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When the dust settles on Saturday’s SEC action, including a pair of top-25 showdowns — No. 13 Ole Miss hosts No. 4 LSU in Oxford and No. 5 Georgia welcomes No. 17 Alabama to Athens — everyone will get a better feel for the conference pecking order entering October. The good news for Texas, even with an open date on the schedule, is that more football must be played before clear-cut frontrunners for SEC Championship Game berths emerge. The Longhorns, who’ve spent 36 consecutive weeks ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25, might not get another chance to prove themselves to the rest of the country as a championship-caliber squad until Nov. 15, which will mark their third meeting with Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs in 393 days. If Texas dispatches a reeling Florida squad in Gainesville next Saturday, upends an Oklahoma club without the services of John Mateer and gets through a run of games against Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt unscathed, it won’t move the needle nationally. Still, even if the Longhorns get the Gators’ best shot, the Sooners get Mateer back from his recent hand surgery in time for the Red River Shootout and the Wildcats, Bulldogs and Commodores prove themselves to be more formidable foes than what they appear to be on paper, it shouldn’t matter to Steve Sarkisian or anyone else inside the Moncrief Complex. With all due respect to the team’s upcoming SEC opponents, Texas must continue to look within and focus on self-improvement. Failing to embody the “being enamored us” mantra that’s driven the Longhorns to 28 wins in their last 34 games would greatly enhance the odds of Texas slipping up before the team’s second bye week (Nov. 8). Last Saturday’s 55-0 win over Sam Houston didn’t put the Longhorns in the fast lane to Atlanta in and of itself. Nevertheless, there were enough positive things that happened in the game that, if built on properly, can form an identity Texas could ride into the College Football Playoff. Specifically, the split zone RPO, which is enhanced by Arch Manning’s running ability, has the makings to be the focal point of the offense’s identity in the red zone. Instead of waiting, hoping the offensive line gets to a point where it can consistently win in short-yardage situations, the split zone RPO gives Kyle Flood’s group much-needed margin for error. DeAndre Moore Jr.’s return from injury provided a huge lift for the offense last Saturday. How much higher is the offense’s ceiling when Moore, C.J. Baxter Jr., Quintrevion Wisner and Emmett Mosley V are a part of Sarkisian’s game plan? Then there’s Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense, which has held its last five opponents to under 100 yards rushing, including Ohio State twice. The Longhorns have forced six turnovers in their last three games. The takeaways were evenly split between fumble recoveries (three) and interceptions (three), proving the defense can dominate the ball in multiple ways. Even with Anthony Hill Jr. (16 tackles, one tackle for loss and two fumble recoveries) and Colin Simmons (six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries) off to slow starts, Texas is holding opponents to an SEC-leading 3.58 yards per play (No. 5 nationally in total defense, allowing 211 yards per game). The Longhorns lead the conference in scoring defense (7.8 points per game allowed, which is No. 4 in FBS) and is among the top 10 nationally against the run, the pass and on third down. Texas can't do anything about the state in which their next five opponents arrive on game day. With that said, if the Longhorns handle their business and start to establish consistency, the last three games of the regular season will look a lot less daunting than they might appear, while positioning Texas for a finish befitting a team that benefitted from early-season growing pains. View full news story

At some point, opposing quarterbacks must stop picking on Jelani McDonald. According to Pro Football Focus, McDonald has been targeted 15 times in coverage through four games. That’s No. 1 among SEC safeties, and tied for 20th among FBS safeties, but McDonald has made teams pay for throwing in his direction. McDonald has allowed eight receptions for 76 yards (9.5 yards per reception). With two interceptions (PFF also has him down for one dropped interception), McDonald has held opposing quarterbacks to a paltry 28.1 NFL passer rating when targeting him. A dynamic athlete Texas recruited out of Waco Connally in the 2023 cycle, McDonald has thankfully found a position where he’s flourishing, quickly growing into one of the most impactful defensive backs in the SEC. “When we recruited him out of high school, we didn't really know what [position] we were going to play him,” Steve Sarkisian said after McDonald intercepted a pass and recorded a tackle for loss in last Saturday’s 55-0 win over Sam Houston. McDonald is targeted once every 7.2 coverage snaps, which ranks 14th among SEC safeties who’ve logged at least 20 coverage snaps, according to PFF. McDonald, whose 115 coverage snaps are the fifth-most by an SEC safety, has cushioned the blow the safety room absorbed when Andrew Mukuba’s eligibility expired at the end of the 2024 season. “He was playing high school quarterback and, initially, we thought he was going to be a linebacker. When he got here, we moved him to corner, then he found his way back at safety, so his development has been different,” Sarkisian said regarding McDonald’s development. “He's always been very physically gifted, but learning to play the game from that perspective is a little bit different when you've been an offensive type of player. But, to his credit, he's worked on his craft.” The Longhorns will face tougher challenges when the conference schedule begins next Saturday, when No. 10 Texas hits the road to face Florida (2:30 p.m., ABC). Still, with Michael Taaffe owning PFF's eighth-best coverage grade among SEC safeties (80.2), a top-tier safety tandem will go a long way toward the Longhorns developing into a championship-caliber pass defense, especially if McDonald continues his current upward trajectory. "Jelani has his physical ability, but now he's really tapping into the mental side of the game," Sarkisian said. "He's communicating at a high level, but his play-making ability is obviously elite. He's a great tackler — probably one of our best tacklers on our team. His ball skills are really good. I just think his confidence and who he's become as a leader, I think, has probably been the most impressive thing. This guy's a real leader on our team — he was a captain tonight — so I'm just really proud of all that he's done to get to this point in his career." View full news story

