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The fourth-ranked Longhorns go for the series sweep of the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide today at 1 p.m. on SEC Network Plus. It's a big start for Luke Harrison, who didn't make it out of the first inning in last Saturday's loss to Texas A&M.

AUSTIN, Texas — As is the case with most spring games, regardless of the format, there wasn’t enough on display in Saturday’s open practice to draw finite conclusions about the Texas Longhorns in 2026. Still, what could be gleaned from a thud tempo scrimmage on a cold, dreary day at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium answered a few questions on a day when the curtain fell on a productive spring for Steve Sarkisian’s program. And, obviously, there are also things we won’t know about until Texas kicks off its sixth campaign under Sarkisian against Texas State on Sept. 5. Three questions answered at the end of spring practice 1. What’s the deepest position on the team? While the answer is debatable, the wide receivers made a strong case for being the deepest group on the Forty Acres throughout the spring. That continued on Saturday with Sterling Berkhalter, Jermaine Bishop and Daylan McCutcheon flashing, most notably McCutcheon on an outstretched touchdown catch inside the front pylon against Kade Phillips. With Cam Coleman, Emmett Mosley and Ryan Wingo getting no snaps during the live periods of practice, the second unit made plays for KJ Lacey (when he had time to throw the football) and consistently challenged an aggressive secondary. Even with a defensive line (both on the interior and out on the edge) that’s as deep and talented as any in the country, Sarkisian might be forced to expand his rotation of wideouts, given the number of playmakers in Chris Jackson’s room. 2. How different will the defense be under Will Muschamp? Although the live portion of Saturday’s action was void of exotic pressures and the kind of looks Muschamp will dial up during the regular season, it was clear that the Longhorns are going to be an aggressive, attacking defense under the new regime. Specifically, Saturday’s practice featured numerous A-gap pressures by the linebackers (Rasheem Biles, Tyler Atkinson and Kosi Okpala destroyed plays with pressure in the quarterback’s face) and tight, man coverage on the back end. With a few exceptions, defenders were on top of intended receivers when balls were caught, either forcing incompletions or eliminating yards after the catch. 3. Is the running game going to be better than it was in 2025? With little seen of Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers, and the offensive line missing Trevor Goosby and Melvin Siani (Brandon Baker, Jaydon Chatman and Connor Robertson saw few snaps), it was hard to get a full picture of the state of the running game. Nevertheless, Derrek Cooper ran with a different level of wiggle and maximized runs better than anyone (other than a healthy Tre Wisner) did last season, including on his short touchdown run and a gain of about eight yards in which he pushed the pile forward for a few yards before going down. Michael Terry had a good practice to close out spring practice, squirting loose over the left side of the line for a first down on a third-and-short run to highlight his day. James Simon, who Jabbar Juluke says is perhaps the best natural runner in his room, popped the longest gain of the day over the right side of the line late in the scrimmage. There’s no question that Texas has upgraded at running back. That alone gives the running game a much higher ceiling than it had last season. Three questions that remain unanswered at the end of spring practice 1. Will the offensive line be better than it was last season? Nobody should take what happened on Saturday as a sign of things to come, considering how many key pieces were held out of action or limited. Regardless, it’s hard to assume things will be drastically improved in the trenches without the group passing the eye test in a game. More than any other position, the offensive line needs a lot of time playing together for things to mesh well when it matters. Until the bullets are live, the jury is out on Kyle Flood’s group turning the page from a 2025 showing that fell short of expectations. 2. What will the tight ends’ role be on offense? Other than a catch-and-run by Michael Masunas late in the scrimmage and Spencer Shannon making a catch over the middle before Phillips took him off his feet, there wasn’t much to write home about regarding the performance of the tight ends on Saturday. Sarkisian’s offense often operates out of two tight ends, but the volume of 12 personnel snaps could decrease given the depth of the running back and wide receiver groups. It seemed like when Nick Townsend was in a position to catch the ball and do something with it in his hands, pressure forced the ball to come out of the quarterback’s hand too quickly or be thrown behind Townsend. Townsend has the tools to be a tremendous weapon, but the group’s role within the offense seems to be a work in progress. 3. What do we know about the kicking game? Not much after Saturday, which has been the case throughout the spring. Gianni Spetic had at least one missed field goal during the live portion of practice, Mac Chiumento’s punts didn’t move the needle and returns weren’t fully live (even though Raleek Brown looked the part on a kickoff return down the sideline to start the scrimmage). View full news story

Dia Bell Update OTF exchanged messages with a member of Dia Bell's circle. As everyone knows, he didn't take part in the spring practice Saturday. He was suited out, tried to warm up, but couldn't push off left side and rotate. OTF was told he took a hard hit (not on purpose) in Thursday's practice to his shin/calf. He will be fine, just bad luck on timing of the minor injury. He's expected to be fine per the person in his circle.

