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Texas-Arkansas visitor list thread CJ and I will be adding to the visitor list throughout the day. Official visitor list ... Brysten Martinez, OT, Gonzales (La.) East Ascension - *LSU commit OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star+ Kaden Scherer, OT, Georgetown (Texas) High - *Stanford commit OnTexasFootball ranking: 3-star++ Jett Walker, RB, Georgetown (Texas) High - *Minnesota commit OnTexasFootball ranking: 3-star++ Charlie Jilek, TE, Portage (Mi.) Central #AllGasNoBrakes OnTexasFootball ranking: 3-star++ Richard Anderson, DL, New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr - *LSU commit OnTexasFootball ranking: 5-star Rocky Cummings, LB, Carlsbad (Calif.) High - *Cal commit OnTexasFootball ranking: 3-star++ Josiah Vilmael, CB/N, Richmond (Texas) Fort Bend Travis OnTexasFootball ranking: 3-star++ Commits ... Richard Wesley, EDGE, Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon OnTexasFootball: 5-star James Johnson, DL, Miami (Fla.) Northwestern OnTexasFootball: 4-Star++ Hayward Howard Jr., DB, New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. has been ruled out for Saturday’s home game against Arkansas (2:30 p.m., ABC). Friday’s SEC student-athlete availability report downgraded Hill from questionable to doubtful for the game. Issued 90 minutes before kickoff, the pregame availability report confirmed that the Longhorns will have to take on the Razorbacks without Hill, who suffered a hand injury in last Saturday’s 35-10 road loss to Georgia. Hill is the leading tackler (69 total tackles) for Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC). He has recorded seven tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions as a junior. Hill’s absence adds a degree of difficulty to the Longhorns’ challenge slowing down an explosive Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) offense. The Razorbacks are fifth nationally in yards per play (7.22), 13th in total offense (470 yards per game) and trail only Ole Miss for the FBS lead in plays from scrimmage that have gained 10 or more yards (183). There were no Texas players listed on the pregame availability report other than Hill. Wide receiver Ryan Wingo, who has been dealing with a thumb injury since the team's 34-31 win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 1, wasn't listed on Saturday's availability report. Wingo, who leads the Longhorns in receptions (40), yards receiving (655) and touchdown receptions (six), was listed as probable on Wednesday and Thursday before he was removed from the availability report on Friday. View full news story

Before he addressed his football team’s upcoming home game against Arkansas, Steve Sarkisian addressed his coaching future at the University of Texas. Less than a month after Diana Russini of "The Athletic" reported that Sarkisian’s camp had expressed interest on his behalf in potential NFL head coaching openings, ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard said in a video posted on social media that Sarkisian and the Longhorns could be headed toward a mutual parting of ways. The following is Sarkisian’s statement on the rumors surrounding his job, in its entirety: “I’d like to comment on something before I get into our team, something that has been bothering me now over the past few weeks, and that is people reporting that — or insinuating that — there’s a possibility I could leave the University of Texas. And that is absolutely false and untrue. I’m not going anywhere. Never do I do this because I never want to be a distraction, so I never address these things. But, at the point now, I feel like that it’s important that I do do this because it’s important for our team, it’s important for our university. I’ve had no discussions — not with my agent, not with the university, not with any other school, not with any NFL team — about ever going anywhere else. I came here to win championships. I’ve got two kids enrolled at the University of Texas, one in law school and one on our team. I’ve got a third that, hopefully, decides to enroll at the University of Texas next fall, and my wife and I just had our son here in Austin. This is our home. We came here to win championships. We’ve built a damn-good football program over the five years we’ve been here. We’ve been to two College Football Playoffs, we won a Big 12 championship, we went to the SEC Championship Game in Year 1, we’ve had 23 players drafted the last two years, which is more than any other school in the country and our team GPA is at an all-time high. So, can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? And then, can we please stop retweeting, putting it back out there as if it’s true, as if it’s the gospel? It is not true. If you have a question about my future, call me or call Chris Del Conte — our athletic director — and we can set the record straight for you ... [inaudible comment] so, moving forward, when some Joe Blow decides to put something on social media out there, we all don’t run with it like it’s the gospel. Can we all agree on that on this call? And, if you have a question about my future with the University of Texas, ask me on one of these calls, ask Chris Del Conte — he’ll be more than happy to take your call — so that we can set the record straight, so that we can focus on our football team, which is really what we should be doing. Everybody good with that?” Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC), which came in at No. 17 by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee in Tuesday’s rankings reveal, will look to rebound from a 35-10 road loss to Georgia when the Razorbacks visit Austin for the first time since 2008. The Longhorns and Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) will kick off at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at 2:30 p.m. on ABC. View full news story

