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The first SEC game of the Sean Miller era tips off at the top of the hour. Texas (9-4, 0-0 SEC) hosts Mississippi State (8-5, 0-0) at Moody Center in the first conference game for both clubs this season. A couple of notes: — There were no injuries reported on either side to the conference. The availability reports for the Longhorns and Bulldogs are clean. — I'm told the football transfer portal prospects who are visiting Texas this weekend are expected to be here at some point. — Texas is honoring the 2005-06 team that won a share of the Big 12 title and advanced to the Elite Eight. I'm told the only players on the team who aren't here are Kenton Paulino (he's an assistant coach at Wichita State), Daniel Gibson (travel issues) and Mike Williams (whereabouts unknown).

MODS only transfer portal thread Per you guys request, we are starting a mods only transfer portal update thread.

Texas had a seven-point lead with 2:17 remaining in regulation, but it didn't last. Mississippi State ended the second half on a 7-0 run, Jordan Pope's shot in the closing seconds didn't fall. The Longhorns never led in overtime, losing to the Bulldogs on Saturday at Moody Center, 101-98. Dailyn Swain carried Texas (9-5, 0-1 SEC) with 34 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out at the 1:42 mark of the second half. Tramon Mark (20 points, three rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot) and Matas Vokietaitis (19 points and four rebounds) were the other Longhorns who scored in double figures. Mississippi State (9-5, 1-0) was led by the backcourt duo of Josh Hubbard (38 points, 6-for-17 from 3-point range) and Jayden Epps (27 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal). Achor Achor (10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots) was the only other player in double figures for Chris Janz's team. The loss in Sean Miller's first conference game as Texas coach was a game the Longhorns needed to win in their quest to make the NCAA Tournament. Texas is about to go through a brutal three-game stretch with consecutive SEC road games against No. 19 Tennessee on Tuesday and No. 14 Alabama next Saturday before returning home to face No. 11 Vanderbilt on Jan. 14.

Texas will host Rutgers CB Bo Mascoe on Monday for a visit. Mascoe was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2025 and was recruited by Mark Orphey originally to Rutgers. View full news story

Tracking Portal Entrants Across the Country *** Starting an ongoing thread for portal entrants this December and January. There will be a separate thread for Texas entrants, but this should provide an idea of which talent elsewhere is going to be on the move this offseason.

Throughout the 2025 season, whenever I’ve been asked to describe or define the identity of the Texas offense, my answer hasn’t changed. It's Arch Manning. When the Longhorns started a critical fourth-quarter drive in Wednesday’s 41-27 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, with Texas (10-3) facing a 27-24 deficit with 10:56 remaining in regulation, @Rod Babers wondered out loud during our watch along whether Steve Sarkisian would focus on players or plays to move the football. Immediately after Manning’s fourth-and-2 scramble for 15 yards, which preceded his 30-yard touchdown strike to Kaliq Lockett for the go-ahead score, we had our answer. “Arch is the play!” he said. Just like he did in leading the Longhorns to wins over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in the regular season, Sarkisian chose to lean on Manning’s playmaking ability in the clutch. And, once again, Manning delivered, including a 60-yard touchdown scamper with 5:06 to play, which served as the final nail in the Wolverines’ coffin. Manning played turnover-free football in the Longhorns’ four wins over opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 this season. With his four-touchdown outing against Michigan (9-4), Manning (21-for-34 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns; nine rushing attempts for 155 yards and two scores en route to Citrus Bowl MVP honors) accounted for 10 total touchdowns (seven passing and three rushing) while quarterbacking Texas to wins over the Wolverines, Sooners, Commodores and Aggies. Even though he was bruised and bleeding in the fourth quarter, a time in which an offense that was already playing without Quintrevion Wisner and DeAndre Moore Jr. had to adjust on the fly when injuries took Emmett Mosley V (five catches for 51 yards) and Ryan Wingo (64 yards on four receptions) out of the lineup, Manning did something in Wednesday’s win that every great Longhorn quarterback has done at some point. His presence, playmaking ability and will to win elevated inexperienced weapons like Lockett and Christian Clark (105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries) to a level nobody who’s watched Texas this season could’ve predicted was possible. Those who follow the program have had a front-row seat to watch Manning’s season-long trajectory throughout. As the curtain falls on Manning’s redshirt sophomore campaign, his performance and production are in line with what a lot of folks unfairly expected he’d show from the outset in 2025. He’ll take a 12-3 record as a starting quarterback into the 2026 season, one in which the Longhorns will be expected to contend for a berth in the College Football Playoff. While Sarkisian and the Texas organization will dive into the transfer portal to build a roster capable of standing tall after navigating a nine-game SEC schedule, nobody can question whether or not the Longhorns have a championship-caliber quarterback. Texas will enter 2026 with a quarterback who has a legitimate case to be labeled as college football’s top gunslinger. View full news story

