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Over the course of the next month, I wanted to check in on a few members of the 2026 Texas rookie class in the NFL. Today, the focus is on Baltimore Ravens EDGE rusher Ethan Burke, who found his new home out on the east coast quickly after going undrafted in April. Burke was born in Baltimore and still has family in the Maryland area, not to mention he was originally committed to the Terps to play lacrosse before opting for a football career at Texas. As a result, he a strong support system in place as he tries to crack the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent. One of the largest developments for Burkes was dropping about 11 pounds from his final snaps at Texas to now. OTF was told he is right around 265 pounds and was listed at 267 on the Ravens' camp roster. A source said Burke is moving at his absolute best since beginning his football-only career. He is stronger and moving better than ever before. From what I understand, a lot of the focus following the season was to fixate completely on physical adjustments. First, getting completely healthy and two, slimming down as he embarks on his professional career. A writer from SBNation's Baltimore Beatdown noted Burke was pressuring Lamar Jackson throughout the day during practice Thursday morning. Hope to keep you all updated on what's ahead for Burke and plenty of other Texas rookies as training camp heats up and preseason games begin. Feels good to talk about football!

Friday Team notes: WR OnTexasFootball checked in with a couple of sources in the last half of the week on the wide receiver position. One source said the group looked "phenomenal" in the last few workouts. OTF has reported on Emmett Mosley V has looked very good this summer. That was relayed to OTF this week again. A source said the 6-2, 200-pound junior has had the look of a wide receiver that would be a No. 1 at many Power 4 schools the last part of the summer. OTF has mentioned that there is a thought Mosley V could lead the team in receptions this season. That was reiterated this week as a possibility. There is also a belief within the program that Mosley V could be a big ascender in the 2027 NFL draft with a healthy season. The last part is they key, obviously. The toughest task for Steve Sarkisian and the offensive staff this season will be getting the backups, or WR No. 4 and 5, reps if Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V are healthy and play at the level expected. And to add, Sterling Berkhalter, Daylan McCutcheon and Kaliq Lockett have a freshman Jermaine Bishop Jr. that is very likely to take reps as the season moves along. All three have enjoyed strong summers. As Rod Babers always talks about on OTF shows, Sarkisian has a small circle at the position that play in games. This season will test how many WR's can be included in the "circle of trust", and just as important how many reps are there playing this 2026 schedule. The source said the entire room has been very impressive the last half of the summer. OTF will also reiterate that Chris Stewart came up again as a player that is doing all the right things, and is showing the signs he has the chance to be a quality player. His attention to detail as a route runner have stood out. Kohen Brown's work ethic, strength and speed was mentioned once again.

Seems like we have good reason to have a thread to chat on all summer and through the season. Team workouts begin June 1, I believe

Texas announced a 13-member Hall of Honor Class for 2026 on Thursday morning Men's: Mark Boswell (Track and Field, 1998-2000) Malcom Brown (Football, 2012-14) Ryan Crouser (Track and Field, 2012-16) Jackson Jeffcoat (Football, 2010-13) Garrett Weber-Gale (Swimming and Diving, 2004-07) Mike Williams (Football, 1998-2001) Lawrence Sampleton (Football, 1978-81) Women's: Khat Bell (Volleyball, 2011-14) Connie Clark (Softball Head Coach, 1995-2018) Blaire Luna (Softball, 2010-13) Evwella Munn (Basketball, 1979-80) Amy Shaw (Swimming and Diving, 1990-93) Janet Walker (Tennis, 1998-2001)

Steve Sarkisian often touts how much he loves the pageantry of college football. The best example supporting Sarkisian’s position is how seriously the Texas head coach takes the program’s rivalry games. For Sarkisian, it’s not just another game whenever the Longhorns line up against Oklahoma or Texas A&M. At SEC Media Days in Tampa, Sarkisian didn’t mince words when he was asked what it’ll be like to face former Texas wideout Parker Livingstone whenever the Longhorns and Sooners meet in Dallas on Oct. 10. At the end of the day, Sarkisian said, personal feelings get put to the side when the Golden Hat is on the line. “I hope we kick his ass,” Sarkisian said. “I mean, it’s the Red River Rivalry. You know what I mean? He chose to go there. He’s on the other side. That’s the way the game goes. “At the end of the day, it’s competition,” he added. “After the game, I’m sure I’ll give him a big hug. Before that, we’re trying to beat his ass. That’s the way it goes.” The recently-revived