Texas and 4-star+ Dre Quinn OTF broke the news that Texas was still going full steam at recent Clemson de-commit EDGE Dre Quinn (Buford, Ga./High) earlier this week. There is a strong level of confidence in the Longhorns probability to beat out Tennessee for the 6-foot-4, 228-pound pass rusher that will be a three-down player. Quinn has 26 tackles, 7 TFL's and 2 sacks in five games this season.

Steve Sarkisian and his staff are on the recruiting trail this weekend. Some are headed far, some are staying close to home. A quick update thread on where the Texas staff will be headed this week.

New 2026 basketball offer today Sean Miller and staff extended an offer to Blair Academy (originally from Austin) 6-foot-10 big man Coleman Elkins today. This offer is the first by Miller and staff taking advantage of the 14th and 15th scholarship spots on rosters now. Elkins, should he pick Texas, would be a pure developmental player that would be another big body in practice for a couple of years and see where it goes. Elkins has a few low and mid-major offers. Those are Indiana State, Maine, Northeastern, Manhattan, Lehigh and LeMoyne.

The Texas offense didn’t resolve all of its issues in last Saturday’s 55-0 win over Sam Houston. Still, getting DeAndre Moore Jr. back from injury went a long way toward helping the Longhorns cultivate an offensive identity heading into SEC play. A player that Steve Sarkisian said on Monday is “part of our personality,” Moore returned to action following an injury sustained during the team’s 38-7 win over San Jose State on Sept. 6, which caused him to miss the 27-10 win over UTEP on Sept. 13, with a five-catch, 79-yard effort in the victory, closing out the team's non-conference schedule with a bang. Moore's five receptions came on five targets, showing his value in the passing game by catching ball within each of the four passing depths tracked by Pro Football Focus: one catch for eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, two catches for 17 yards on short (0-9 yards down the field) passes, one catch for 16 yards on intermediate throws (10-19 yards) and a 38-yard catch on a deep (20 or more yards) ball from Arch Manning. Moore has a season-long PFF receiving grade of 72.6, which leads all Texas wideouts and ranks second to Emaree Winston (84.6) among all Longhorns on offense. Of Moore’s 13 targets, five have been behind the line of scrimmage (five catches for 18 yards, with 33 yards after the catch), three have been on short throws (26 yards on three receptions), four have come on intermediate throws (two receptions for 33 yards) and the deep shot against Sam Houston is the only time Moore has been targeted 20 or more yards down the field. Where Manning has struggled, and where Moore can help him evolve as a quarterback capable of attacking multiple levels of the field, is in the intermediate game. Before the Sam Houston game, Manning was 7-for-21 for 115 yards with a touchdown, two interceptions and two turnover-worthy plays (according to PFF, a TWP is a pass that has a high percentage chance to be intercepted or a poor job of taking care of the ball and fumbling) on intermediate throws. In the win over the Bearkats, Manning’s 16-yard connection with Moore was part of a 5-for-6, 77-yard night with a touchdown (a 13-yard RPO glance to Ryan Wingo) and no turnover-worthy plays. Along with the 16-yard catch, Moore was 21 yards down the field when Manning hit him for the 38-yarder, which was highlighted by Moore gaining 17 yards after the catch. “What DeAndre brings is our ability to work the middle of the field really well, and I think we saw that tonight,” Sarkisian said after the game. He highlighted Moore’s 16-yard catch, which came on third-and-9 on the offense’s first possession, a 12-play, 76-yard drive capped by Jerrick Gibson’s 13-yard touchdown run. Moore has turned 84.6 percent of his targets into receptions, which is a higher percentage than Parker Livingstone (73.3), Jack Endries (70) or Wingo (44.8) have turned in among Texas players who’ve been targeted at least 10 times. Along with the consistency Moore brings to the passing game, he upgraded the team’s perimeter blocking upon his return. In Monday’s film session with the team, Sarkisian said he celebrated the job Moore and Wingo did blocking on a bubble screen to spring Daylan McCutcheon for a 21-yard gain. For an offense in desperate need of confidence and energy entering the non-conference finale, Moore’s return came in the nick of time. The Longhorns got a much-needed shot in the arm before the SEC opener against Florida on Oct. 4, which Sarkisian expects to last beyond the Sam Houston game with Moore back on the field. “It's the confidence that DeAndre brings,” Sarkisian said after the game. “He's played a lot of football. This guy goes to practice with a great deal of energy, with a great deal of detail and he's hard on the guys around him about what they're supposed to do and how they're supposed to do it, whether he's in the play or not. “For DeAndre to be in practice all week, I think, kind of set the tone for what the expectation was.” View full news story