Initial returns I have been able to gather were relatively positive for Mosley. The Longhorn wide receiver was spotted on crutches and a protective boot in the postgame after the win over Michigan. Based off of what I have collected today, the belief is that Mosley avoided significant injury to his ankle/foot. Mosley left the game in the 2nd quarter after a hit on the sideline left him unable to put much weight on his foot and knocked him out of the game. Again, still early, since the injury. However, the belief is that Mosley should not be sidelined too deep into winter conditioning.

Of all of the things I least expected to happen to Texas during the 2025 season, there’s no way I would’ve called Arch Manning and Christian Clark to be the two Longhorns who’d go over 100 yards rushing in the same game. Nevertheless, Manning led Texas with 155 yards and two touchdowns in Wednesday’s 41-27 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. But it was Clark’s 105-yard effort on 20 carries that paced the Longhorn rushing attack, which churned out 235 yards, one yard shy of a season high (236 yards against Sam Houston). Clark’s 22-yard burst over the right side of the line on his first carry set the tone for the biggest day of the redshirt freshman’s young career. He gained some much-needed confidence right out of the gate. His ability to be patient and then to stick a foot in the ground to get vertical (with a gear he didn’t show earlier in the season) made Clark the right man to get the baton from Quintrevion Wisner as the lead dog in the Texas running game. It’s fair to wonder if Clark should’ve gotten more carries throughout the season. Regardless, he rose to the occasion in such a manner that the Longhorns might consider allocating resources elsewhere in the transfer portal if they view Clark as someone who can handle a more significant role. (Running back will still be a top priority, but could Clark be a key rotational piece around a true No. 1 runner?) *** The Texas (10-3) offensive line didn’t dominate the Wolverines at the point of attack. Seven of the Longhorns’ 33 official rushing attempts were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage, and Manning’s 60-yard game-clinching touchdown run elevated the rushing yardage total. Still, even with Michigan (9-4) recording five tackles for loss on Wednesday, Kyle Flood’s group ended the season by allowing seven total sacks against seven ranked opponents. The Wolverines became the Longhorns' second ranked foe this season to come up empty trying to sack Manning (Vanderbilt was also shut out in the sack department). Whether Trevor Goosby comes back or not, Wednesday’s game made for a solid sendoff for a group that’s going to lose D.J. Campbell, Cole Huston and possibly Connor Robertson. *** It’s a shame Emmett Mosley V (five catches for 51 yards) was injured late in the first half and couldn’t return. He displayed impressively strong hands and the kind of decisiveness in the quick game that could make him a more versatile weapon than he got a chance to show he could be in his first season with the program. *** If the Citrus Bowl is the last game for Jack Endries as a Longhorn, it was one in which he made a difference. His five receptions for 35 yards included a touchdown catch that saw him impressively hang onto the ball after getting popped in the end zone. *** It wasn’t always pretty on defense, especially throughout the third and into the fourth quarter when Michigan started to control the game. A big part of that was Bryce Underwood (199 yards passing, 77 yards rushing, three total touchdowns