series with the Aggies is no different. Even Sarkisian’s admission that he “was not happy” that the Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in-game operations staff played a clip of Mike Elko referring to Texas A&M as the state’s flagship program on the video board after Texas secured a 27-17 victory last November shed light on what’s allowed Sarkisian to enter his sixth season on the Forty Acres with a combined 5-2 record against the program’s two primary rivals. “Emotions run high in those games,” said Sarkisian, who put the kibosh on a potentially volatile on-field celebration after the Longhorns’ 17-7 win over the Aggies at Kyle Field in 2024, which had the potential to get out of hand. “We had a team that was trying to think about going and planting the flag two years ago and I wouldn't let that happen. I respect the game of football and I respect college football and I respect the football gods and there's a way to go about our business and there's a way not. Rivalries are great, but we've got to be able to fight the emotions that come with the rivalry.” With all due respect to Arkansas, who the Longhorns have faced just eight times since the Razorbacks left the Southwest Conference for the SEC in 1992, Sarkisian and other Texas coaches are judged by what they do against Oklahoma and Texas A&M, for better or worse. While Sarkisian hasn’t been perfect in his tenure, he’s more often than not had his squad ready for the games that matter to the burnt orange faithful. Sarkisian has won three of his first five meetings with the Sooners, with two losses that were there for the taking. The Longhorns had a 21-point first-half lead in Sarkisian’s Red River debut and took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter before suffering a 55-48 loss; Texas also had a 30-27 lead with 1:17 to play in the 2023 game, which Oklahoma won on a last-second touchdown, 34-30. Even with the two losses, Sarkisian’s 3-2 record is only topped by Darrell Royal and Fred Akers for the best five-game start to the Red River series among the nine Longhorn coaches in the AP Poll era (since 1936) who’ve coached at least five games in the series. Royal and Akers both won four of their first five games against the Sooners; Akers won five of his first seven (5-4-1 overall record), while Royal won eight in a row (1958-65) and 12 of 13 (1958-70) en route to a 12-7-1 mark against his alma mater. Sarkisian's three wins in Texas' last four clashes with the Sooners ended Oklahoma's dominant stretch of 10 wins in 13 meetings. The Longhorns' historic 49-0 rout in 2022 is the largest shutout victory in series history and is part of Texas' 136-43 scoring advantage in the last four games, three of which the Sooners have failed to score a touchdown. Among the nine Longhorn coaches in the AP Poll era to coach at least two games against the Aggies, Sarkisian, Royal and Akers are the only three to enjoy a 2-0 series start. Nobody should expect Sarkisian to rival Royal’s 17-3 mark against Texas A&M, which included winning streaks of 10 (1957-66) and seven (1968-74) games, respectively. Nevertheless, Sarkisian has a good start in potentially joining Royal, Mack Brown (10-4), Ed Price (4-2) and Dana X. Bible (8-2) as the only Texas coaches in the AP Poll era to finish their careers with a winning record against the Aggies. Include Sarkisian’s two wins over Arkansas (a 2-1 record after a forgettable 40-21 loss to the Razorbacks in Fayetteville in 2021) and he’s 7-3 in rivalry games through his first five seasons. On top of building championship-caliber rosters, Sarkisian can set Texas up for continued success in those games if his team keeps walking the fine line between playing with emotion and having it spill over. “I think that's why we've had success in some of our rivalry games, whether it's A&M or OU or Arkansas,” Sarkisian said. “I think we do a good job of managing our emotions. That's a real challenge when you get into games like that.” View full news story

TAMPA, Fla. — Trevor Goosby didn’t mince words at SEC Media Days when asked to describe what went wrong when Texas tried to run the football in 2025. “Sometimes, first and foremost, we weren't physical enough,” Goosby said. “Obviously, we weren't moving bodies the way that we should have. And then, sometimes, I felt like we were just kind of playing as five individuals rather than five as one. “It was just kind of five offensive linemen out there rather than one offensive line unit,” he added. “That's kind of how I felt about last year.” There were indeed issues along the offensive line, which played a significant role in the Longhorns managing just 137.8 rushing yards per game (90th in FBS and the program’s lowest output since 2017) and averaging 4.19 yards per rushing attempt (No. 84 nationally and the worst on the Forty Acres since 2018). However, multiple parties must be held responsible for the worst season on the ground for an FBS offense led by Steve Sarkisian since his first season as Washington’s coach in 2009. Sarkisian overhauled the running