It’s been a tough second half of the season for the Texas secondary. What has perhaps been most disappointing regarding Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense on the back end is the number of explosive plays the Longhorns have allowed through the air over their last three games. In wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, along with last Saturday’s loss to Georgia, No. 17 Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC) has surrendered 28 completions of 15 or more yards, five of which have gone for more than 30 yards. The Longhorns only allowed 27 explosive pass completions through the first six games of the season, with the number of 30-plus-yard pass plays by their last three opponents matching the output of their first six. “We have got to get that number back down,” Steve Sarkisian said on Monday. “Explosive passes don't always occur when they throw it over your head. Now, we've got a couple of those, but to me, it's more about our ability to get people on the ground when they get completions. When you start talking about playing in space, you start talking about leveraging [the football] when you're tackling, when you start talking about populating the ball, when you start talking about using proper angles when you have a second tackler to force the cutback or using the sidelines, those are things that we've got to improve upon.” It will be easier said than done to clean things up against an Arkansas offense that enters Saturday’s game (2:30 p.m., ABC) with the fourth-most pass completions of 20 or more yards (42) and 30-plus yards (19) in the SEC. Still, a defense that’s tied for the fewest pass breakups (17) in the SEC during conference play must be around the football more often to maximize the impact of a pass rush that’s one of the best in the country. Texas averages 3.6 sacks per game, which is No. 3 nationally. The Longhorns boast Pro Football Focus’ fourth-highest-graded FBS pass rush and, according to CollegeFootballData.com, are No. 9 in the country in front-seven havoc rate (a per-snap percentage of a defense’s tackles for loss, sacks, pass breakups, interceptions and forced fumbles recorded by front-seven defenders). Whatever was tweaked behind the scenes heading into the penultimate game of the regular season must result in better synergy between the pressure and coverage elements of the Texas defense for the Longhorns to keep one of the nation’s most explosive offenses from running up and down the field. *** Especially if Anthony Hill Jr.'s hand injury limits him or forces him to miss the game with the Razorbacks, the conundrum Kwiatkowski faces is not having the luxury of utilizing additional resources to defend the Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) passing game. While Bobby Petrino’s offense is sixth in the country in rushing yards per attempt (5.89) and 19th in rushing yards per game (205.4), the metric that shows where Texas will be challenged is line yards per carry, which calculates the amount of rushing yardage attributed to the offensive line using weighted percentages. The Razorbacks lead the SEC and rank sixth in the FBS with an average of 3.468 line yards per carry, meaning the Longhorns can’t count on defending the run with a light box against one of the nation’s most efficient and impactful run-blocking offensive lines. *** Furthermore, Hill’s availability could significantly impact how Texas defends Taylen Green. Green’s season-long PFF grade as a runner is 92.3, the highest among FBS quarterbacks, a category in which he ranks fourth in rushing yards gained (911) and sixth in yards after contact (473). Green is tied for 12th among FBS quarterbacks in missed tackles forced (26) while leading the country in gains from scrimmage of 10 or more yards (38) and ranking second in yards gained on scrambles (431). Green’s yardage gained is split almost evenly between scrambles and designed runs (480 yards, which ranks 11th among FBS quarterbacks). Petrino incorporated a slew of quarterback runs within a traditional pro-style offense when he coached Lamar Jackson to a Heisman Trophy-winning season at Louisville in 2016, something he continues to do. “He's doing the same thing with Green,” Sarkisian said on Thursday. “You talk about a coach's versatility and [being] willing to evolve, I give him a ton of credit on that because he was not stuck in his ways. “He forces you to defend a lot of different things.” View full news story

Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was downgraded to doubtful for Saturday’s home game against Arkansas (2:30 p.m., ABC) on Friday’s SEC student-athlete availability report. The good news for the Longhorns is that wide receiver Ryan Wingo, who has been dealing with a thumb injury he sustained in the team’s 34-31 win over Vanderbilt on Nov. 1, was off the report. He was listed as probable on Wednesday and Thursday. The bad news, however, is that Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC) could have to face an explosive Razorback offense without one of the top defensive players in the country if Hill can’t go. Steve Sarkisian said on Thursday that Hill had been limited in practice after suffering a hand injury in last Saturday's 35-10 road loss to Georgia. "We're kind of taking this day-by-day with him to see kinda how he feels towards the end of the week," Sarkisian said. "The beauty of it for Ant — he's played so much football for us that you can get a lot of reps done throughout a walkthrough to see if he's healthy enough to go. The walkthrough reps, I think, can carry over into a ballgame." View full news story

OTF is on the road this morning at Pflugerville Weiss for a quick check in on some of the top youngsters in the state. 2027 WR Tre Moore has been a frequent visitor at Texas and is ranked as the No. 1 WR in the state. 2027 WR Jordan Frohock has a handful of D1 offers. 2026 OL JJ Mays is committed to Texas Tech. Plenty of updates ahead.

