Five Longhorns to watch in the third week of Texas spring practice

Before the Texas Longhorns return to the practice field for the third week of spring ball on Tuesday, I want to look at five players who appear poised to further establish their roles on the 2026 squad.

— The injuries and on-the-mend status of multiple safeties have opened the door for Derek Williams Jr. to lock down the starting spot next to Jelani McDonald. Factor in the combination of Williams being almost 16 months removed from the knee injury that ended his 2024 season, with the return of Blake Gideon to the Forty Acres, and the redshirt junior has a chance to get back on the upward trajectory his career was on before the injury.

Williams, who started over Andrew Mukuba early in the 2024 season before a hamstring issue cost him three games, made impact plays as a true sophomore. Along with Malik Muhammad, Williams was playing a significant role in the secondary by the end of his freshman season in 2023.

Williams' return to his pre-injury form would significantly cushion the blow of Michael Taaffe’s departure. At the very least, Williams has an opportunity to enter the summer a significant step ahead of everyone other than McDonald in the safety room if he takes advantage of his opportunity.

— I’ve been thinking about Ryan Niblett’s potential to be for the 2026 backfield what Keilan Robinson was in 2023.

But what if I’ve been thinking about the wrong back for a specialty role?

Now is the time when Michael Terry III can do enough unique things to stand out in a crowded backfield.

Terry continues to make strides and, even if he’s behind Raleek Brown, Derrek Cooper and Hollywood Smothers in the pecking order, he can carve out a significant role on offense.

Along with his potential as a runner and a receiver, Terry’s progress could force Steve Sarkisian’s hand to bring the Wildcat back in the mix on offense. Such a package would give Terry a unique role he can sink his teeth into while minimizing the risk of making Arch Manning a true additional hat in the running game.

Wildcat or not, forcing Sarkisian to create something for him is something Terry can do if his development is expedited.

— Even though Laurence Seymore was recruited out of the transfer portal to be a plug-and-play guard, the Texas offense will be better if Seymore has to battle for a starting role.

Dylan Sikorski has a chance to come out of the spring with Sarkisian and Kyle Flood believing in him as a starting-caliber player.

One of the more intriguing practice tidbits from the weekend was Sikorski and Jackson Christian getting first-team snaps at guard. The Longhorns won a recruiting battle with Tennessee to get Sikorski when he decided to transfer from Oregon State, so it’s not crazy to think he could emerge as legitimate competition for Seymore.

That’s assuming his elevation up the depth chart wasn’t a one-off situation. After last season, Texas can't enough quality depth in the trenches.

— Nothing feels set in stone from a depth standpoint at cornerback, other than Graceson Littleton, Bo Mascoe and Kade Phillips separating themselves as the top group. If Samari Matthews is indeed the second-most talented cornerback on the roster, which is what a source told On Texas Football over the weekend, he should have a chance to compete with Kobe Black and Warren Roberson for snaps behind Mascoe and Phillips.

One of the reasons why Sarkisian made a coordinator change and hired Muschamp is his long-stated desire to play tighter, more physical man coverage. Like Phillips, Matthews has the physical traits that should translate to being a good man-cover guy early in his career.

Confidence goes a long way at cornerback. Matthews is reportedly bringing it with him to the practice field by the truckload.

— I keep making the comparison between Sterling Berkhalter and Tarique Milton, who Sarkisian took out of the transfer portal for the 2022 season.

Given Jordan Whittington’s injury history, Texas needed an insurance policy in case he went down in the middle of the season. Thankfully, the Longhorns didn’t need to cash the policy, but the early returns from Berkhalter’s addition suggest landing the Wake Forest transfer was a shrewd move by the staff.

At a time when Emmett Mosley V is on the mend, Kaliq Lockett is on the shelf and Ryan Wingo is working his way back, Berkhalter can establish himself as someone Sarkisian can trust.

Sarkisian has kept his receiver rotation tight throughout his tenure, with few targets available for anyone outside of the top group. If Berkhalter can maintain the consistency he’s shown through the first two weeks, he has a chance to be in the mix of the guys who are afforded playmaking opportunities in games.