Vic Schaefer and Texas WBB hosted a pair of five-star prospects for official visits on Saturday for the game against Sam Houston State. 2026 Frisco (Texas) Liberty forward Jacy Abii was on campus to watch the Longhorns under the lights at DKR. Abii, a 6-foot-3-inch forward, is the No. 10 player in the country per the 247Sports Composite ranking. Abii dropped a top five on August 5th of UCLA, Tennessee, LSU, Notre Dame and the Longhorns. In seven games with the U17 Women's World Cup, Abii averaged 5.7 PTS, 4.7 REB and 1.9 AST. Additionally, Texas also hosted five-star Bishop Gormon (NV) PG Aaliah Spaight for an official visit as well. The 5-foot-6-inch point guard is ranked as the No. 21 overall player in the class of 2026, and the No. 4 point guard. Spaight has a top ten of LSU, South Carolina, Texas, Texas Tech, North Carolina, Arizona State, Arizona, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. The two took official visits to LSU on September 12

3 Stars of the Game in the 55–0 Win *** *** Star #1: QB Arch Manning I don't care the opponent, you complete 18-21 passing, eclipse 300 yards passing and find the end zone five total times, you have a solid day. Manning looked confident, and improved his accuracy as the game continued which was tremendous to see. Star #2: WR Ryan Wingo It was great to see the connection with Arch and Wingo grow. It was clear early on that Texas wanted to get Wingo involved and it paid off. Wingo ended up with 4 receptions for 93 yards and two scores, plus he added 32 yards on a reverse. I do believe a wrinkle is coming off of the reverse, Texas has run it just about every week of the season to some degree. We will see come SEC play. Star #3: EDGE Brad Spence Sign me up for more Brad Spence! This is two of the four weeks I have come out of a ball game saying just this. When he is on the field in passing situations, he thrives. Spence totaled a sack and 2 tackles for loss, basically living in the backfield during his 22 snaps Saturday night. Spence currently sits with a 25.8% win rate. HM1 Smith Orogbo: I know the game was well out of hand, but for any true freshman to step onto the field and immediatley record a strip sack, sign me up. Loved what I saw from Orogbo. HM2 DeAndre Moore: Man, getting D-Mo back on the field is massive for the Horns. Moore caught all five receptions for 79 yards and was such a welcome sight in the quick pass game as a lead blocker. Moore was great all night.