and two interceptions) taking advantage of available, open throws underneath, eating into a 9.3 to-go distance on third down (a 4-for-15 night on third down) to set the Wolverines up for a 5-for-6 night on fourth down. But when the dust settled, Texas finished plus-2 in the turnover margin (3-1) thanks to a pair of big second-half interceptions by Ty’Anthony Smith (a game-high nine tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry) and a red-zone pick by Wardell Mack. *** Colin Simmons (one sack and two tackles for loss) impacted the game, especially when he could pin his ears back and attack the Wolverines' tackles. His season-long total of 12 sacks as a sophomore ties him with Tony Degrate (1984), Kiki De Ayala (1981) and Steve McMichael (1977) for eighth on the school’s single-season list (with 21 career sacks, Simmons’ next one will move him into a tie for 12th place on the program’s career charts). *** While I’m thrilled that the Longhorns got the win and developed a lot of guys during bowl season who will be expected to take on more significant roles in 2026, three things must change before the start of next season: — Even though the officiating left a lot to be desired on Wednesday (including two controversial Michigan touchdowns confirmed by the ACC crew after going under the hood for a review), a season-high-tying 12 penalties for 104 yards isn’t how I wanted this team to end the season. I don’t know what Steve Sarkisian needs to do to fix the penalty problem, but Texas must find a way to play cleaner, more disciplined football next season. — Outside of Mason Shipley’s 2-for-2 night on field goals (43 and 51 yards, respectively), the kicking game was a disaster. It took the Longhorns entirely too long to stop kicking the ball to Andrew Marsh (163 all-purpose yards, only 10 of which came on offense) and Ryan Niblett’s fumble on a kickoff return, which set up Michigan’s first touchdown, was the only turnover of the game. The offense and defense did enough to overcome the net negative contributions from the special teams, a phase of the game in which entirely too many penalties were committed through 13 games. — I appreciated the effort of guys like Smith, Mack, Graceson Littleton (six tackles and a pass breakup), Warren Roberson (five tackles and a pass breakup), Kade Phillips (eight tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup), Bo Barnes (three tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack) and Jelani McDonald (seven tackles), who threw their bodies around in the name of making plays (Roberson came painfully close to forcing a touchback on Underwood's fourth-quarter touchdown run and Mack's interception was preceeded by a sudden move to cornerback with Roberson and Kobe Black unavailable at the time). Still, the challenge for Will Muschamp will be to maximize a dynamic pass rush while tightening up coverage and eliminating the easy throws, of which there were too many available for Underwood on Wednesday. *** The unsavory aspects of Wednesday’s game aside, Texas rides into the offseason with a 10th win on the strength of a monster game from Manning, with changes afoot to help the Longhorns get back into the College Football Playoff. With that as the backdrop, I’ll worry about the transfer portal and how Muschamp will fill out the defensive staff after savoring this one for a bit. The 2025 season didn’t play out the way Longhorn fans wanted it to or hoped it would. Thankfully, an undermanned squad of fewer than 70 scholarship players gave everyone something to feel good about heading into 2026. View full news story