back room’s personnel with Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers from the transfer portal and Derrek Cooper from the high school ranks. A leadership change has also made a difference for a position group that lacked consistency and explosiveness last season, with Jabbar Juluke’s arrival injecting the offense with some much-needed juice. “Coach Juluke is always bringing that energy with the running backs,” Goosby said. “I can really feel it from the running back group. They're always bringing that energy.” Goosby likes what Sarkisian and the front office did to elevate the tight end room with the additions of Michigan State transfer Michael Masunas and former Michigan co-offensive coordinator Steve Casula. “Really, just kind of a development for not only the pass game, but also the run game, and just getting more physical,” Goosby said. “We're getting a lot more out of those guys, for sure. Coach (Jeff) Banks and Coach Casula have done a great job of really bringing those guys along.” Sarkisian and Kyle Flood utilizing the transfer portal to beef up the offensive line has helped bring the unit together, Goosby said Thursday. Melvin Siani has proven himself to be “a really athletic tackle” who “is really quick on his feet,” according to Goosby, who described June arrival Laurence Seymore as “a really tenacious, athletic run blocker (and) pass blocker.” Will the changes made after taking stock of a largely forgettable season on the ground lead to Texas having an attack capable of taking pressure off Arch Manning and that can be counted on to execute in critical situations? To ensure everyone in the offensive line room understands how unacceptable last season was and what they need to do as a group to help put a better product on the field, Goosby has made it a point to lead the charge. At the end of the day, Goosby said, turning things around will require his fellow linemen to get their minds wrapped around winning the line of scrimmage battle by moving another man against his will. “I think it's more of a mental thing; mentality thing rather than a technique thing,” Goosby said. Obviously, we're going to do our technique drills and do our individual and stuff, but for me personally, sometimes I'll bring the guys in and we'll watch plays where it didn't work because of us. Plays where we needed to be more physical and just pushing that narrative to the guys. “That's kind of the biggest thing that we've done this offseason.” View full news story

TAMPA, Fla. — The best sign of Colin Simmons’ growth as a player, a man and a leader are his personal goals for the 2026 season. After making it known that he was aiming for Kiki DeAyala’s single-season school sack record (22.5 in 1982) heading into 2025, Simmons isn’t concerned with splattering his name all over the Texas record books. Instead, Simmons would rather put a number on the wall signifying how the Longhorns fulfilled their promise in what’s expected to be his last season on the Forty Acres. “Honestly, my individual goals are the team goals,” Simmons said at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Thursday. “It's the team's success. Winning. Winning a national championship. "Everything that comes with it.” Thanks to a furious finish, which saw him racking up 10.5 sacks over the last eight games of the season, including a career-high three in a 16-13 overtime road win over Kentucky on Oct. 18, only Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor have gotten closer to DeAyala’s seemingly untouchable mark than Simmons did last season. The second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC defender’s 12 sacks tied him with DeAyala (1981), Steve McMichael (1977) and Tony Degrate (1984) for the eighth-best single-season sack total since 1975, which is when Texas began tracking sacks as an official statistic. While Simmons was noticeably pressing early in the season, the sacks started to come when his focus shifted from piling up numbers to loving the game. The approach also helped Simmons come into his own as a leader with a style that’s positioned him to be everything Will Muschamp needs him to be in the first season of his second stint as the program’s defensive coordinator. “Being myself, showing my teammates that they can just be themselves,” Simmons said when describing his leadership style. “They don't have to change. They don't have to impress nobody. People are going to have opinions regardless of what it is, good or bad, but at the end of the day, as long as you stay true to yourself, nothing can move you.” The only person who should be able to move Simmons is Muschamp, who has unleashed top-notch edge rushers like Simmons throughout his career as a defensive coordinator. With 21 sacks through two seasons, Simmons is nine away from joining DeAyala, Degrate and Tim Campbell as the only Longhorns to record at least 30 career sacks, highlighting the Duncanville product’s pass-rushing prowess. Steve Sarkisian hired Muschamp to ensure the Longhorns play defense with more of “an aggressive, in-your-face, tighter