, Texas A&M 36 (14:15)

A 3-pointer by Pope and Mark finding Vokietaitis for a transition dunk after Swain rebounded a missed 3-point attempt by Agee extended the Texas lead to six, prompting Bucky McMillan to burn a timeout to talk things over with his Aggies. A 6-for-13 effort from the field helped the Longhorns stay in front of a Texas A&M squad that was 3-for-7 (0-for-2 from 3-point range) shooting the ball to start the second half.

Texas 46, Texas A&M 42 (11:22)

Marcus Hill’s stretch of six consecutive points for the Aggies gave him 17 points heading into the under-12 media timeout, which was triggered when the Longhorns committed a shot-clock violation. With a combined 33 points on 13-for-21 shooting, Hill (7-for-9) and Agee (16 points on 6-for-12 shooting) were carrying Texas A&M offensively.

Texas 55, Texas A&M 51 (6:42)

A friendly bounce helped Simeon Wilcher convert a 3-pointer in transition to put the Longhorns up by seven. But his block of Hill's shot attempt in the lane led to Mark finishing in traffic, which made just as big a difference in Texas maintaining a lead over the Aggies.

Texas 63, Texas A&M 56 (3:52)

With Swain and Vokietaitis in foul trouble (four each), Heide and Mark made critical shots on consecutive possessions to help the Longhorns stem the tide.

After the Aggies cut their deficit to three, Heide’s 3-pointer from the wing made it a six-point game again, 60-54. Mark answered two made free throws by Rylan Griffen with a 3-pointer in front of the Texas bench with the shot clock winding down at the 4:14 mark.

That’s where things stood coming out of the last media timeout of regulation. Swain and Vokietaitis checked back in for the closing minutes, with the Longhorns looking to secure their ninth SEC victory.

Texas 67, Texas A&M 58 (2:47)

A baseline drive for two by Weaver and a steal by Pope that led to a pair of free throws for Mark at the other end put the Longhorns up by nine, their largest lead of the game.

Texas 71, Texas A&M 62 (53.3 seconds)

Griffen’s missed 3-pointer with 1:41 to go after Dibba picked Swain’s pocket prevented what would’ve been a huge momentum swing going the Aggies’ way. After Swain rebounded the miss (Texas A&M was 3-for-16 from 3-point range at this point), Miller called a timeout with 1:25 remaining in regulation, setting up Pope’s short-corner jumper with 1:14 to go and the shot clock winding down.

Texas 75, Texas A&M 65 (21.5 seconds)

After a 3-pointer by Griffen, the Longhorns successfully inbounded the ball, which eventually led to a foul and two free throws for Mark. He converted the two-shot situation with Texas in the double bonus, and a bucket by Isaacs and a subsequent timeout by McMillan proved to be too little, too late.

Texas 76, Texas A&M 70 (FINAL)

The late surge by the Aggies was all for naught. Mark’s game-high 23 points, Pope’s 17-point afternoon, Swain’s 11-point, 10-rebound effort, a 15-for-16 performance from the foul line and a defensive effort that saw Texas A&M go 23-for-60 (38.3 percent, including 5-for-19 from beyond the arc) carried the Longhorns to a résumé-boosting win in Aggieland.

Getting by Florida (21-6, 12-2), which sits atop the SEC standings and enters Wednesday’s game on a seven-game winning streak, will take nothing short of an exceptional performance by the Longhorns.

“Obviously, any time you host the national champion from a year ago, it has amazing meaning,” Sean Miller said on Tuesday. “Really, credit Todd Golden and his program.

“I think it's very impressive to see him and his staff how they've built Florida, especially in the NIL/transfer portal era,” he added. “I think there's a lot you can learn from just watching how they've added and developed their roster. I also think they're playing their very best basketball of this season right now, on a win streak in dominant fashion the last several road games in our league — not easy to do. They've gone on the road and they've won by big, big margins. We know we have our hands full.”