Yes, it was against a woeful Sam Houston squad. No, the Texas offense isn't ready to be considered a juggernaut. Nevertheless, piling up 607 total yards, averaging 8.8 yards per play and scoring on nine consecutive possessions in Saturday’s 55-0 win over the Bearkats was the perfect palate cleanser for the Longhorn offense ahead of SEC play. An offense that hasn’t been able to get out of its own way through the first three games of the season executed as expected against an overmatched opponent. For a team that’s had a hard time playing up to its lofty internal standard, Texas (3-1) annihilating Sam Houston (0-4) should allow everyone inside the Moncrief Complex to exhale, sleep well and turn the page to the team’s Oct. 4 trip to Florida with some much-needed confidence. — The offense will continue to dominate the conversation regarding the team’s chances to compete for the SEC title. What doesn’t need to get lost in the shuffle, however, is the dominant night enjoyed by Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense (113 total yards, 2.2 yards per play and 27 yards on the ground allowed). The Bearkats went three-and-out on their first five possessions and finished the game 2-for-15 on third down (0-for-2 on fourth down). The Longhorns recorded a season-high five sacks, with Colin Simmons notching his first full sack of the season on the opening drive of the game. Steve Sarkisian wanted Texas to win the turnover battle, which it did, 1-0. Although the offense’s turnover-free night is the most notable part of winning the turnover margin, Jelani McDonald’s leaping interception on a heave toward the end zone on the last play of the first half was one of the defense's many highlights throughout the night. Shutting someone out in college football, no matter the caliber of opponent, should be celebrated. — How do you bounce back from a performance in which you fired 10 consecutive incompletions? For Arch Manning, it was ending an 18-for-21, 309-yard night through the air (with three touchdowns and no interceptions) with 13 consecutive completions. Sandwiched between a 1-yard gain on a tight end screen pass to Jordan Washington were two touchdown connections with Ryan Wingo — a 53-yard bomb down the middle of the field (Manning dropped the throw into a bucket over Wingo’s shoulder) and a 13-yard strike on an RPO glance, a staple play in Sarkisian’s offense. He’s still getting a feel for the screen game, and he’ll find things on the tape he’ll wish he had back. Regardless, Manning put the ball where it needed to be more often than not, made plenty of plays with his legs (he stepped up to escape pressure on his 32-yard touchdown pass to Washington) and, hopefully, regained some of the confidence and swagger he didn’t play with in the first three games. — As Manning goes, so goes the Longhorn offense. He set the tone for the game with his boisterous reaction to a 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, after which Texas never looked back. — Manning and Wingo needed a game where they were on the same page. Wingo’s six targets turned into a four-catch, 93-yard performance, with a 32-yard gain on an end-around giving the sophomore a game-high 125 all-purpose yards. With that said, DeAndre Moore Jr.’s return made a huge difference from a personnel standpoint. Moore caught five passes for 79 yards after missing the UTEP game, serving as Manning’s go-to target on intermediate throws and providing the kind of perimeter blocking the Longhorns lacked in his absence. — Wingo’s big run and a 50-yard jaunt by Matthew Caldwell bolstered the running game’s final line (41 carries for 264 yards and four touchdowns, one each for Christian Clark and Jerrick Gibson). While five tackles for loss allowed contributed to seven rushing attempts going for no gain or a loss, the running backs averaged five yards per carry. Clark (62 yards on 13 carries), Gibson (11 carries for 53 yards) and James Simon (nine carries for 50 yards) each went over 50 yards on the night, showing varying levels of improvement from last week’s showing, one in which Texas was forced to lean on the ground attack. — The offensive line didn't overwhelm Sam Houston. Still, the Longhorns are gaining confidence in concepts (specifically, their pin-and-pull and outside zone runs) that can make for a serviceable running game. Just like Moore’s return gave the passing game a boost, Quintrevion Wisner’s ability to maximize runs as a proven commodity in the SEC should increase the offensive line’s margin for error. — Brad Spence, who came close to making several big plays against San Jose State and UTEP, was rewarded for his effort on Saturday, knifing into the backfield for a tackle for loss on a fourth-and-2 in the third quarter. — The biggest negative from the game? Nine penalties for 70 yards, including multiple pre-snap penalties on offense. View full news story