5-star recruiting note from Under Armour practice Orlando, Fla. - While Euless (Texas) Trinity High 5-star cornerback John Meredith III currently has Texas A&M and Alabama as the top two in his recruitment, a source very close to the recruitment gave another thought tonight. The source said he believes the recruitment could very well come down to Texas vs. Ohio State over time. Mark Orphey is doing a very consistent job in the recruitment, and the addition of Will Muschamp will make a difference according to the source. OTF firmly believes NIL will play a very key factor here as well, so that element can’t be ignored. The source also told OTF he believes Meredith will be in Austin in January for Junior Day, and on campus in the spring.

Wednesday’s Citrus Bowl pits two of the most highly-touted quarterback prospects in the history of modern recruiting against each other when Arch Manning and Bryce Underwood lead their respective teams into battle for the last time in 2025. Manning, who will make his 15th career start for Texas, is the eighth-highest rated quarterback prospect in the history of the 247Sports Composite, slightly behind Terrelle Pryor and just ahead of Matt Barkley. Ryan Mallett is the only quarterback to ever sign with Michigan rated higher than Underwood (No. 22 all-time in the 247Sports Composite quarterback rankings), who will start for the 13th and final time as a true freshman. That’s where the similarities end between two former prized quarterback recruits at different stages of their respective careers. Against a Wolverine defense that ranks 16th nationally in points per game allowed (18.7), 18th in yards per play allowed (4.77) and 22nd in yards per game allowed (312.3), Manning will look to continue the success he’s enjoyed against the Longhorns’ ranked opponents in 2025. Even though he struggled in a season-opening loss to Ohio State, Manning completed 64.2 percent of his passes (104 for 162) against the Buckeyes, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, throwing for 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Manning’s 112 net rushing yards in those games include a 36-yard game-clinching touchdown run against the Aggies. According to Pro Football Focus, Manning was pressured on 97 dropbacks, but his pocket presence and athleticism minimized the damage to the tune of just six total sacks for the five ranked foes. Wink Martindale, a defensive coordinator known for the variety and volume of pressure looks he’ll throw at opposing quarterbacks, will have to blitz Manning at his own risk. On the 184 dropbacks in which Manning has been blitzed through 12 games, according to PFF, he’s completed more than 57 percent of his passes (96 for 166) for 1,419 yards and 12 touchdowns, throwing just two interceptions with 81 pressures via the blitz leading to only 11 sacks. On the other hand, Underwood’s two games against ranked opponents (a 24-13 loss to Oklahoma in his first start on the road and a 27-9 loss to Ohio State at home in the regular season finale) yielded unsavory results. In Michigan's losses to the Sooners and Buckeyes, Underwood went 17-for-42 through the air (40.5 percent completion rate) for 205 yards (4.9 yards per attempt and 12.1 yards per completion) with no touchdown passes and one interception. Like most inexperienced quarterbacks, Underwood is still learning how to deal with pressure. According to PFF, Underwood is 28-for-61 on the 29.7 percent of his dropbacks in which he’s faced pressure, with 362 yards, one touchdown and one interception, numbers that have contributed to an NFL passer rating of 63.7. Martindale and the Wolverines will play the game without three defensive captains (EDGE Derrick Moore and linebackers Jaishawn Barham and Ernest Hausmann). The Longhorns have turned defensive play-calling duties over to Johnny Nansen, who’s left to adjust to the fallout of seven postseason opt-outs. Still, the objective for both coordinators on Wednesday should be to win the race to make the game one in which the opponent has to drop back and throw the football to survive. A Texas offensive line operating at full strength must keep Manning clean and pave the way for the Longhorns to run the ball well enough to achieve a must-have semblance of balance. The Longhorns surrendered just three sacks in their three regular-season wins over Associated Press top-10 opponents, victories over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in which Texas averaged 155.3 rushing yards per game (4.68 yards per attempt). Ty’Anthony Smith and Brad Spence will lead an inexperienced group of Texas linebackers against a Michigan rushing attack that’s one of the best in the country (213.2 yards per game and 5.51 yards per attempt are top-15 marks in FBS). Slowing down the Wolverines’ rushing attack isn’t an insurmountable task, however, with Michigan set to take the field without running back Justice Haynes (857 yards rushing, 7.1 yards per attempt and 10 touchdowns), All-Big Ten tight end/H-back/fullback/lead blocker Max Bredeson and All-Big Ten left guard Gio El-Hadi (it also remains to be seen where leading rusher Jordan Marshall is in his recovery from a late-season shoulder injury). Opt-outs and coaching changes add significant unknown variables when trying to predict the winner of a postseason exhibition between two of the five winningest programs in FBS history. The outcome will likely be decided by either the Wolverines slowing down Manning’s ascent toward his ceiling or the Longhorns doing their part to put Underwood’s coming-of-age moment as a college quarterback off until 2026. View full news story