TEXAS vs. No. 7 FLORIDA

When: 6 p.m. CT
Where: Moody Center (Austin, Texas)
TV: ESPN2

Betting line
Florida -6.5
O/U: 157.5

Texas 2025-26 roster
Starters:
Jordan Pope, CG, 6-0, Sr. (13.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists)
Tramon Mark, CG, 6-6, Gr. (13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals)
Camden Heide, F, 6-7, Jr. (6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 49.4% 3PT) 
Dailyn Swain, F/G, 6-8, Jr. (17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals)
Matas Vokietaitas, C, 7-0, Soph.(15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.9 blocks)

Reserves:
Simeon Wilcher, CG, 6-4, Jr. (6.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists) 
Chendall Weaver, G, 6-3, Sr. (6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists)
Lassina Traore, C, 6-10, Sr. (3.4 points, 5.1 rebounds) 
Nic Codie, PF,  6-9, Soph. (4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds)
Declan Duru, F, 6-8, Fr. (1.4 points, 1.3 rebounds)

Redshirts:
John Clark, PF, 6-8.5, Fr.
Lewis Obiorah, C, 7-1, Fr.

Texas splits:
49.7% FG/ 74.9% FT/ 35.4% 3PT

Sean Miller file
Career record: 504-206 (71%)
NCAA Tournament record: 22-13
NCAA Tournament: 4 Elite Eights and 8 Sweet 16s
Conference Championships: 8. Five in the Pac-10/Pac-12, and three in the Atlantic 10
Conference Coach of the Year awards: 4. Three in the Pac 10/Pac 12, and one in the Atlantic 10. Also the 2015 USA Basketball National COY in 2015

Texas in the rankings

— Texas is currently No. 37 in the NCAA NET rankings with five Quad 1 wins.
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings

— KenPom ranks Texas 32 (down from No. 28 last week)
https://kenpom.com/

— Bart Torvik T-Rank checks in at No. 43
https://barttorvik.com/#

— Texas strength of schedule is currently around No. 23, and will likely finish in the top 25
https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other

Remaining schedule
*- projected NCAA Tournament team
*Feb. 28 - at Texas A&M (No. 42 in NCAA NET) - Quad 1 game 
*Mar. 3 - at Arkansas (No. 18 in NCAA NET) - Quad 1 game 
Mar. 7 - vs. Oklahoma (No. 68 in NCAA NET) - Quad 2 game

Sean Miller is holding a media availability today to discuss the loss to the Bulldogs, tomorrow’s game against the Gators and the state of affairs as the Longhorns look to improve their standing for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. As of Monday, Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) remained on the right side of the bubble, with the Longhorns one of 11 SEC clubs projected to be in the field of 68, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi.

While the loss to Georgia snapped a five-game winning streak, Texas will attempt to get back on track against arguably its toughest stretch of games this season. After facing Florida (21-6, 12-2), the Longhorns travel to Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5) on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPN2), looking to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Aggies, who won a 74-70 decision in Austin on Jan. 17.

The Longhorns will then take on No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4) in Fayetteville on Wednesday, March 4, before wrapping up the regular season schedule at home against Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11) on Saturday, March 7.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of Sunday’s 4-0 win over Michigan State at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Williams popped the first pitch he saw from reliever Brady Chambers into left field. When center fielder Trent Rice lost track of the ball, allowing it to fall to the turf for a base hit, Williams bolted for second base.

A late-season shoulder injury while suiting up as a safety for the football team delayed the start of Williams’ second season with the third-ranked Texas baseball team. His head-first slide into second base wasn’t quite the decision Schlossnagle wanted to see late in a game the Longhorns had under control, which is why Dariyan Pendergrass entered the game as a pinch runner after the 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound Williams was called safe.

“When he starts slow out and then tries to bust the double – I felt like it was time,” Schlossnagle said. “And three straight days of playing. He didn't play the field, but I think he's getting really close. Our training staff is doing a good job with him.

“No other reason other than just to protect him moving forward.”

Manning the designated hitter spot for each of the team’s three wins over the Spartans, Williams went 3-for-10 after making his season debut in Friday’s 8-1 victory. Williams scored two runs, tallied two RBI, walked twice and struck out twice over the weekend, a solid start as he looks to build on a freshman season in which he hit .327 with three doubles, 10 RBI and three stolen bases in 20 games.