Congrats to the former walk-on WR

Brown defensive back Nick Hudson’s commitment to Texas on Friday makes him the latest addition to the roster for the 2026 season. Like the additions of Darius Snow and Paris Patterson Jr., recruiting Hudson from the portal speaks to how the Longhorns are maximizing the new age of roster building in college football. With roster construction mimicking an NFL model, Texas landing Hudson is akin to an NFL club signing a free agent ahead of training camp. That’s not to minimize what Hudson, who played 777 snaps in three seasons at Brown and led the Ivy League with 13 pass breakups in 2024, brings to the table. Still, with instant impact starters like Cam Coleman, Rasheem Biles, Raleek Brown, Hollywood Smothers, Melvin Siani and Bo Mascoe accounting for where Texas had to devote most of its portal resources, guys like Hudson, Snow and Patterson are like the low-risk, high-reward options found throughout NFL rosters in the preseason. If Hudson, or any of the other post-spring practice additions, earn significant roles in 2026, they’ll be well worth whatever the staff invested in them to get them to the Forty Acres. If things don’t pan out, and Hudson, Snow and Patterson are simply on the roster and contributing mainly through their work on the practice field, then they’ll be unused insurance policies. The best-case scenario for Hudson (along with Snow and Patterson) might be mirroring what Sterling Berkhalter has done since joining the program. Even within a position group oozing talent, Berkhalter has had the kind of spring that has Steve Sarkisian and Chris Jackson believing in him as someone who could potentially be counted on to log meaningful snaps. Regardless, the three most recent roster additions can put a buffer between a talented group of true freshmen and the field, if nothing else. If Tyler Atkinson, Samari Matthews and John Turntine III have significant roles as true freshmen, it needs to be because they’re the best options and not the only options available at their respective positions. That’s not to say the staff should or would put Hudson on the field before Matthews, for example. But a capable, experienced option is a nice fallback plan to consider if, for whatever reason, there are reservations about turning to a true freshman. With college football teams operating under a roster cap of 105 players, late additions like Hudson are more talented, experienced versions of the preferred walk-ons who've previously filled out the roster. If Hudson does nothing beyond giving the starters a better look to go against in practice, taking him will have been a worthwhile addition to the roster. View full news story

Texas women's basketball had added Oklahoma transfer guard Zya Vann on Friday morning, OTF has learned. “Texas is the best place for me to grow because of the elite culture and standard the coaches and players hold themselves to every day,” Vann said. “I am excited to be part of something that’s built to win at the highest level.” The junior guard from Edmond, Okla. is the first pledge for Vic Schaefer and the Texas women in the transfer portal window. “We are so excited to welcome Zya Vann to our Longhorn family,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said. “When looking to add someone to our program, we’re searching for the total package—and that’s exactly who Zya is. She is an elite competitor with a toughness and grit that shows up in everything she does. As a combo guard, she brings versatility, physicality, and a relentless motor that will impact us immediately. “What really stands out about Zya is who she is beyond the game. She’s about the right things—work ethic, accountability, and being a great teammate. She carries herself the right way every day, and that comes from the incredible family that raised her. We’re not just adding a great player—we’re adding a high-character young woman who fits exactly what our program is built on. We couldn’t be more excited to have her in burnt orange.” Vann averaged 10.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in 2025. The Longhorns are looking to build out their 2026-27 roster after a handful of portal exits, including Jordan Lee (South Carolina), Aaliyah Crump (Duke), and Justice Carlton (TBD). Texas is bringing in three McDonald's All-Americans in forwards Addison Bjorn and Bri Crittendon and guard Lizzy Spaight. UT is also bringing in an ESPN five-star forward Isi Etute and four-star guard Amalia Holguin.