coverage kind of approach to things,” he said Thursday. Simmons stands to benefit the most from the leadership change; according to Pro Football Focus, Simmons’ 74 coverage snaps were tied for the 26th most among FBS edge defenders and the fifth most among edge rushers in the SEC. Simmons attacking downhill toward the line of scrimmage more often should be a net positive for the Texas defense. The mindset change Muschamp promotes, and the physicality he demands, have Simmons champing at the bit to show what he can do in the new scheme. “I'm not going to lie, I'm happy to be part of this defense,” Simmons said. “I'm happy to be coached under him.” Even then, Simmons remains steadfast in maintaining a team-first approach to what could be a historic junior season. “Representing the Longhorns is like representing the name on your back,” Simmons said. “You've got to represent it with pride because at the end of the day that's your family and you're representing your family. Just like I represent my mom, I’ve got to represent the Longhorns.” View full news story

TAMPA, Fla. — If book excerpts and off-the-cuff remarks have damaged the relationship between Steve Sarkisian and Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, neither coach is admitting it publicly. Golding spoke of Sarkisian only with reverence while making the rounds at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Wednesday. “I've always been a super-big fan of Steve Sarkisian. I was able to get really close to him in his time at Tuscaloosa and always had really, really admired him, even prior to that,” said Golding, who worked alongside Sarkisian on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff in 2019 and 2020. “But to see him and how he works on a daily basis and his love of the game and his rapport with his players when he was the coordinator there, the ability to bring people around him with him from a leadership standpoint. I always thought he was one of the best game-day play-callers out there, and packaging plays and seeing things and the way he window dresses things to be able to get certain guys — as they're moving — the ball, which I think is very, very unique.” Golding also made note of what Sarkisian and the Texas staff have done on the recruiting trail, quipping during his main press conference that he’s not fond of the Longhorns’ effort to recruit deep into the SEC footprint, specifically the state of Mississippi. “I tell Sark all the time, ‘Dude, you’ve got plenty of guys in Texas. Get out of our state,’” said Golding, who suffered an in-state recruiting loss to Texas when Brookhaven (Miss.) EDGE Derwin Fields committed to the Longhorns over other suitors, including Ole Miss, in April. “They’re everywhere.” All joking aside, both parties have taken their share of shots in the last year, some more hurtful than others The first indication of possible friction between Sarkisian and Golding came in August 2025, courtesy of an excerpt from Seth Wickersham’s book “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback.” According to the excerpt, Golding reportedly tried to use Sarkisian’s battle with alcoholism to sway the hotly contested race for Arch Manning in Alabama’s favor (Manning committed to Texas on June 23, 2022). After the dust settled, Sarkisian took what could be considered a swipe at Golding’s program while voicing his issues with transfer portal recruiting in a wide-ranging interview with Matt Hayes of USA Today. “All you have to do is take basket weaving, and you can get an Ole Miss degree,” Sarkisian said. He admitted during his appearance at the Touchdown Club of Houston’s annual Texas luncheon in May that he shouldn’t have used that specific example while trying to frame big-picture issues in college football. Since then, Sarkisian has been complimentary of Golding, touting their friendship. For his part, Golding is returning the favor, praising Sarkisian and the Longhorns on Wednesday for the challenge awaiting the Rebels when they visit Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24. “I think it's going to be a really, really tough game. They're a very talented football team,” said Golding, who will continue to call the defense for Ole Miss, making the game a true head-to-head battle with Sarkisian. “(Sarkisian has) put together a really good staff. I've worked with a lot of those guys; a lot of respect for them. Really good relationship, obviously, with Arch. Playing down there is going to be tough. “We've definitely done our homework; you have to with Sark,” he added. “You're going to get certain plays, but you've just got to contest those, man, and spot the ball and play the next one. Super excited about the opportunity.” View full news story

I asked this on Twitter earlier today, but want to share it with the board – Now that the 2025 season has come and gone, give us your feedback on the coverage from the season. What did you like? What did you dislike? What would you change? Appreciate you all for the feedback and look forward to building in 2026!