Texas was positioned to get the ball back with under four minutes to go in the third quarter of Saturday’s 35-10 loss to Georgia. The Bulldogs lined up for a fourth-and-1 from their own 36. With the Longhorns poised to seize momentum, the championship pedigree of Kirby Smart’s program took it back and held onto it en route to a third win over Steve Sarkisian’s club in 13 months. Texas (7-3, 4-2 SEC) cut the Georgia (9-1, 7-1) lead to four points when Arch Manning found Ryan Wingo in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown with 5:27 left in the third quarter. After Gunner Stockton and Chauncey Bowens connected for a 10-yard gain for the first of two fourth-down conversions on a 10-play, 73-yard touchdown drive, a surprise onside kick recovery and a 9-play, 53-yard march to another Bulldog touchdown, Manning and the offense faced a 28-10 deficit when it got back on the field at the 8:49 mark of the fourth quarter. Whether it was losing the line of scrimmage battle, a failure to execute in critical situations, dealing with one self-inflicted wound after another or Smart’s staff winning the chess match against Sarkisian and his assistant coaches, Georgia was better than Texas, across the board, for the third time in as many meetings as SEC foes. For the Longhorns to ascend to the next level as a program, they’ve got to get through the Bulldogs. With Georgia off the regular-season schedule until 2028, the only way Texas will get another crack at the Bulldogs over the next two years is if it reaches the SEC Championship Game. As the fourth quarter unfolded, one in which Texas was outscored (21-0), outgained (119-64) and outclassed, the preseason promise of the Longhorns competing for the SEC title and a national championship faded with every body blow the Bulldogs landed. As things stand, Texas won’t be back in Atlanta and, unless it benefits from a lot of unforeseen good fortune down the stretch, it won’t make a third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff. *** One of the reasons why Georgia is a bad matchup for Texas is the athleticism and length the Bulldogs possess up front. Once again, the Bulldogs won the battle at the point of attack in a landslide. Georgia sacked Manning three times, recorded seven tackles for loss and held the Longhorns to just 23 net rushing yards on 17 carries. Even when adjusting rushing yards to exclude sack yardage, 39 yards (2.8 yards per carry) wasn’t close to what Texas needed to achieve much-needed balance on offense. In their three losses to the Bulldogs over the last two seasons, the Longhorns have given up 16 sacks and 32 tackles for loss while mustering just 83 net rushing yards on 72 official attempts (1.15 yards per attempt). Georgia rushed for 128 yards (3.7 yards per attempt), 67 of which came in the fourth quarter, as the Bulldogs once again owned the line of scrimmage. *** The chatter regarding Sarkisian’s struggles against Smart won’t die down. In fact, after Smart pushed all of the right buttons in the second half while Sarkisian’s offense sputtered and the Texas defense wore down, it’ll be louder than ever. Sarkisian has done a lot of good in his five seasons on the Forty Acres. Nevertheless, his head-to-head win over Nick Saban in 2023 is starting to be overshadowed by Sarkisian’s combined 0-7 record against Smart (0-3), Kalen DeBoer (0-2) and Ryan Day (0-2), which account for his seven losses against top-five opponents while leading the Longhorns (1-7 record). Sarkisian’s success over the last two seasons has raised the bar to a championship standard. With that as the backdrop, Saturday’s loss adds even more importance to the regular-season finale against a Texas A&M team expected to roll into DKR with an unblemished 11-0 record. If Sarkisian’s Texas squad goes 0-3 against top-five opponents in 2025 while the Aggies and Oklahoma advance to the CFP (a realistic outcome after the Sooners’ 23-21 road win over Alabama on Saturday), it’ll be a long offseason with a lot of tough questions to answer throughout 2026. *** For the third consecutive meeting between the Longhorns and Georgia, the Bulldogs’ best players outpaced Texas’ top dogs. Manning wasn’t bad (27-for-43, 251 yards, one touchdown and one interception), but Stockton was better (24-for-29, 229 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a rushing touchdown). Although Anthony Hill (six tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and an interception) and Colin Simmons (three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack) made plays, they didn’t dominate the game the way they needed to for the Longhorns to win. *** The final score isn’t a direct reflection of how far Texas is from reaching Georgia’s level as a program. Still, until the Longhorns can hold up better in the trenches, avoid shooting themselves in the foot (nine penalties for 58 yards) and play better situational football (a combined 4-for-15 on third and fourth down; the Bulldogs also went 4-for-4 in the red zone with four touchdowns), they’ll likely continue to suffer the same fate in games of this magnitude. View full news story