A lot has changed since Texas smacked reigning national champion Michigan, 31-12, on Sept. 7, 2024. The Longhorns’ romp snapped several Wolverine winning streaks, including 23 consecutive wins at the Big House and 28 consecutive regular-season victories. The rosters and coaching staff for both clubs look a lot different ahead of Wednesday’s Citrus Bowl (2 p.m., ABC), the second meeting between No. 13 Texas (9-3, 6-2 SEC) and No. 18 Michigan (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) in 15 months. Still, interim offensive coordinator Steve Casula and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale were in Ann Arbor for the second all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Longhorns. Casula, Michigan’s interim offensive coordinator for last season’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Alabama, said during Sunday’s press conferences at Orlando’s Rosen Plaza Hotel that the Texas defense missing seven starting-caliber players and turning defensive play-calling duties over to Johnny Nansen haven’t changed his view of the Longhorns. Casula cited Nansen’s experience as a defensive coordinator (two seasons at Arizona in 2022 and 2023) and the presence of “a very, very special player” on the edge in second-team All-American Colin Simmons when describing why “ a healthy program, a deep program” like Texas remains a formidable opponent. “Forget who the players were or what the schemes were or anything,” Casula said. “In totality, they were one of the most well-coached teams, in my opinion, that we've encountered in my time here at Michigan. Our expectation would be that we'd encounter the same thing on Wednesday.” Over the last two seasons, only five opponents have had better performances against Martindale’s defense than Steve Sarkisian’s offense, which tallied 389 yards of total offense in the second game of the 2024 season (only three opposing offenses have topped the 5.7 yards per play the Longhorns averaged against the Wolverines in Martindale’s 25 games on the job). Even with the Texas running back room going through a significant transition (Kyle Flood said on Sunday that Christian Clark, Ryan Niblett, James Simon and Michael Terry III could all have roles in Wednesday’s game) and DeAndre Moore Jr. preparing to enter the transfer portal, an offense led by Arch Manning, who completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns (two interceptions) while rushing for 112 yards (4.2 yards per attempt) and a touchdown against ranked opponents in the regular season, has Martindale’s attention. “When you had that box of cereal, and you didn't know what the surprise was? It's the same thing going against that offense,” Martindale said. “You're not sure who's going to be there, but they're going to be very talented. It's going to be a great challenge for us.” View full news story

I had mentioned new Texas DC Will Muschamp would attend one day of practice around the Citrus Bowl. That day of observation will be tomorrow. He’s not going to be on the sidelines for the game taking away from the game or current Texas staff.

Was told for a second time in less than a day that Jadan Baugh has not told Florida anything concrete on his plans following the meeting with Gators HC Jon Sumrall, OC and multiple family members of Sumrall. There were other UF coaches there too. Florida side feels like the meeting went well, but doesn’t know his decision - if he has one. OTF was also told Baugh does now have an advisor or agent working with him and his family. So now we wait to see if Baugh will play one more season at Florida before declaring for the 2027 NFL Draft, or enter the portal.

Texas is expecting to hear some portal news here shortly according to a source close to the situation.

Texas Offers 2027 LB Kareem Palmer *** Kareem Palmer, a 2027 linebacker from Toombs County (GA), has officially received an offer from The University of Texas. Palmer shared the news on twitter Sunday afternoon, after a positive conversation with the Texas coaching staff. The original tweet also tags Texas linebackers coach Johnny Nansen as well. Palmer. a 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound linebacker, holds nine offers at the moment, including Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and a couple of others.