When Williams will be ready to resume his duties as a position player remains to be seen. Presumably, when the time comes, Williams will replace Ashton Larson in left field, with Anthony Pack Jr. off to a hot start in right field and Aiden Robbins patrolling center field.

Until then, Schlossnagle will continue monitoring Williams’ progress, looking for positive signs as he saw on Friday.

While going 1-for-3 at the plate and scoring two runs, Schlossnagle thought Williams had “great” at-bats and made smart decisions, like when he tried to turn an infield chopper into a base hit in the third inning.

“He wanted to go to a full gear, but we've told him — his 85-90 percent is still faster than most of the guys on our team,” Schlossnagle said. “I'm really proud of Jonah for pulling up just a little bit — not at the end, but in the middle — running down the line. Then, he got his base hit and made his turn around first base. You saw some maturity there from Jonah.”

A finalist for the 2025 Buster Posey Award, which honors college baseball’s top catcher, Tinney has the presence and skills behind the plate to help a pitching staff maximize its potential. Seven games into the 2026 season, Tinney and the Longhorn pitchers are propping each other up, staking their claim to be labeled the nation’s top battery.

Asked how he’d rate the arms on pitching coach Max Weiner’s staff, Tinney said with a smile plastered on his face that it’s been “fun to catch” a group of hurlers that’s collectively twisted opposing hitters in knots en route to a 7-0 start.

“Best stuff I've been able to catch in my life so far,” Tinney said after Sunday’s 4-0 win over Michigan State, one in which he scored a run while going 1-for-3 with a double. Southpaw Dylan Volantis recorded a second consecutive dominant start, tossing seven scoreless innings and finishing a 91-pitch outing with a career-high nine strikeouts.

When Volantis, who continues to successfully develop a changeup he added to his repertoire in the offseason, was done, Weiner and Jim Schlossnagle turned the game over to the bullpen. Aided by a between-the-legs snag on a liner back to the mound, freshman Brett Crossland only needed five pitches to get through the eighth inning, paving the way for Thomas Burns to pump his 96 mph past the Spartan bats.

A one-out walk issued by Volantis in the seventh inning is the only runner No. 3 Texas allowed on base after the third inning. Volantis retired 13 batters in a row at one point, while Crossland and Burns combined to mow down each of the six batters they faced over two innings.

“It's a blast just because they dominate the zone,” said Tinney, who threw out two would-be base stealers in Saturday’s 3-1 win. “No complaints there.”

Michigan State (2-4) came into the series “swinging the bat well with a lot of confidence,” Schlossnagle said. The Spartans slugged five home runs, pounded out 23 hits (nine for extra bases) and scored 18 runs in a series win on the road over then-No. 8 Louisville last weekend.

The pitching staff ensured the Longhorns wouldn’t suffer the same fate. Nine different pitchers combined to record 32 strikeouts with only four walks and one earned run across three wins, a series sweep in which Texas posted a plus-13 run differential.

“We knew the pitching staff was going to be the strong suit of our club coming into the season,” Schlossnagle said. “Veterans and the new guys throw a lot of strikes, throw multiple pitches for strikes. We're certainly going to face better teams in our league. I mean, Michigan State has got a good team and I thought Lamar had a good club. I think UC Davis will be competitive in their conference. But we all know what's ahead of us.”

The Longhorns manufactured enough offense to get the job done on Sunday. Jonah Williams, who went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI single, drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the first, followed by Casey Borba's RBI groundout. The last run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, when Anthony Pack Jr.’s attempt to steal second base resulted in a balk, scoring Ashton Larson from third base.

Schlossnagle knows Texas will face top-notch pitching in SEC play and beyond. Still, he believes the Longhorns will “be able to pitch with most teams,” which should make them tough to beat, even when the competition heats up.