Sean Miller Talks 2026 Class *** Texas MBB head coach Sean Miller spoke with the media on Monday, where he was able to share thoughts on his signing day class for the first time. 6–6 CG Bo Ogden – Austin (TX) Westlake High "Bo, I talked about him the other day. Super excited to have Bo. He is going to blaze his own trail at The University of Texas. He had plenty of other great opportunities and choices that he could have taken advantage of. We are thrilled that he decided to stay at home. But Bo's size at 6-foot-6 and his skill level, there aren't a lot of guys who know how to play the game and stand 6-foot-6, who can shoot the ball, pass the ball and do the things that he can do. And I do believe this, I think he has a healthy chip on his shoulder and a toughness about him that will be every bit as important as his jump shot once he is in college." 6–4 CG Joe Sterling – Studio City (Calif.) Harvard Westlake "Joe comes from a winning pedigree. I think the thing that Joe wanted the opportunity to do is to play at the very highest level of college basketball and compete in the SEC. He is somebody that loves the game – he comes from winning pedigree and a winning background, especially at his high school program. He is an excellent shooter and is somebody who could play both guard positions – the one and two." 6–9, C Coleman Elkins – Austin (TX), Blair Academy "Coleman, he really came onto our radar in the summer. Just watching him at Blair Academy, I know that he is an Austin native. There are a lot of ways to build a program – build a championship level program and I think one of the things that we present to him is development. To take the early time here at The University of Texas and to get bigger and stronger, to work every day and get better playing at a very high level in practice. So that you pave the way for one day your time will come. That was more of the conversation with him. But his skill level at 6–8, or 6-foot-9 and where he is today, in a couple of short years, if he is a key contributor to a lot of things here." *** Miller: "We are excited about that group and potentially excited about adding more to it." Obviously, Texas added a commitment and signature from Melissa 6–5 CG Austin Goosby Monday afternoon, improving the class number to four.

A few eye-opening rushing statistics *** Very clearly a main topic of discussion given how this season has gone, but I wanted to set an idea for where things are in the running game currently. Texas rushing stats vs. ranked opponents since the beginning of 2024. Texas has played 13 ranked teams in that time span. Only three times out of the 13 games has Texas averaged 5.0 yards or more. Is that personnel? Is that scheme? Is that the inability or unwillingness to stick with the run before it can figure itself out? I'm not sure. I would bet all of the above. *** Rushing Numbers from SEC Teams in Conference Games 207.0 - Missouri 205.3 - Texas A&M 201.0 - Arkansas 184.3 - Georgia 171.9 - Ole Miss 146.8 - Vanderbilt 138.8 - Tennessee 138.1 - Auburn 131.4 - Kentucky 121.7 - Miss State 115.9 - Florida 108.8 - Oklahoma 102.3 - Alabama 99.0 - LSU 98.0 - South Carolina 71.7 - Texas Texas also has the second fewest amount of rushing attempts per game in conference play at 27.5. Only LSU, at 26.8, has fewer rushing attempts in conference games. Additionally, Texas is dead last in yards per rush in SEC play. Longhorns are averaging only 2.61 yards per attempt in conference play. *** The 1,000-yard rushing streak that has been a feather in the cap of Steve Sarkisian's since becoming a playcaller is more likely than not coming to an end. Leading rusher Quintrevion Wisner has just 375 rush yards this season.