I decided to sleep on the bombshell Steve Sarkisian dropped on Thursday, and my thoughts on Will Muschamp’s return to Texas at the expense of Pete Kwiatkowski’s job (with the collateral damage including the end of Duane Akina’s second stint on the Forty Acres) remain largely the same. With that said, it’s worth painting the backdrop for Sarkisian’s calculated risk. To understand why the burnt orange faithful love Muschamp, one has to understand the situation he inherited in 2008. After Greg Robinson and Gene Chizik successfully built on the foundation that Carl Reese built, with the Longhorns fielding elite defenses in 2004 and 2005, the bottom fell out in 2007. A defense co-coordinated by Akina and Larry MacDuff is still the second-worst pass defense in school history in yards per game allowed (277.8). The 23 passing touchdowns the unit gave up set an all-time single-season high at Texas until Vance Bedford’s 2015 defense was burned for 24 scores through the air (Todd Orlando's 2018 and 2019 defenses established new marks, surrendering 26 and 28 passing touchdowns, respectively). Much like the 2025 squad, the 2007 Longhorns underachieved compared to preseason expectations. Texas was in line to play in a BCS bowl until a sloppy performance in College Station ended with a 38-30 loss to Texas A&M in what turned out to be Dennis Franchione’s last game as coach of the Aggies. Mack Brown famously made every starting job open for competition heading into that season’s Holiday Bowl against Arizona State. The Longhorns played largely inspired football, putting forth arguably their best performance of the season in a 52-34 rout of the Sun Devils, a 10-win team under Dennis Erickson that claimed a share of the Pac-10 title. Still, Brown shook things up, hiring Muschamp away from Auburn to run the defense. The impact was felt in Muschamp's first spring as Texas played defense with a physical, disciplined and maniacal edge it lacked since winning the national championship in 2005. Muschamp did more than field defenses that played with elite levels of effort, intensity and toughness, harkening back to the days of Mike Campbell and Leon Fuller. He changed the culture across the board, which, along with the evolution of Colt McCoy on offense, spearheaded the Longhorns to a 25-2 record (with a Big 12 title, a BCS championship game appearance and a Fiesta Bowl win over Ohio State) during Muschamp’s first two seasons in Austin. Fast forward 15 years (the news of Muschamp’s departure to Florida to be Urban Meyer’s successor broke on a massive official visit weekend that coincided with the 2010 Texas team’s postseason banquet), and Sarkisian is in a position where Brown found himself before he hired Muschamp. And it's not where Brown was after he led the program to consecutive 10-3 seasons after the 2005 triumph. For Sarkisian, this offseason mirrors where Brown’s tenure stood after the 2003 season, which ended with a disappointing Holiday Bowl loss to Washington State. Reese, who was 60 years old at the time, took the Longhorn defense as far as he could. With Mike Leach and Mark Mangino at the forefront of the spread evolution in the Big 12, top-notch offensive minds gradually figured out how to move the ball and score against Reese’s aggressive defenses, which relied on playing high-level man coverage. The 59-year-old Kwiatkowski pulled the nose up after a disastrous 2021, leading championship-caliber defenses over the last three seasons. While no guarantee that turning the defense over to Muschamp will get Texas over the hump, the move suggests that Sarkisian made a tough but necessary call. If the Longhorns are going to ascend to the next level in Sarkisian's sixth season, changes had to be made. Texas has a plethora of potential difference makers along the defensive front who can enhance what Colin Simmons brings to the table. Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips are foundational pieces in the secondary. What the Longhorns can’t have when the dust settles on the 2026 season is the feeling that lingers at the end of Anthony Hill Jr.’s collegiate career. Even though Hill made multiple All-America teams, it’s fair to say that there was meat left on the bone, that Texas didn’t get everything it could out of a game-changing presence in the middle of the defense. The 54-year-old Muschamp hasn’t been hanging out on the golf course over the last few college football seasons. After his time as Georgia’s co-defensive coordinator ended following the 2023 season, he spent one more season with the Bulldogs as an analyst, making him familiar with SEC offensive play-callers and schemes and, more importantly, the defensive personnel he’s inheriting upon his return to the Longhorns. Texas is rightfully loading up for what’s expected to be Arch Manning’s last hurrah. Getting the most out of Simmons (a potential early first-round NFL draft pick in 2027) is just as important in the Longhorns’ quest to overtake Georgia for the SEC throne on their way to college football’s summit. It would be nice to make moves with a multi-year vision for the program in mind. Unfortunately, with the roster volatility that exists in college football, on top of Texas missing the College Football Playoff after two consecutive trips, Sarkisian has to make moves that will maximize the next 12-plus months. The Muschamp move is the biggest example so far that the Longhorns are approaching 2026 with the mindset of going big or going home. View full news story

The nuclear bomb dropped yesterday in regards to the swap of Pete Kwiatkowski for Will Muschamp will continue to have trickle down effect. Two positions I am monitoring on the defensive side of the ball are linebackers and defensive backs. Will Muschamp stepped foot on campus for the first time Friday morning and I was told he immediately took up with the Texas linebacking unit. What does that mean for Johnny Nansen? At the moment, I am unsure. However, if Muschamp is as hands on as this would indicate with the position, it could mean additional movement for the Longhorn LB coach. Additionally, what does Muschamp do in the back end? I mentioned Travaris Robinson as someone to watch to come in and fill the safeties coach void. The two have been tied to the hip at previous stops and it makes sense given their history together. Could Blake Gideon be in the picture? I am unsure at the moment. Meetings with the Texas staff and Muschamp will happen over the next week. I was told this DC move was a surprise to many defensive staffers, just as it was to the general public and myself. I still believe Texas will be in the market for a wide receivers coach as well. Chris Jackson's contract is up at the end of the season and based off of sourcing behind the scenes, I expect him to move on from Texas.