The focus regarding which phase of the game most needs to turn things around when No. 8 Texas faces Sam Houston at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN+/SEC Network+) has centered around the Longhorn offense. Still, as good as the Texas defense has been through the first three games, Pete Kwiatkowski’s side of the ball could use a tune-up. Specifically, the last game before jumping into SEC play is an opportunity to improve the pass rush by putting heat on Bearkat quarterbacks Hunter Watson and Mabrey Mettauer. As far as Steve Sarkisian is concerned, the issue has more to do with the Longhorns adjusting to how opponents are trying to neutralize the impact Colin Simmons and the bevy of pass rushers Texas has on hand, rather than personnel deficiencies. “I think the ball came out Saturday, on average, 1.8 seconds,” Sarkisian said on Monday when he was asked about the pass rush, referencing the pressure the defense put on Malachi Nelson last Saturday in a 27-10 win over UTEP. “You can only get so far with somebody in front of you in 1.8 seconds. It's just difficult. “People are going to try to attack the holes in our game and they're going to try not to get exploited by the strengths that we have in our game. One of our strengths are our edges,” he added. “One of our strengths is our pass rush and the multitude of ways that we can get to a quarterback. We have to anticipate what they're going to do to try to combat that, and part of that is getting the ball out of their hands quickly. Part of that might be moving the pocket some.” The Longhorns came into the season with the tools to field arguably the fiercest pass rush in the country. While the Texas pass rush hasn’t been woeful, by any stretch, it hasn’t been as impactful as expected. With six sacks through three games, the Longhorns are tied with Missouri for ninth sacks in the SEC, which is good enough to be tied for No. 69 among FBS defenses. They’re in the same realm regarding pressures generated; Pro Football Focus has credited the Texas defense with 46 pressures, which is tied with Texas A&M for the seventh-most in the SEC. Skewing the numbers is the plan Ryan Day and Brian Hartline devised for Julian Sayin to execute in the season opener. In Ohio State’s 14-7 win, Sayin only dropped back to throw the ball 20 times, according to PFF, with the Longhorns pressuring him on just five of his dropbacks. There have been more opportunities to rush the passer in the team’s last two games, resulting in 39 total pressures and all of the defense’s sacks. Even though Nelson got the ball out quickly, Texas pressured him 11 on time 39 dropbacks, according to PFF, which almost equaled the number of times Nelson had been pressured through two games (Nelson was pressured on 12 of 56 dropbacks entering last week’s game). The Longhorns can have success building on the pressure they've generated, with conditions ripe to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback on Saturday. According to PFF’s pass blocking efficiency rankings for offensive lines, Sam Houston is tied for 108th nationally out of 136 FBS offensive lines. The Bearkats have allowed 33 pressures through three games under first-year coach Phil Longo; only nine FBS offenses have allowed more pressures than Sam Houston, according to PFF. Watson has been pressured on 38.2 percent of his dropbacks (26 of 68). Mettauer has been pressured 15 times on 48 dropbacks (31.3 percent), and his pressure-to-sack percentage (33.3) means one in every three pressures Sam Houston’s opponents have gotten against the Wisconsin transfer have made it home. Sarkisian believes the defense left upwards of three sacks on the field in the team’s 38-7 win over San Jose State on Sept. 7. For more fruitful returns on the pass-rushing opportunities Texas gets, Sarkisian has stressed to the defense the importance of maintaining their rush lane integrity and utilizing a disciplined pass rush. “Maybe it's not how many opportunities you get to get the quarterback on the ground, but making the most of the opportunities when you do get them,” Sarkisian said. “That's what we're trying to train our guys to do.” View full news story

We will hear from Steve Sarkisian in about 1.5 hours for his final update of the week. But I can share a few nuggets from the week of practice. – WR DeAndre Moore was on the practice field this week and the expectation is Moore gives it a go this weekend vs. Sam Houston State. – As for RB Quintrevion Wisner, Texas is going to continue to be cautious. The bye week following this weekend's matchup allows for an extra week of rest for Wisner who is looking to return to 100% from his soft tissue injury. This comes on the heels of Sarkisian saying RB CJ Baxter was "Doubtful" for this weekend's game as well. Expect a heavy dose of James Simon, plus Christian Clark and Jerrick Gibson. Of that trio, I would expect Simon to be the first back on the field. – C Cole Hutson has been limited with a toe injury. Backup Connor Robertson has been receiving first team snaps at center this week in practice and it should come as no surprise to see him as part of the starting 11 this weekend. ••• Additionally, the hope is that QB Arch Manning translates his practice performance to the field. Hearing that the Texas quarterback is having a good week of practice is not lip service, it is the truth. And while that does not mean anything unless the performance on Saturday is synonymous with the praise throughout the week, that is the reason for so much optimism with Steve Sarkisian when he is on the podium and additional folks around the program. Sam Houston State should be the week to break out of the funk and based off of Manning's comments on Monday, he is chomping at the bit to get out there and perform well.