Let’s start with what’s objectively fantastic about Texas hanging on for a 34-31 win over No. 9 Vanderbilt, and that’s the start of the game. The season-saving closing moments of last Saturday’s 45-38 overtime win over Mississippi State carried the Longhorns into a game at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the first time in 42 days. With those two factors colliding, I would’ve been disappointed if we didn’t see the most inspired, ready-to-go-from-the-jump version of Steve Sarkisian’s team through nine games. And Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC) came out like a house of fire. Less than four minutes into the game, Arch Manning (25-for-33, 328 yards and three touchdowns) and Ryan Wingo (89 yards on two catches before exiting the game with a thumb injury) connected on a 75-yard touchdown, Colin Simmons forced a Diego Pavia fumble on a strip sack and the Longhorns had a 10-0 lead. I wanted Sarkisian to take the ball first (he didn’t get the choice since the Commodores won the toss and deferred their option to the second half). The opportunity to be the aggressor and set the tone the right way could get Vanderbilt (7-2, 3-2) on its heels. That’s exactly what happened. The Longhorns never trailed in the latest must-win game of the 2025 season. I couldn’t have envisioned a better start to a victory that keeps the team’s goals of a berth in the SEC title game and a third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff alive. *** Manning achieved back-to-back 300-yard passing games for the first time in his career with the most complete sampling of throws we’ve seen from him this season. On quick throws, screens, intermediate passes and the occasional shot down the field beyond 20 yards, Manning completed 10 consecutive passes at one point. While connecting on 22 of his final 27 attempts, Manning was 7-for-9 for 81 yards on third down and six of his completions moved the chains. Manning led Texas to points on six of the offense’s first seven drives, with the Longhorns failing to score only on a two-play drive at the end of the first half. *** Until the end of the game, when Texas was trying to drain the clock and make the Commodores use their timeouts, Sarkisian called the game he needed to call to position the Longhorns for a win. While I might be a prisoner of the moment, I'll say that the vast majority of the Vanderbilt game is up there with last season’s road win over Michigan and the 2023 road win over Alabama as games in which Sarkisian seemed to push all the right buttons on offense at a consistently high level. One of the things I liked was how Sarkisian helped the offensive line, which benefited from the return of Cole Hutson from injury. With Hutson in the lineup at left guard, Texas had the athleticism between Trevor Goosby and Connor Robertson that wasn’t there with either Nick Brooks or Connor Stroh. Sarkisian’s decision to maximize the Longhorns’ advantage on the perimeter with the quick passing game, well-executed screen passes to the running backs and the utilization of pre-snap movement to create a numbers advantage in the running game led to Quintrevion Wisner (75 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries) and C.J. Baxter Jr. (22 yards rushing and a receiving touchdown) rushing for a combined 97 yards on 25 carries. With only one tackle for loss allowed (Clark Lea’s defense came into Saturday’s game averaging 6.8 tackles for loss per game, which ranked 21st nationally) and the defense sacking Pavia six times (only seven sacks allowed through eight games) to go along with 10 tackles for loss, Texas dominated the line of scrimmage against a team that prides itself on winning with a physical, methodical brand of football. The hard-to-stomach final few minutes of the game could push the winning trench effort aside. It shouldn’t, but it’s understandable if it’s hard to see it through the muck of an almost catastrophic fourth quarter. *** The game turned on a play that nearly put the nail in Vanderbilt’s coffin. Manning’s 33-yard touchdown strike to Emmett Mosley V (69 yards and a touchdown on seven catches) was correctly overturned and ruled an incomplete pass. However, the officiating crew failed to call defensive pass interference or defensive holding on cornerback Kolbey Taylor, who had a handful of Mosley’s jersey, restricting his left arm from helping him complete the play. Instead of a touchdown that would’ve put Texas up 40-16 (extra point pending) with 4:09 to go, effectively ending the game, Mason Shipley’s failed field goal try from 51 yards out on the next snap put into motion a forgettable end to an otherwise strong outing. *** Two things are true about the end of the game. I try as hard as I can to leave the officials out of the discussion of how things played out. With that said, I don’t know what else Simmons (five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two hurries and a forced fumble) has to demand more holding calls. Even though Trey Moore (three tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and two hurries) drew one on Vanderbilt’s last possession, it’s hard for me to believe that Simmons’ constant disruption and the Vanderbilt offensive line’s inability to block him couldn’t get him more calls (and I don’t have the that's without getting into the Commodores’ two-point conversion, which was upheld after a review with a flimsy explanation from the replay booth to the ABC crew working the game as to why it stood). Still, there’s no excuse for the breakdowns on the back end, which helped the Commodores nearly pull off an upset that would’ve dashed the Longhorns’ postseason hopes. Pavia, who threw for 365 yards, rushing for 43 and accounted for four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing), went 12-for-16 through the air in the fourth quarter, racked up 205 yards and threw two touchdowns. Vanderbilt averaged 11.3 yards per play in the fourth quarter, went a combined 4-for-5 on third and fourth down and converted a fourth-and-19 from its 2-yard line on a 12-play, 89-yard touchdown drive. Yes, Texas missed Michael Taaffe and Jelani McDonald. But the absence of the two veteran safeties can’t singularly account for the egregious breakdowns in the fourth quarter, which helped make the game closer than it should’ve been. *** While the closing minutes are ripe for criticism, the Longhorns have a top-10 win in their pocket heading into the bye week. Manning seems to be hitting his stride, Sarkisian might’ve found something to help the offense click with AJ Milwee’s move to the press box and the offensive line should come out of Saturday’s win with a little confidence. The most concerning thing coming out of the game is that for two consecutive games against two different passing attacks, the pass defense has been shredded. Texas needs Taaffe and McDonald back in a bad way, but things need to tighten up and get cleaned up. The Longhorns have looked exploitable in SEC play. With Gunnar Stockton (Georgia), Taylen Green (Arkansas) and Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) left on the schedule, the issues on the back end must get resolved with an extra week to prepare for a highly anticipated trip to Athens on Nov. 15. View full news story

Not a surprise, but Texas offered Georgetown OL Kaden Scherer tonight. Scherer, a Stanford commit, is the tentatively scheduled for an official visit next weekend for the Arkansas game.