As Gerry first reported, here's Monshun Sales on his Texas visit

AUSTIN, Texas — The 2024 Texas defense was a national championship-caliber unit. Even when the offense struggled, the defense’s knack for the football and their ability to keep opponents out of the end zone positioned the Longhorns painfully close to getting over the College Football Playoff semifinal hump. One of the things that made Pete Kwiatkowski’s group elite was the defense’s ability to create havoc plays. When the curtain fell on a 16-game season, Texas ranked among the nation’s leaders with 22 interceptions (tied for first), 18 forced fumbles (No. 3) and 112 tackles for loss (No. 6). Calculating havoc rate isn’t complicated. It’s the combined number of tackles for loss, forced fumbles and passes defensed (combining pass breakups and interceptions) divided by the number of plays faced, which determines the rate at which a defense creates a negative play for the offense. Texas finished the 2024 season with an overall havoc rate of 21.1 percent, according to CollegeFootballData.com. The Longhorns’ overall havoc rate was the seventh-highest rate in FBS, trailing only national leader Ole Miss and Tennessee among SEC defenses. A front seven havoc rate of 13 percent tied for 12th nationally, while a defensive back havoc rate of 8.1 percent tied for eighth-best in the country. Historically, those rates were the highest marks during Kwiatkowski’s five seasons. Last season, however, the Texas defense’s havoc rate dropped to 17.9 percent, with the front seven (11.3 percent) and defensive back (6.6 percent) rated down from 2024. Beyond the overall production slipping, the Longhorns generated a staggeringly low number of havoc plays in their three losses. Whereas Texas averaged 13.4 havoc plays per game in its 10 wins (71 tackles for loss, 10 forced fumbles, 39 pass breakups and 14 interceptions), the defense netted only 21 total havoc plays in losses to Ohio State, (one tackle for loss and two pass breakups), Florida (three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and an interception) and Georgia (eight tackles for loss, one pass breakup and one interception. The dropoff was sharp decline compared to 2024, when the Longhorns recorded 11 havoc plays in a regular-season loss to the Bulldogs (four tackles for loss, three interceptions and two pass breakups), 20 in the SEC championship game (10 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, five pass breakups and one interception) and eight in a Cotton Bowl loss to the Buckeyes (four tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one forced fumbles and one interception). The need to consistently cause havoc can’t be overlooked in the continued offseason examination of Steve Sarkisian's decision to part ways with Kwiatkowski in favor of Will Muschamp. “We want to create havoc,” Sarkisian said after Tuesday’s practice. “We did a tremendous job defensively (last) Saturday, in the scrimmage, of creating havoc plays — sacks and negative plays, turnovers.” Muschamp’s 2009 defense was one of the most opportunistic in program history, helping the Longhorns set a single-season school record for non-offensive touchdowns (11) while leading the nation with 25 interceptions. One of the byproducts of Texas playing more man coverage under Muschamp and getting more aggressive on the perimeter should be more opportunities for Longhorn defenders to make plays on the football. Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips tied for the team lead with six pass breakups as true freshmen in 2025 — Littleton led the defense in passes defensed (eight, including two interceptions), while Phillips and Jelani McDonald (three interceptions and three pass breakups) tied for the second-most passes defensed last season — which speaks to the playmaking potential of Muschamp has in the secondary. McDonald, who chose to return for his senior season instead of entering the 2026 NFL Draft, said during Wednesday’s on-campus media availability that Muschamp’s scheme will let the safeties show off their versatility compared to what the position was asked to do under Kwiatkowski. “We're able to do more,” McDonald said. “We're jumping digs, we're on top of digs, we're in man coverage — everything. We're able to blitz. “It's going to give me more things to put on my résumé.” Hopefully, McDonald and the Longhorn defenders' renewed focus on finding the football leads to the defense causing havoc more consistently in 2026. View full news story

Four-star TE Jaxon Dollar tells OTF he won't be visiting Texas today after all and a reschedule date is TBD. Notre Dame and Georgia are two schools trending for him, particularly the Fighting Irish.

His top 3 has been set since early March. With a May 9 decision date, it's hard to envision this one going Texas' way. The Longhorns are high on Caldwell but as OTF has noted, Briceson Thrower - and now likely Monshun Sales - is the focus to add at the moment to go with Easton Royal.

Elite 2028 LB to Visit Thursday *** Texas is set to host one of the top 2028 linebackers in the country for an unofficial visit on Thursday. Gabriel Player, LB, Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie High Player, a 6-foot-3.5 linebacker, has been scorching on the recruiting trail as of late, having visited Ohio State, Florida, Miami, and Florida State in the past two weeks. He currently does not hold a composite ranking, but he does possess 33 offers at the moment, including one from Texas which came the final week of February. Notable Offers: Alabama Florida Florida State Miami Ohio State Oklahoma Ole Miss Oregon Tennessee Texas Texas A&M

As is the case with the Tuesday game this season, I'll be on the livestream starting at 7 p.m., so I won't be providing my usual commentary. Regardless, Texas and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are underway, and it's not a good start for the Longhorns. Michael Winter got the start and allowed two singles, walked a batter and gave up an RBI single. The Islanders have a 1-0 lead with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the first.