The Texas offense’s inability to move the ball consistently and maximize scoring opportunities through three games is staggering. The Longhorns enter the non-conference finale at home against a 0-3 Sam Houston club on Saturday (7 p.m., SEC Network+), averaging 24 points per game and 5.39 yards per play. Steve Sarkisian’s fifth season running the program is off to the worst three-game start Texas has experienced on offense since 2014, when Shawn Watson’s unit averaged 20.7 points per game and 4.57 yards per play through the first three games of the Charlie Strong era. The reality of where the Longhorns are offensively, 18 days away from a trip to Florida for the SEC opener, is sobering. Injuries have sidelined Quintrevion Wisner, C.J. Baxter Jr., DeAndre Moore Jr. and Emmett Mosley V through the non-conference schedule, compounding the experience issues Sarkisian knew existed on offense, even if Arch Manning had a full complement of weapons around him. “I'm not naive to think we wouldn't have some growing pains,” Sarkisian said during his weekly news conference on Monday. “I just want those growing pains to... I want to get tall as fast as we can and feel good and start playing. That's the race that we're in. I'm comfortable in saying we're going to get there. I just want to get there sooner rather than later.” Manning has been under the gun publicly since he put up a clunker in last Saturday’s 27-10 win over UTEP, with an 11-for-25, 114-yard performance through the air. While he accounted for the offense’s three touchdowns (one passing and two rushing), the fifth start of Manning’s career was marred by a forgettable second quarter, one in which he went 2-for-12, including 10 consecutive incomplete passes, for 15 yards and an interception. When it comes to helping Manning get back on the right track, Sarkisian said he feels “good about the process that we're in right now,” adding that Manning “had a great practice this [Monday] morning.” “So many times, what happens is you can start looking at yourself, beating yourself up, focusing on yourself. Well, it's already hard enough. The other team is already trying to beat you up,” Sarkisian said. “The other team is already trying to knock you down, so let's not self-inflict wounds. “Let's take some of that frustration and anger out on them.” Nothing Sarkisian said throughout training camp foreshadowed the struggles the No. 1 team in the preseason Associated Press Top 25, a club whose players spoke openly about their national championship aspirations while being quarterbacked by the odds-on favorite for the Heisman Trophy, has experienced. Still, what he said roughly four minutes into his post-practice availability on Aug. 5 could be a massive red flag missed by virtually everyone with a pulse on the squad, especially since it might be the best way to describe the current state of the Texas offense. “One thing for us that I think, with players that are trying really hard, we have to learn to feel... we have to learn how to deal with disappointment a little bit better. What I mean by disappointment is not every play is going to go perfect,” Sarkisian said. “You might miss a block, you might not catch that ball, you might not get the yardage you thought you were going to get on the run, but you've got to get onto the next play. You’ve got to give the next play the credit it deserves because that next play has a life of its own. I think, right now, a little bit on offense, we're trying so hard that there's this level of disappointment, that we're carrying some of that to the next play and some of those mistakes are compounding on top of one another for certain players. We've got to improve upon that and, as a coach, once you can identify that, we can talk to that, we can coach to that, but I think that's something we can improve upon.” Even if Sarkisian, his assistant coaches and other staff members did everything they could to resolve the problem at the time, the Longhorns are still working through it on some level. This is a time when offensive leadership must step up. Unfortunately, the leaders on that side of the ball are on the mend physically (Cole Hutson is on the list of players whose health will be monitored leading up to Saturday’s game, along with Baxter, Moore and Wisner), aren’t playing up to their potential (along with Manning and Ryan Wingo’s struggles, D.J. Campbell has the second-most accepted penalties against him among FBS offensive linemen with five, according to Pro Football Focus) or are gaining the experience they need to maximize their leadership capabilities. The Longhorns won’t get out of their current predicament overnight. Sarkisian said on Monday that “leadership always starts with us as coaches." He remains confident that the offense will eventually get over the current dilemma. Nevertheless, with only one opportunity left to work on itself before entering the SEC portion of its schedule, Texas needs a heightened sense of urgency when analyzing and attacking its problems. “We want to see a well-oiled machine offensively, on special teams, on defense, playing our best football when our best is needed,” Sarkisian said. “We've got to get there as quickly as possible.” View full news story