When No. 11 Texas faces fifth-ranked Georgia in Athens next Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC), it will do so on the heels of the Bulldogs’ most complete performance of the season. Kirby Smart’s team rolled up a season-high 567 yards of total offense in Saturday’s 41-21 dispatching of Mississippi State. Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) ran for 303 yards and averaged 7.7 yards per play on an afternoon in which Gunnar Stockton (18-for-29 passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns) led five consecutive touchdown drives after a first-quarter fumble in the red zone. A defense entered Saturday’s game with a Power Four-low eight sacks recorded through eight games. After allowing a 14-play, 75-yard drive to open the game, the Bulldogs forced two three-and-outs, four total punts, a fumble and a turnover on downs to help Georgia build a 38-7 lead by the 9:58 mark of the third quarter. The Longhorns won four consecutive SEC games after losing to Florida. Texas (7-2, 4-1) has earned the opportunity to position itself as a threat to get back to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff if it can hand the Bulldogs their second conference loss. With Georgia’s trip to Starkville out of the way, the countdown to the third meeting between the Longhorns and the Bulldogs in 392 days is officially underway. — Along with a healthy running back room (Nate Frazier’s 59-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter highlighted a 12-carry, 181-yard performance against Mississippi State), Georgia’s offensive line looks just as good, if not better than the group Stacy Searles put on the field last season. Texas will come into the game with arguably the best run defense in the country. It should be a hellacious trench battle next Saturday. — The tight end position is a significant piece in Mike Bobo’s offense, which is why Lawson Luckie’s departure after he was leveled on a hit that led to safety Jahron Manning’s ejection for targeting is a significant development. Smart said after the game that Luckie wanted to get back on the field after he was ruled out, providing hope of a positive prognosis. Regardless, Luckie’s availability is one of the early health-related storylines to monitor, along with the status of Ryan Wingo (thumb) and Jelani McDonald (concussion protocol), both of whom suffered injuries in the Longhorns' 34-31 win over Vanderbilt. — Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas both hauled in touchdowns from Stockton on Saturday. The Bulldogs have upgraded at wide receiver since the last time Texas saw Georgia, with the transfer wideouts responsible for two of Stockton’s completions against Mississippi State that were explosive in nature (gained 15 or more yards), including Thomas’ 64-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. — The toughest task the Longhorns have in front of them is figuring out how to run the football with some level of consistency against a defense that came into the weekend as a top-15 unit against the run (94.1 yards per game and 3.01 yards per attempt allowed). Even though Texas is last in the SEC in rushing yards per game in conference play (84.1), Quintrevion Wisner has a track record of getting the job done in big games. Wisner’s most productive games this season have come against Ohio State (80 yards on 16 carries), Oklahoma (22 carries for 94 yards and five receptions for 35 yards) and Vanderbilt (75 yards on 18 carries and 28 yards on two catches), the seventh, eighth and 17th-ranked FBS run defenses heading into the weekend. With Wisner running behind an offensive line that might've found its best combination with Cole Hutson at left guard and Connor Robertson at center, the Longhorns have at least a puncher’s chance to move the ball on the ground. — Georgia is elite in the kicking game. While turnovers doomed Texas in the first meeting with Georgia last season, Brett Thorson’s ability to flip the field and help the Bulldogs dominate field position was a significant factor in the Longhorns’ struggles. Texas is much improved on special teams from last season, but it needs its best game of the season to match or top Georgia's kicking game, which might be the best in the country. View full news story