Texas has secured the commitment of transfer forward David Punch, addressing one of its most significant roster needs for the 2026-27 season. Punch went public with his commitment Sunday night, posting the news on Instagram. A national top-100 recruit out of Harker Heights in the 2024 class, Punch joins the Longhorns after two seasons at TCU. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-7-inch, 245-pound Punch was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection, averaging 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Punch gives Texas a presence at the power forward spot it lacked during its run to the Sweet 16 in Sean Miller’s first season. Along with his ability to keep the ball moving on offense, Punch should immediately help the Longhorns improve on the defensive end of the floor. Punch blocked 66 shots and recorded 45 steals in 34 games; Punch doubled Matas Vokietaitis’ team-leading 33 blocked shots this past season and only Dailyn Swain’s 59 steals topped Punch’s totals among Texas players. The addition of Punch and the return of Vokietaitis give the Longhorns two tremendous frontcourt pieces for Miller’s second season. Currently, with Swain making himself eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, Texas has four starting spots penciled in for next season: Punch, Vokietaitis, Colorado transfer guard Isaiah Johnson and McDonald’s All-American guard Austin Goosby. View full news story

AUSTIN, Texas — Part of what endeared Will Muschamp to Texas football fans the way Mike Campbell and Leon Fuller did before him was his intensity and demand for physicality, which were traits his Longhorn defenses showed during his first stint as defensive coordinator. What Muschamp doesn’t get enough credit for is his attention to detail. Playing for Muschamp requires a razor-sharp focus, which bred discipline that helped Muschamp field championship-caliber defenses and change the football culture on the Forty Acres during his three seasons under Mack Brown (2008-10). Unlike his first tour of duty with the Longhorns, Muschamp’s return hasn’t tasked him with creating something from scratch. It’s more of a case of Muschamp helping Sarkisian clear a hurdle he’s reached along his climb to college football’s summit. Regardless, Muschamp’s impact in his second Texas tenure is being felt in how the Longhorns practice. The expected Muschamp hallmarks are evident (the “No Thud = No Play” mantra chief among them). Muschamp’s detailing of Steve Sarkisian’s defensive practice plan for spring ball during his media availability last Tuesday, however, revealed how Sarkisian is giving Muschamp the tools he needs to help Texas regain the physical edge it lacked at times in 2025. For starters, Muschamp is familiar with the way Texas practices because Sarkisian’s practice structure, he said, is similar to what he experienced while working under Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. From the day he took the job, Sarkisian has implemented a lot of what he learned from Saban during his time as an Alabama assistant coach (2016, 2019-20). Still, Sarkisian using practice periods to run through half-line pass drills, for example, is a sign that Muschamp is getting everything he needs to make his mark on the 2026 squad. “When you do half-line pass, that's really a great teaching tool for the defense,” Muschamp said. “I hear a lot of offensive coaches, like, 'I never want to do that.' We always did that with Coach Saban because it’s really to teach the principles of the coverage to the defensive players. We do that here. Coach Sarkisian loves it, but he knows that it helps us probably more than it really helps our offense. If (the play is) a full-field read for the quarterback, he's only reading half the field and sometimes there's some coverages that are going to kill any route over there.” That might not sound like a big deal. But, Sarkisian, who points out time and again that “you get what you emphasize" in practice, tailoring practice periods to Muschamp’s liking speaks to a coach who wants to maximize a shift in defensive philosophy capable of elevating the program to the elusive next rung on the championship ladder. Muschamp likes the physicality of Sarkisian’s practice. Beyond that, and perhaps more important to Texas getting back to the College Football Playoff, Sarkisian’s understanding that the defense needs live snaps to hone their craft has Muschamp excited about what the team has accomplished in spring practice. “On offense, you can go out and do routes on air and really improve and get the timing and get all that,” Muschamp said. “On defense, you have to key and diagnose. You have to see something, you have to respond to it the right way, have your eyes in the right spot and in order for us to get better, we've got to go against people.” View full news story

He was at practice today for first time. Here a week earlier than I expected!

2025 Ruston (La.) CB Aidan Anding has committed to LSU over Texas and Arkansas. The Tigers retain one of Louisiana's top DBs.

5-star visitor this week OnTexasFootball was the first to report that the staff was working on getting 5-star and No. 1 ranked wide receiver Monshun Sales (Indianapolis, In./Lawrence North) on campus this month on a first ever visit to Texas. OTF believes based on intel that the 6-5, 205-pounder with 4.37 wheels is scheduled to be in Austin this week (likely Wednesday & Thursday). Sales initiated the interest in Texas, and wide receivers coach Chris Jackson has been in constant contact prior to Texas offering recently. Ohio State and Indiana are the two schools mentioned the most headed into the visit later this week.

John Turntine III note Was just told the freshman offensive lineman is up 30 pounds from senior season at North Crowley. Hovering around 295-298 right now. Has really come on second half of spring too. He’s repped at 2nd RT a lot. Hes even taken reps at guard and center (due to injuries). Reports are very positive out of Austin.