Opinion on how to use Arch Moving Forward Through three weeks, I think it is more than fair to say the Texas offense remains a work in progress. The learning curve has yet to narrow and oddly after playing UTEP, I feel like there are more questions and unknowns than after playing Ohio State. Still, that does not mean the season is over, nor does it mean there can't be redeemable qualities for the Texas offense. I am certain the offense does not look as bad as it did on Saturday if DeAndre Moore, Emmett Mosley V, Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter were healthy. That is four of your top six playmakers sidelined to injury and it is week three. Additionally, I am sure the play of Arch Manning improves as well with those playmakers on the field. But until that happens, Texas has to work with what they have on the field – and with what the quarterback is currently giving you as well. Which is where I wanted to go with this point. I have long said you only need 24 points to win games at Texas over the last two years with the way the defense has been constructed. ••• In fact, since the beginning of 2023, the Longhorns are 25–2 when they score 21 points or more. Contrarily, Texas is 2–4 when they score less than 20 points. ••• Come SEC play on the first weekend of October, Texas is going to be met with SEC level talent on the defensive side of the ball. The issues we have seen offensively will be magnified if they are not cleaned up. However, I do think there is a remedy in here for the Texas offense. And it includes the usage of Arch Manning. This is not the gunslinger that was expected. You cannot have ten conseuctive incompletions and expect success in football games in the SEC. But you can have success with Arch's legs. I mentioned in postgame videos over the weekend that Texas may need to turn Arch Manning into Haynes King. At first it was an off the cuff that I didn't necessarily believe wholeheartedly. But the more I rewatched the Texas game this weekend and more I saw of games elsewhere across the country, the more I found myself buying into the sentiment that Arch Manning may just need to become Haynes King offensively. King, a junkyard dog of a quarterback, is tremendous with his legs. There is grit in his game and a toughness not often found given his workload in the running game. On Saturday morning, Georgia Tech and King upset Clemson 24–21 with King eclipsing 100 rush yards on 24 rush attempts. Georgia Tech's final possession ended in a 55-yard game-winning field goal where the Jackets traveled 38 yards on 10 plays to get into field goal range. On those ten snaps, five were designed runs for King who racked up 18 yards. It was ugly, but it worked. On the afternoon, King ended up 20-28 passing for 211 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. Given the struggles and inconsistencies of the Texas offense and Arch Manning specifically, I think we would all take a day like that against a top 25 team. Now, it is up to Arch to complete the easy passes. The quick curls, the checkdowns, etc. But our @Rod Babers pointed it out on Sunday, there is a transition to using Arch Manning's legs more than we have ever seen with a Sarkisian-coached quarterback. Again, 25–2 are the Texas Longhorns when scoring 21 points or more dating back to 2023. Texas can get to 21 points in SEC play with the legs of Arch Manning and Sarkisian opting to take the points when presented in the red area. Who knows, maybe there is some confidence that returns to Manning's game with his arm if this approach is taken. As a result, maybe something clicks with his arm and the passing game returns to what was expected in the preseason. If that is the case, that is tremendous. But I can not sit here and type to you that that is going to happen. Texas is running out of time to experiment ahead of SEC play. But you know the legs of Manning are a weapon and the kid is a tough cookie. Swallow your pride, Sark. Until further notice, it is time to crown Arch the next Haynes King.

Michigan State commit to visit Texas this weekend Michigan State linebacker commit Braylon Hodge (Denver/Cherry Creek) was offered by Texas last Wednesday, and will quickly visit the Longhorns. Hodge tells OnTexasFootball that he will be making an unofficial visit this weekend for the Sam Houston State game. The 6-3, 215-pounder is likely to make a November official visit, assuming things move forward with both parties after this weekend. Michigan joined Texas in offering last week.

A look at the Texas snap counts vs. Ohio State on Saturday. *** Defense Out of 59 defensive snaps. 59 – Jelani McDonald, Michael Taaffe 55 – Malik Muhammad 54 – Anthony Hill Jr. 45 – Jaylon Guilbeau 39 – Liona Lefau 37 – Ethan Burke, Hero Kanu, Trey Moore 35 – Colin Simmons 30 – Maraad Watson 26 – Alex January 24 – Cole Brevard 21 – Ty'Anthony Smith 19 – Travis Shaw, Graceson Littleton 16 – Kobe Black 12 – Derek Williams Jr. 7 – Lance Jackson 6 – Zina Umeozulu 5 – Brad Spence 4 – Colton Vasek 3 – Xavier Filsiame, Justus Terry Texas only deployed 24 players on the defensive side of the ball in the season opener, right where I expected them to be. I did not expect to see 37 snaps from Hero Kanu, leading the way for the interior defensive linemen. 19 snaps for Graceson Littleton is a number that rivals Colin Simmons vs. Michigan and Anthony Hill vs. Alabama, a great sign for the frosh. *** Offense Out of 67 offensive snaps. 67 – Ryan Wingo, Brandon Baker, Trevor Goosby, Arch Manning, DJ Campbell, Cole Hutson 65 – Parker Livingstone 60 – Jack Endries 56 – Connor Stroh 51 – DeAndre Moore 41 – Quintrevion Wisner 26 – CJ Baxter 19 – Spencer Shannon 11 – Neto Umeozulu 3 – Jordan Washington 2 – Daylan McCutcheon 1 – Nick Townsend Four tight ends saw time on the field. Only two running backs were on the field for the offense. With how often Texas was under center, I was surprised to not see any 2-back looks from Sarkisian.