“We just have to keep improving, keep the right guys healthy,” Schlossnagle said. “I was glad to see Volantis be out there for an extended period. That'll help him out moving forward. We just need to stay committed to the opening day mentality that these guys have.”

Whether it’s how the organization navigated the highs and lows of the transfer portal window, several Texas players (including Arch Manning) undergoing surgery or Blake Gideon returning to the Forty Acres, a lot has happened since the Longhorns dispatched the Wolverines to wrap up a 10-3 campaign.

Here are five questions for Sarkisian that will set the tone for the start of spring practice on March 9, for better or worse.

1. Is there a timeline on when Laurence Seymore’s eligibility status will be resolved?

There’s a high probability Sarkisian will be asked about when Texas expects to hear whether the Western Kentucky offensive lineman will be eligible for the 2026 season. But I’m not expecting Sarkisian to lay out exactly when the Longhorns will know something regarding Seymore’s status.

While Texas waits to find out whether it’ll have the 6-foot-2-inch, 320-pound guard in the fold for the 2026 season, Dylan Sikorski has an opportunity to ease the depth concerns in Kyle Flood’s room.

As it stands, the Oregon State transfer and Brandon Baker figure to be the No. 1 guard tandem in spring practice. The 6-foot-4-inch, 322-pound Sikorski could make Seymore’s addition feel more like a luxury by the end of spring practice, or the offensive line could feel like its ceiling will be determined by Seymore’s fate, for better or worse.

2. How many of the players who underwent surgery in January will miss all or parts of spring practice?

As of late last week, Ryan Wingo remained on track to be ready for the start of spring practice after undergoing wrist surgery. Arch Manning was still in a boot and Trevor Goosby was still in a sling following their respective surgeries (minor foot surgery for Manning and a shoulder cleanup for Goosby, who was seen as a recent men's basketball game without a sling).

Goosby’s absence (however long it lasts) will allow Flood and Sarkisian to begin determining who the third offensive tackle will be, a field of competitors expected to include Jaydon Chatman and Jonte Newman. The same could be true for the safety (Xavier Filsaime is coming off shoulder surgery and Jonah Williams is with the baseball team) and wide receiver (Emmett Mosley V is recovering from ankle surgery) positions, making the spring a critical one for guys like Zelus Hicks, Jordon Johnson-Rubell, Kaliq Lockett and Daylan McCutcheon to make moves up the depth chart.

3. What changes are coming to the running game?

Hollywood Smothers is a perfect fit for Sarkisian's running game, which relies on the outside zone as a staple concept. Nevertheless, the inability to pivot when opponents prioritized defending the outside zone has been as big a culprit as anything else for the ground game's erratic production in 2024 and anemic output in 2025.

A major part of getting the offensive line combination figured out is determining which group can successfully master the concepts Sarkisian wants to carry into games. The additions of Smothers and Raleek Brown could also open the door for Derrek Cooper to carve out a role for himself as a proficient inside zone runner who can bring a renewed level of physicality to the running game without feeling the pressure that comes with being asked to be the bell cow from the jump.

4. Are there any other coaching hires on the horizon?

If Will Muschamp is going to spend most of his time in 2026 working with the secondary, the Longhorns probably don’t need to hire a replacement for Keynodo Hudson. The fortunate thing about the NCAA eliminating restrictions on countable coaches, however, is that coaches who were previously restricted in what they could do in their quality control or graduate assistant roles have a tremendous opportunity to get their feet wet at high-level programs working under assistant coaches the likes of which Sarkisian has hired at Texas.

Sarkisian hiring a former Power Four assistant coach (Kwahn Drake) as an assistant defensive line coach and moving Jason McEndoo (a former assistant coach at Oklahoma State) from an analyst role helping with the tight ends to a position working with the offensive line is another bonus of the current setup. Coaches who are between jobs or don't know what's next can get back to basics at a blue-blood program, doing their part to help a team that expects to be playing for championships (Neal Brown, for instance, spent a season at Texas before jumping back into the head coaching ranks at North Texas).

Even if no hires are made before the start of spring practice, the door should be open to staff additions throughout the late spring and summer.