“Great length, great speed, tremendous man-to-man ability. Not a secret why he was a top two or three player. We’ll see how far we can take him. We don’t have an expectation of a timetable. We’re going to coach him and develop him. I do know he’s got the right competitive spirit and skillset to be a good player for us.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Arch Manning’s goal coming out of the 2025 season and entering his second campaign as QB1 on the Forty Acres was simple. “Stay present,” Manning said while making the rounds at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Thursday. “Take it one day at a time.” For Manning, who was under a white-hot spotlight before he ever took a snap in a Texas uniform, that’s easier said than done. Still, Manning has grown while learning how to deal with life in a fishbowl ahead of what figures to be his last season with the Longhorns. He believes it’s the biggest difference between the player he is now and who Manning was before leading No. 1-ranked Texas into last season’s opening game on the road against reigning national champion Ohio State. “I think I've become more present,” Manning said. “I've obviously matured. I think going through those rough times, I learned a lot about myself and I've become a better man because of it and, hopefully, a better player.” Manning joked that he isn’t aiming for a repeat performance against the Buckeyes, when he threw for 170 yards, one touchdown and an interception on a 17-for-30 afternoon throwing the football in a 14-7 loss. The loss was part of a turbulent first half of the season for Manning, whose play inspired an article published by "The Athletic" openly pondering if Manning was college football’s first flop. After a 16-13 overtime win over Kentucky in which the offense posted season-low totals for total yards (179), yards per play (3.3) and first downs (eight), Manning was, statistically, one of the least productive quarterbacks in the SEC. His 207 passing yards per game entering the team’s next game against Mississippi State ranked 71st nationally and 13th in the SEC among 16 qualifying quarterbacks. He also ranked 91st in FBS and last in the conference in completion percentage (60.3), while his 140.4 pass efficiency rating ranked 63rd nationally and 11th in the SEC. Things changed, however, after Manning led a furious second-half rally in a 45-38 overtime win over Mississippi State the week following the woeful performance against the Wildcats. In November, which included wins over Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Texas A&M (along with a loss to Georgia), Diego Pavia and Trinidad Chambliss were the only SEC quarterbacks with more passing yards per game than Manning's 286.8. Over the last four games of the regular season, Manning completed 62.2 percent of his passes and tied Chambliss for the third-most passing touchdowns among SEC quarterbacks (nine) while throwing only one interception. Coming off a turnover-free performance with 376 total yards and four touchdowns in a Citrus Bowl win over Michigan and fully recovered from postseason foot surgery, Manning isn’t changing his live-in-the-now mindset in the face of sky-high expectations. “I'm not really worried about the outside world,” Manning said. “That's what I'll continue to try to do.” View full news story

HOUSTON — If Texas wins the national championship in 2026, Steve Sarkisian will become college football's first head coach in the College Football Playoff era to win the title while calling his team’s offensive plays. Jimbo Fisher was the last play-calling head coach to win it all, doing so at Florida State in 2013. Sarkisian, Fisher, Lincoln Riley and Ryan Day led their respective teams to the CFP semifinals in the four-team format (2014-23). Day guided Ohio State to the championship game in 2020 (the Buckeyes lost to Alabama, with Sarkisian calling the Crimson Tide’s plays en route to Nick Saban’s last national championship), making him the only play-calling head coach in the CFP era to clear the semifinal hurdle. Day turned play-calling over to Chip Kelly during the Buckeyes’ run to the national title in 2024. Sarkisian isn’t ready to relinquish those responsibilities. During his press conference at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention in Houston on Sunday, Sarkisian pointed out a few advantages he believes he has as a play-calling head coach. “I'm coaching these guys, I'm installing plays, I'm around them, we're talking game plans, so I think from a connection standpoint, that helps,” Sarkisian said. “I think on game day, trying to manage the game and control the game