Dia Bell Update I can now talk about this a little more. When I stopped by American Heritage Wednesday, Dia Bell was not at school. He was at doctor getting an undisclosed injury taken a look at. At the time, the American Heritage staff didn’t know the extent of the injury. Per multiple reports, the 5-star QB is in street clothes tonight. There is chatter in the South Florida coaching community that Bell could be out for the remainder of the season. That is not OTF reporting that. We do not have confirmation of the severity of the injury, or even what the injury actually is.

The Texas offense is bad. I won’t declare it broken. I believe it can be repaired and that the Longhorns can put a product on the field capable of helping them win games in the SEC. But Steve Sarkisian’s offense regressed from a middle-of-the-road performance against San Jose State to a clunker in Saturday’s 27-10 win over UTEP. After three games, Texas is 12-for-42 on third down, 5-for-12 on fourth down and 8-for-13 in the red zone with six touchdowns, two field goals, two interceptions and three turnovers on downs. The Miners outperformed the Longhorns on first down (5.3 yards per play for UTEP to 4.5 for Texas), committed fewer penalties (six penalties for 34 yards for the Miners, while the Longhorns were docked 81 yards on seven penalties), got a more efficient day throwing the football from Malachi Nelson (24-for-36, 209 yards and two interceptions) than the one Texas got from Arch Manning (11-for-25, 114 yards, one touchdown and one interception) and averaged more yards per play (4.4 to 4.2 for the Longhorns). Scotty Walden and his staff deserve a lot of credit for showing up ready to play. UTEP wasn’t intimidated by Texas, came to town with a sound game plan and made the Longhorns work for 60 minutes. The 4.2 yards per play by the Texas offense marked the fifth-worst single-game output under Sarkisian. The only games in which the Longhorns have been worse under Sarkisian were losses to Arkansas (4.0 yards per play) and Iowa State (3.2) in 2021, TCU (3.3) in 2022 and last season's regular-season meeting with Georgia (3.4). The issues on offense exist beyond failing to play to a standard or the personnel Texas didn’t have (Quintrevion Wisner, DeAndre Moore Jr. and Emmett Mosley V were out and C.J. Baxter Jr.’s day was done after one carry). Sarkisian’s attack lacks an identity and whether it was Manning’s erratic afternoon (10 consecutive incompletions at one point), the times the offensive line lost the battle at the point of attack (the Miners didn’t record a sack, but they had five tackles for loss and 12 of the Longhorns’ 56 official rushing attempts either lost yards or went for no gain) or poor situational execution, the Texas offense found different ways to stumble throughout the day. The week leading up to the Sam Houston game next Saturday (7 p.m., SEC Network+) will be a time when Sarkisian must look in the mirror and determine a course of action on offense. The offense Sarkisian wants (and the one a lot of other people, myself included) isn’t one the Longhorns can have right now. With one non-conference game left, Sarkisian must take the information he’s gathered so far and try to build confidence across the board by building on what the offense can do well. It might mean that Manning runs the ball more than what Sarkisian initially expected (he ran for two touchdowns, and he and Matthew Caldwell had the longest runs from scrimmage on Saturday, both recording 14-yard gains). It could mean figuring out which portions of the short passing game can get Manning in a rhythm early in the game so that the defense doesn’t automatically play coverage to prevent the deep ball, rendering the passing game helpless, which is what it was for almost the entirety of the UTEP game. Sarkisian and Kyle Flood could examine personnel along the offensive line and try a different combination. Whatever answers Sarkisian comes up with, Texas can’t have a repeat performance of Saturday’s debacle the rest of the way. Even though the defense held up their end of the bargain (six tackles for loss, sacks by Hero Kanu and Zina Umeozulu and interceptions by Jelani McDonald and Graceson Littleton while holding the Miners to a 4-for-13 performance on third down and an 0-for-3 effort on fourth down) and the kicking game is showing signs of growth (Jack Bouwmeester got back on track with a 47.8-yard net punting average, Mason Shipley went 2-for-2 on field goals and Ryan Niblett had a 49-yard punt return), the offense is operating at a level so far below a championship standard that it’s hard to look beyond the next game on the schedule when envisioning the trajectory on that side of the ball. View full news story

Rapid Reactions from Gerry and myself this morning.