The vigor with which Texas addresses the wide receiver position in the transfer portal likely depends on the answer to one question. How much faith does Steve Sarkisian have in Ryan Wingo emerging as a bona fide No. 1 option for Arch Manning? Leading the Longhorns in receptions (50), receiving yards (770) and touchdown receptions (seven) en route to second-team All-SEC recognition from the league’s coaches constitutes a successful sophomore campaign through 12 games. Still, finishing the regular season with the second-most dropped passes among SEC wide receivers (Wingo’s seven are currently two behind Alabama’s Ryan Williams for the league high), which contributed to Manning suffering from 21 dropped passes, fourth-most among SEC quarterbacks and tied for 21st in FBS, according to Pro Football Focus. With his 50 catches coming on 87 targets (a 57.5 percent catch rate, according to PFF), Wingo’s 2025 season mirrors what Xavier Worthy went through in 2022. Worthy’s sophomore season saw him lead Texas with 59 receptions (on 113 targets for a catch rate of 52.2 percent), yards (757) and touchdowns (eight) and drops (seven). The 2024 first-round pick turned things around with an All-American season in 2023, with his 75 receptions for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns (two fewer dropped passes on six more targets from the previous season) helped the Longhorns win the Big 12 and reach the College Football Playoff. Will Wingo make the same kind of leap in his first draft-eligible season? — DeAndre Moore Jr.’s decision to jump to the NFL leaves a void in the slot (a team-high 216 snaps according to PFF) and opens a role as Manning’s go-to target in the intermediate passing game. According to PFF, Moore leads the Texas offense in receptions (14) and yards gained (229) when targeted from 10 to 19 yards down the field, accounting for 36.8 percent of the receptions (38) and 43 percent of the yards (522) he tallied in his final season with the Longhorns. In the intermediate game, Emmett Mosley V’s PFF season grade of 94.9 is higher than Moore’s (94). Mosley is a safe bet to rack up more than the 11 targets he got on intermediate throws. As for the workload in the slot, Sarkisian has to decide whether a portal acquisition would be an upgrade over a potential tandem of Daylan McCutcheon and Jermaine Bishop Jr. While Sarkisian can’t leave anything to chance in what’s expected to be Manning’s last season behind center, losing Trevor Goosby, Hero Kanu, Jelani McDonald or Quintrevion Wisner to the NFL could force Texas to use its available resources to shore up position groups with greater, more pressing needs. — With Liona Lefau leaving the program ahead of entering the transfer portal on Jan. 2, Ty’Anthony Smith is at the top of the list of the Longhorns who stand to gain the most leading up to and coming out of the Citrus Bowl against Michigan on New Year’s Eve. Smith ended the regular season with 364 snaps logged, according to PFF, recording the fifth-best season-long grade against the run (78.9, with PFF considering a grade of 70 to be above average) of any Longhorn defender. The Jasper product leads the team in forced fumbles (three) and missed tackles (12), showing how often he finds himself around the football. The latter should get better with experience, but the same must be true of Smith’s coverage ability for him to take the next step as a player. According to PFF, no Texas linebacker has been targeted this season more than Smith (33). Only Graceson Littleton and Jaylon Guilbeau have allowed more completions among Longhorn defensive players than Smith (26), who has allowed 244 yards (fourth-most on the team behind Guilbeau, Littleton and Lefau) and an NFL passer rating of 107.6 when targeted. With offensive play-callers looking to exploit the second level of the opposing defense when hunting favorable matchups, all linebackers are a liability in coverage in some way, shape or form. Nevertheless, Smith has the tools to be better in coverage than the numbers have shown this season. View full news story

I have seen some of the reports regarding RB Tre Wisner and his status for 2026 and wanted to offer my latest: Conversations are still being had behind the scenes, avenues are still being explored and final decision has yet to be made. That is of 7:00 p.m. Thursday night. I am told that anything being reported as a definite is incorrect at the moment. While I lean towards Wisner returning to Texas, there remain some necessary conversations to be had.