Live from Gonzales, La. at East Ascension High for Tuesday afternoon practice

Steve Sarkisian was asked about the possibility of being the second team in the last six years to beat three AP Top 10 teams in a single season, as well as the grind of the leading Texas into the SEC as second year members: "This conference is grueling. You know every year, I think people look at schedules and (say) 'Oh, they got an easy schedule' or 'They got a hard one,' – you don't really know until teams start taking the field and you got to start playing. Teams deal with injuries, some teams don't. Teams fire their coaches, some teams don't. We have had a very challenging slate for sure. Of not only the quality of the opponents that we are playing, but also some of the environments and the road games at night. But I think one thing about our conference that just holds true week in and week out – literally anybody in our conference, it doesn't matter who they are – can beat anybody else in our conference on any given Saturday. And I think that is what makes our conference so difficult. It is not about getting up for one or two games a year, it is not getting up for three top ten matchups or the third one this year, you got to get up for them every single week. Because every team is capable of beating anyone else. And I think that is the toll that it takes when you play in this conference. There is a physical toll that this league takes on your team, but there is also a mental toll and I think that is where the toughness aspect is so critical in the SEC. There is a physical toughness you have to have, but there is a mental toughness you have to have to get yourself prepared to play every single Saturday and to be at your best. Because if you are not, you are going to be in a dog fight trying to find a way to win late. And so, you learn a lot about your team in this league and we have learned a lot about our team. Like I said, it is a great league to be a part of, it is challenging but you have to grow up and have to grow up quickly." Steve Sarkisian on the grind of an SEC schedule on a weekly basis after the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. "Well I think it was very strategic by the SEC – if (they) were going to expand, how were they going to expand? Obviously they went got two great brands that are national brands, but yet are in the southwest and are very influential. But really, nationally for the Southeastern Conference now to expand the way that they did west I think was great for the conference. But you have two national brands, high quality programs that have won a lot of games and championships over the years. But yet, they are two programs that know at the end of the day are going to be good year in and year out. The conference is tough, it is only going to get harder when we go to nine games. It is like 'Holy cow, here we go. We are playing eight now, and now we are going to nine.' So we have to recruit well and keep developing our players because it is hard to keep everybody healthy for that long of a season."

Longhorn DB Health Update *** Sarkisian mentioned on Monday that the Texas safety room was back to strength with the return of Michael Taaffe, Jelani McDonald and Xavier Filsaime on Monday. Texas DBs Michael Taaffe and Xavier Filsaime were both rocking green non-contact jerseys on Tuesday. Jelani McDonald (concussion protocol) had no jersey designation and was a full participant. All three were active participants and as expected, all three are expected to be available on Saturday.

It's a top 10 matchup in Athens, Georgia on Saturday. A great opportunity for Texas to cause a real stir in the CFP picture while also immediately boosting their playoff resume. While many would argue that the current rankings don't matter – and I would agree with them – that would defeat the purpose of watercooler talk that makes this sport as enjoyable as any during the midweek. Here is how I view the top ten teams in the country entering week 12. **** No. 1 Ohio State (9–0) The team with the fewest flaws in the country is very clearly Ohio State. I don't think it is far-fetched to say this team is better than the team a year ago who won the National Title. Overwhelmingly my title favorite. No. 2 Indiana (10–0) A scare in Happy Valley ended up being a rallying cry for Heismendoza ticket holders everywhere. Indiana pummels inferior opposition, something that should not be overlooked. But a team like Penn State should be a warning sign for why Indiana's Title run will fall short. No. 3 Texas A&M (9–0) Credit to A&M, they have won every game they have played this season. They have ended coaching tenures and look to be breaking the mold of their annual 8–4 run. Still, there are some flaws here. The key to beating Texas A&M is forcing Marcel Reed to read a defense. Against Missouri, only 3 of Reed's 26 pass attempts were beyond 10 yards downfield. It's clear Collin Klein wants to keep everything short and let the most dynamic WR duo work after the catch. No. 4 Alabama (8–1) Alabama is the best team in the SEC for my money's worth, the loss on the sheet obviously negates their ability to jump A&M in the rankings. Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in the conference as well. If there was a concern here, it would be the run game – Alabama doesn't have one. No. 5 Texas Tech (9–1) Hear me out. Tech has the most productive front seven in all of college football with an edge rushing combo that is in the conversation for being the best in the country and a linebacker who is rightfully receiving some Heisman noise. The lone loss came on the road with 0:25 left after starting a backup quarterback. No. 6 Georgia (8–1) The Georgia Bulldogs' identity has shifted rather drastically in 2025. A defense that relies on bending rather than enforcing their will and an offense that is as efficient as anyone in the SEC. Kirby Smart will have some tricks up his sleeve for the Longhorns this weekend, but altogether this is a Georgia team who doesn't mirror those trophy winners of the previous six years. No. 7 Ole Miss (9–1) A tough spot for Ole Miss, because their record and resume probably outweighs the 7th position in the rankings, but that is where things stand when there is a head to head loss to Georgia. Ole Miss plays with its food more than any of the teams ranked ahead of them at the moment, wirtg monitoring with Florida and the Egg Bowl remaning. No. 8 Oregon (8–1) Man, Kinnick Stadium almost claimed another victim on Saturday night. Oregon left a nasty, gross, miserable evening in Iowa with a win after some absolutely dialed throws from Dante Moore to get into field goal range late. No. 9 Notre Dame (7–2) Notre Dame gets the nod over Texas for me for the highest 2-loss team in the country. After two losses by a combined four points in the first two weeks of the season, Notre Dame has won seven straight and boasts one of the most explosive running games in the country. I am using a bit of the eye test with Notre Dame here as well – they have allowed 14 points or more just one since week 3. No. 10 Texas (7–2) And alas, Texas. What a rollercoaster it has been for the Longhorns, from the preseason No. 1 to being unranked and having questions about the quarterback and playcaller needing to be addressed. But back in the top ten and right in the hunt for a Playoff spot. Offensively, the Longhorns are playing their best ball of the season and should be returning two major starters in the back end of the secondary ahead of the Georgia contest this weekend.