5. How different will the physicality and structure of spring practice be compared to 2025?

Sarkisian, utilizing, as he referred to it, an NFL model of offseason in 2025, wasn’t the reason the Longhorns failed to reach the College Football Playoff. Still, a program trying to recapture a physical edge in all three phases must maximize its limited live practice periods, including the spring game on April 18.

Muschamp is expected to bring a level of intensity and attention to detail that Texas lacked over the last two seasons. Along with reviving the running game, the Longhorns must be better defensively in the red zone (an 82.1 percent scoring rate and a 60.7 percent touchdown rate allowed in SEC games, both of which ranked eighth in the conference) and cut down on an absurd number of penalties (8.31 penalties per game were the third most in FBS and 69.69 penalty yards per game were the second most in the Power Four), all of which require practice to operate with non-negotiable levels of accountability and execution.

Entering the first game of a three-game series with the Spartans tied for the team lead with two home runs (6-for-15 at the plate with five runs scored through four games) while leading the Longhorns with seven RBI and 12 total bases, Mendoza launched his third long ball of the young season in the bottom of the second. The two-run opposite-field shot was one of three home runs Texas (5-0) pounded out in front of 7,808 fans at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, highlighting Mendoza's 3-for-4 night at the plate with a double, two runs scored and two RBI.

“I just try to recommit every AB,” Mendoza said after recording a multi-hit game for the third time in five games. “It's really not like a hot streak or anything like that. I just take it one pitch at a time. If you have that mentality, I feel like you can do some pretty good things.”

Although he slugged four home runs in his first 34 at-bats after transferring from Arizona State for the 2025 season, Mendoza tallied just one dinger the rest of the way. The difference in Mendoza's three home runs in his first 20 at-bats in 2026 is that the additional pop in the junior’s bat appears to be a sustainable source Texas can count on at the top of the order.

“It's more true power this year,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “I think last year, he hit some balls that got up in the wind when we had those early-season (games) like we'll have tomorrow — it's kind of a north wind that cuts across the field and the ball goes out to right (field).”

Mendoza's ability to go the other way for his home run and use the whole field is part of what makes him the offensive catalyst in the leadoff spot. With the influx of talent the Longhorns brought in from the transfer portal, Schlossnagle said he’s told professional scouts that he can’t remember a time in his coaching career when he’s had three right-handed hitters who can hit to all fields the way Mendoza, catcher Carson Tinney and center fielder Aiden Robbins can.

With switch-hitting shortstop Adrian Rodriguez, who went 2-for-5 with two doubles in Friday’s win, “taking a jump from the right side of the plate,” according to Schlossnagle, Texas has the potential to get on base and drive in runs in multiple ways.

“I think those are the four guys,” Schlossnagle said. “You see why guys hit for a high average when they’re able to use the whole field.”

***

A late-season sickness derailed Ruger Riojas’ first season in a Longhorn uniform. Determined to return to the mound and be someone Schlossnagle and pitching coach Max Weiner can count on from start to finish in 2026, Riojas looks like a different pitcher through his first two Friday starts.

Riojas mowed down Michigan State (2-2) to the tune of a career-high 10 strikeouts. Scattering three hits and one walk over six innings against the Spartans, Riojas has fired 19 strikeouts against two walks while allowing six hits and two earned runs through 11 innings of work.

“I feel stronger. I look a lot better,” Riojas said after picking up his second win in as many starts. “I look at myself in the mirror and I don't look like I'm a buck fifty anymore. Seeing the work I've put in at the TANC and the weight room is definitely paying off.”

The staff wants to keep the 195-pound Riojas’ weight up and “keep him strong,” Schlossnagle said. While Riojas’ 97 mph fastball is the most noticeable sign of the strength gains he’s made, his seven-pitch repertoire allows him to toe the rubber confident that he can execute any pitch Weiner calls at any point in the game.

“I think Ruger's beauty is that he can pitch in a variety of ways,” Schlossnagle said. “Tonight, he used his fastball a little more. That's a team that they like to swing and they don't swing and miss a ton, especially the guys at the top.”