of when you want to speed up, maybe when you want to slow down. When you go for it on fourth down, when you don't; the impact that can have on your team if you make it, if you don't make it. Field position with the defense and things of that nature.” Sarkisian’s response when breaking down the other side of the coin, however, reinforced why he parted ways with Pete Kwiatkowski after the 2025 regular season concluded, which paved the way for Will Muschamp’s return to the Forty Acres for a second tour of duty overseeing the Longhorn defense. “I think one of the areas where it can be difficult is trusting those guys on defense,” Sarkisian said. “If I'm trying to make adjustments on the offensive side of the ball between series, it's having trust in the defensive coaches that they've got a good grasp of what we're doing and, if a timeout is needed, why? What that situation looks like.” Muschamp’s “ability to really lead young men in our locker room is big for me,” Sarkisian said. With Muschamp hired to be the head coach of the defense, as Sarkisian put it when he publicly discussed the move before the Citrus Bowl against Michigan, whether or not the offense returns to being the explosive, productive unit it was throughout Sarkisian’s first four seasons on the job is squarely on his shoulders. That’s exactly how Sarkisian wants it to be. “This is the only way I know it,” Sarkisian said. “You know I've never done it any other way. I grew up in the profession with a guy that did it that way as well in Pete Carroll. He called the defense and, when I went to the Oakland Raiders early in my career, Norv Turner was the head coach — he called the plays. “Obviously, there's a lot of ways to do it and there's a lot of successful ways to do it, but this is just the way that I learned how to do it.” *** One of the reasons Sarkisian specifically targeted Muschamp is the reputation his defenses have for causing havoc. Hunting havoc plays (tackles for loss, forced fumbles, pass breakups and interceptions) was a talking point throughout spring practice because Muschamp emphasizes them. While breaking down defensive back play to a standing-room-only crowd in a ballroom at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Sunday (along with the high school coaches who were present for Muschamp’s lecture, coaches from Texas State, SMU, Texas A&M and other FBS programs were spotted in the room), Muschamp touched on the importance of havoc. It starts with every drill in practice ending with a Longhorn defensive back getting his hands on the ball. “There’s no drill where we just backpedal and let them go,” said Muschamp, whose 2009 Texas defense led the nation with 25 interceptions (the seventh-most in school history and the most in a season on the Forty Acres since 1951). “It's ending with catching the football or knocking the ball down every single time because that determines if you're a good player or not. You create havoc when you get hands on the ball.” While the Longhorns finished fourth in the SEC in passes defended (combined interceptions and pass breakups) per game (4.62), the defense’s 2.33 passes defended per game in their three losses (two interceptions and five pass breakups) was the second-worst mark in the conference. Just two of Texas’ 12 forced fumbles came in its losses, further highlighting Sarkisian’s desire for more consistent havoc on defense. *** Has the physicality of Muschamp’s defense helped the Texas offense get ready to navigate one of the toughest schedules in the country? “Absolutely,” running backs coach Jabbar Juluke said when fielding a question from the audience during his presentation on Monday. Juluke demands his running backs play with a physical edge, something the Longhorns consistently lacked on offense last season. “I only know one way,” Juluke said. “We want it every day.” Juluke then joked that the “no thud equals no play” mantra Muschamp introduced in the spring was born out of the offense’s willingness to trade punches with the defense in practice. “They couldn’t tackle our (expletive) ass,” Juluke said. “They weren’t stopping the run like they needed to. We’re going to finish the drill. “We work hand-in-hand,” he added. “I think we have an amazing staff.” *** During his THSCA press conference on Monday, while rattling off games he felt exemplified Texas A&M’s lack of consistency in 2025, Mike Elko omitted his team’s 27-17 loss to Texas. “I think last year what we showed was, at our peak, we were good enough to play with and beat anybody in the country. That's how you win 11 games,” said Elko, who will be in Tampa on Wednesday with quarterback Marcel Reed, linebacker