Stanford commit on offer watch Offensive line coach Kyle Flood watch Georgetown High OT/IOL and Stanford commit Kaden Scherer Friday night. OTF talked to a source close to the recruitment, and the feedback was Texas has liked what they have seen this season on tape, and in person Friday. OTF is placing the 6-foot-6, 285-pounder on potential "offer watch", and we will not be surprised if an OV is set up the Arkansas game weekend. Scherer picked Stanford over Northwestern and Kansas State after the May-June OV process. He cancelled an OV to Virginia.

Before he parlayed his red-hot finish while leading Texas to an overtime road win over Mississippi State into a banner performance in last Saturday’s 34-31 triumph over Vanderbilt, Arch Manning proved he could handle pressure. According to Pro Football Focus, Manning has been pressured 122 times through nine games, tying him with South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers for the second-most pressures faced among FBS quarterbacks. He’s produced when the heat has been on him; the 11th-ranked Longhorns hit their second bye week of the regular season with Manning carrying a PFF season-long grade of 68 when facing, tied for the eighth-best grade in FBS among quarterbacks who’ve been pressured on at least 20 dropbacks. With only 18 of those pressures resulting in sacks, Manning’s 14.8 pressure-to-sack percentage is tied for 60th among 171 qualifying FBS quarterbacks and sixth out of 17 qualifying quarterbacks in the SEC. To give Manning’s ability to avoid sacks more context, Jackson Arnold has the worst pressure-to-sack percentage in the SEC, with him getting sacked on 32.6 percent of the pressure Auburn has allowed. While Manning’s legs (specifically, his ability to extend plays) have been one of the elements of the offense that Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC) has been able to count on throughout the season, he’s becoming a top-notch quarterback at beating pressure with his arm. According to PFF, no SEC quarterback has completed more pass attempts against pressure than Manning (43). Manning has the second-most passing yards of any FBS quarterback against pressure (676) and his five touchdown passes when facing pressure are tied for the seventh-most in the country (the seven touchdown passes against pressure by Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar lead the SEC, with Manning, Taylen Green of Arkansas and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed right behind him). This is a positive trend for the Longhorns that needs to continue against a Georgia defense that’s found it tougher to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks organically this season. Steve Sarkisian and the offensive staff should expect Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann to throw the kitchen sink at Manning when Texas heads to Athens next Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC), even though Kyle Flood’s offensive line is coming off of arguably its best outing of 2025. According to PFF, Manning was pressured on just seven of his 34 dropbacks against the Commodores. Whether Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt defensive staff intended to blitz more coming into the game, or the Commodores shifted gears on the fly, the Longhorns made Vanderbilt pay for blitzing Manning 19 times. Manning had a 15-for-19 day against the blitz last Saturday, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers committed or sacks allowed for a PFF grade of 91.6, Manning’s best of the season against the blitz and a perfect NFL passer rating (158.3). On the 50 combined blitzes he's faced in his last two games, Manning is completing 67 percent of his passes (30 of 45) for 508 yards with five touchdowns, no interceptions, no fumbles and four sacks allowed. In two meetings with Georgia last season, the Bulldogs blitzed Manning and Quinn Ewers on 41.4 percent of their combined dropbacks (46 of 111). Those 46 blitzes led to 20 pressures and six sacks, with Manning and Ewers combining to go 22-for-40 through the air for 256 yards with one touchdown and four turnovers (one interception and three fumbles). For Texas and Sarkisian to slay the dragon and get over the hump against Smart and the Bulldogs, Manning must continue his positive trend of delivering when opposing defenses bring the heat. View full news story

Steve Sarkisian and Chris Gilbert are on the road in DFW today, after watching Waxahachie last night. Sark and Gilbert are expected to be by Euless Trinity to see 5-star 2027 CB John Meredith III today. Meredith III is considered a Texas A&M lean. Texas Tech is being very aggressive here right now. Meredith III is expected to attend a Texas home game later this month.