Daymion Sanford and safety Marcus Ratcliffe. “But we also had too many times where we didn't play at our peak. Whether that was a quarter at LSU — the second quarter — whether that was the (first) half against South Carolina or whether that was for longer stretches in the Playoff game (against Miami), our ability to play the best football that we can play consistently a little bit more often has been the entire emphasis of our offseason.” Elko’s second loss to the Longhorns in as many tries should be grouped with those other performances, especially since Texas overcame a 10-3 halftime deficit, dominating the Aggies in the second half. *** Looming changes to college football’s offseason structure are another sign of the sport’s rapid evolution, which might not be a bad thing. Specifically, the FBS oversight committee has proposed changing the traditional spring practice model (15 practices over 34 days), further clouding the future of spring games across the country. What would replace it is something closer to an NFL offseason model. The proposal is for two sessions (one of which can take place over a maximum of five weeks) totaling 21 practices. If the proposal is approved in August, FBS teams would get up to seven weeks to conduct both sessions. Former Wyoming coach Craig Bohl, the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, admitted during his Monday press conference in Houston that “the world has changed." That's why one of Bohl's priorities is working with the NCAA on behalf of college football coaches to overhaul an outdated offensive structure. The AFCA has worked extensively with the NFL when designing an offseason schedule that’s more in line with where football is headed, Bohl said. While there are noticeable differences between how the NFL and college football operate, Bohl said the addition of six practices to the offseason calendar and shortening the timeline for preseason practice (the proposal calls for 21 on-field practices over 27 days) are sensible, long-overdue changes that are being embraced. “What we did feel like was important is to look at some of the positive things the NFL is doing and then, quite frankly, too, we looked at some of the things in that chaotic world that we experienced during COVID, where everybody said we couldn't play football,” Bohl said. “What we found was there were things that we were able to adapt that really were meaningful, and one of the things that we found was more access to our players to do some work during the course of the summer. Players enjoyed it. Coaches enjoyed it. It didn't have to be a hit fest where you're in full contact and you're going to go out and do a full scrimmage. You could do some work in (spider pads) and get some good work done. This is where we integrated six extra workouts. It has been really warmly received by players and coaches.” View full news story

TAMPA, Fla. — Jon Sumrall enters his first season at Florida knowing the caliber of quarterback his defensive staff will have to deal with when the Gators travel to Austin to face Texas and Arch Manning on Oct. 17. Sumrall got to know Archie Manning and the Manning family during his two seasons as Tulane’s coach. Sumrall recalled during his press conference at SEC media days on Wednesday that Archie Manning reached out to him to see if he’d allow Arch Manning to work out at Tulane’s football facilities while the Longhorn quarterback was spending time at home in New Orleans. “Archie would shoot me a text or a phone call and see if it's OK in May, during a little downtime, if Arch comes over and throws,” Sumrall said. “I'm like, ‘Yeah. And ask if he wants to transfer.’ I might go out there and watch him throw and (Arch’s father) Cooper or whoever might be out there. I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’d like to coach that guy.’” In the face of constant pressure the Florida defense applied in a 29-21 loss the Gators handed Texas in Gainesville last season, Manning went 16-for-29 for 263 yards and two touchdowns (two interceptions and 37 net rushing yards on a season-high 15 official carries). Although the third bout between the Longhorns and Florida in as many seasons will be Sumrall’s first time preparing a plan to defend Manning, he knows the caliber of player the Gators will see under center. “He's a good player,” Sumrall said. “I really have a lot of respect for the Manning family as a whole. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree with Arch, with how he carries himself.” Sumrall inherits a Florida program that’s split its two SEC meetings with Texas (the Longhorns blasted the Gators in Austin in 2024, 49-17) and will battle Steve Sarkisian’s club for a third consecutive season. It’s one of the quirks of the league’s effort to equitably schedule a nine-game SEC slate for the league’s 16 programs, which resulted in scheduling anomalies, such as Florida and Tennessee not facing each other for the first time since 1989. Texas won't supplant the Volunteers on the list of schools the Gator faithful would consider a true rival to Florida. Nevertheless, Sumrall is looking forward to Sarkisian and the Longhorns being one of his team’s nine conference opponents during his maiden voyage as an SEC head coach. “It’s a big game because you're playing Texas and they're really good. Every SEC game is a big game is a big game,” Sumarall said. “It doesn't matter who we're playing; we don't change our prep for the game. It stays the same. But it is new and unique to be playing Texas a third year in a row. That's not something that's maybe historically been a part of Florida's past and Texas’ past. Who would’ve thought 10 years ago that Florida was playing Texas for the third year in a row and not playing Tennessee? “A lot of respect for Sark," he added. "He's a brilliant offensive mind and a play-caller. I've always admired how he does things. I think he runs a great program.” View full news story

Hearing Texas SEC opener in hoops this year is expected to be the Florida Gators at the Moody Center. The Florida Gators will be the No. 1 ranked team in the preseason top 25, while Texas will fall somewhere between 8 and 12. SEC home opponents Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M SEC away opponents Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt Texas non-conference schedule ... The full schedule is expected to be released soon. Key games Nov. 15 vs Baylor (San Antonio) Ray's Children Invitational Nov. 26 vs. Georgetown (San Diego) Nov. 27 vs winner of UCLA/St. Mary's (San Diego) SEC-ACC Challenge Dec. 1 at Louisville Toyota Center Dec. 12. vs. Miami (Houston) Dec. 16 vs. Memphis

The Longhorns will square off with Baylor on Nov. 15 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Here's what Miller said about scheduling the Bears: “We have an immense amount of respect for Baylor as a basketball program and Scott Drew as a head coach,” Texas head coach Sean Miller said. “Coach Drew is one of the best to ever do it, and the success of Baylor’s program over the last 20 years speaks for itself. We wanted to play a high-quality opponent knowing that we’re going to challenge our team to the highest level, and Baylor does that. The fact that they are also from our state is icing on the cake.” “The second part of our trip to San Antonio is so much of how we think as a basketball program starts with the state of Texas in mind,” Miller continued. “This allows us to tap into our San Antonio fan base, and in particular our great relationship with the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs come to Moody Center and play, and now we can reciprocate and go to where they call their home court. It’s great for our players, our team and to a large extent, it’s great for the continued relationship and development of that between The University of Texas and the San Antonio Spurs. Combining all those elements, playing in an NBA arena is always something that means a lot to our team and to our players because it’s where they one day want to be.” “Lastly, we don’t have a crystal ball and it’s not easy to make the NCAA Tournament, but if we are able to make the NCAA Tournament this year, there are a lot of different sites that you could go to,” Miller said. “If you are fortunate enough to advance, taking nothing for granted as you have to make it and advance, along that route one of those possibilities is San Antonio and Frost Bank Center. That is not our reason for playing this game, but there is a chance that could happen, and the fact that we could already have played there one time is again, icing on the cake.”

Update on Texas Indoor Facility *** Drove up to campus today to take a look at the new Texas indoor facility. Indoor completion remains on track for early August. But for now, a quick look into updates on construction, which includes the outer shell of the facility looking very close to complete, and natural grass laid out for the future outdoor practice field. From Robert Dedman Dr. The UTPD Parking War is soon to be over! a look at what will likely be an outdoor weight area, plus where the OL will work during special teams periods. Grass is down! And it looks good. I did think it was interesting there was only one goal post. Maybe that’s just for now, so we will update.