Texas offers 2026 four-star RB Ja’Michael Jones

Jones is one of the top recruits in Alabama for the 2026 cycle.

Texas recently extended an offer to one of the top recruits in Alabama for the 2026 cycle. Continue reading “Texas offers 2026 four-star RB Ja’Michael Jones”

Kentucky G Adou Thiero enters transfer portal

Could Texas recruit Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero?

Kentucky guard Adou Thiero has entered the transfer portal. The talented guard could be worth consideration for Texas head coach Rodney Terry.

Thiero isn’t necessarily a game changer, but would be a good addition for a team that needs more than it got last year in the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-8 guard added 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 2023. The height alone should warrant a look at the sophomore guard’s film.

Texas’ loss to Tennessee made apparent one key flaw for the Longhorns’ roster. The team’s lack of height prevented it from scoring at the basket against Tennessee rim protectors. They could see more of that in the SEC if they fail to get taller across the board. The SEC is a tall league.

Whether or not Texas adds Thiero, it will need role players who can step up and score when its primary scorers go cold. Thiero’s rebounding ability is an added bonus.

Texas has an opportunity to get a head start in the transfer portal over teams still playing in the NCAA tournament. We will monitor the Longhorns’ portal pursuit over the next couple months.

Texas depth, OL noted as reasons for confidence in 2024 squad

Depth is standing out for Texas early on in the spring.

The Texas Longhorns have championship depth this spring. It is one of the more substantive characteristics of the 2024 squad.

Inside Texas’ Eric Nahlin discussed the team’s depth among several other strengths the Longhorns possess in his latest spring update.

The depth shows up most noticeably along the offensive line where Texas has too many starters than starting spots. That’s not the first time we’ve said that about a position group for the team this offseason.

The post-spring portal window could lead to attrition on the roster. The offensive line in particular boasts several players capable of taking a starting role. Even so, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has done well in retaining players the past two offseasons.

Texas might have experience and continuity in spades, but, save for defensive line and linebacker, the team’s depth could extend past the second string across the board. Through the first few spring practices, depth is one of the reasons Sarkisian and company are confident the Longhorns could be even better next season.

Wide Receiver Preview: Looking at tough decisions on Texas depth chart

Texas has a good problem in having too many quality receivers to start.

Position battles in the Texas wide receiver room are far from settled. The competitive position group is versatile and set to produce three quality starters.

For head coach Steve Sarkisian, the team may have to strike the right balance between playing transfer portal players and playing the players that committed to Sarkisian and established the current culture in Austin.

At the start of camp, second year receiver Johntay Cook passed the eye test as much as any of the Texas pass catchers. He no longer looks like the undersized freshman that took the field in 2023. Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond rivals Cook for the role of primary receiver in the Texas offense.

Bond went for 668 yards and four touchdowns on 48 receptions last season. Cook had eight catches for 136 yards in 2023. While both put up explosive plays in their last campaign, Bond’s experience could be the tiebreaker in regard to who gets the football with the game on the line.

Regardless of which player gets the most targets, Bond and Cook appear to be the dynamic duo that will get the most opportunities out of the receiving corps. Several others are set to contribute.

Houston transfer Matthew Golden and second year player DeAndre Moore Jr. have seen plenty of buzz for their efforts over the course of the offseason. Both seem to be in the process of reserving targets of their own for the upcoming season.

Golden is the more accomplished of the two players with 13 touchdown receptions and 988 yards in two seasons at Houston. But Moore’s work ethic and consistency have lifted him into playing time consideration through the first few practices of spring.

Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden was viewed as a player who could add a dimension to the Longhorns offense. Bolden hauled in 54 receptions for 746 yards and five touchdowns for Oregon State last season. He has ground to make up, but Sarkisian and company could be holding a spot for him in the receiver rotation.

Freshman wide receiver Ryan Wingo is an interesting player to watch. The five-star talent from Missouri looks the part. Presumably he could contribute right away if called upon to play, but we don’t expect he will have to contribute. It would be because he earned the opportunity.

Second-year speedster Ryan Niblett is noteworthy for his ability to present a downfield vertical threat and run after the catch. Niblett, like Bond and Cook, has the type of speed to leave defenders in the dust. Like Bolden, Niblett could be a weapon in presnap motion or as a receiver in bubble screens.

Texas’ receiver room does not have players as proven as last season’s receiving trio of Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington. That said, it boasts the firepower to have a more explosive and productive offense than it did in 2023.

College teammates Scottie Scheffler, Beau Hossler recall almost fighting during tournament at Texas

“No, Coach Fields didn’t exaggerate.”

HOUSTON — The seriousness of the encounter depends on who tells the story.

Scottie Scheffler and Beau Hossler almost came to blows on the golf course when they were teammates in college. On a podcast appearance a couple months ago, Longhorns’ coach John Fields said it would’ve been a “battle of the titans.”

Scheffler is now the No. 1 golfer in the world and sits at 5-under 65 and T-2 after the morning wave of the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course. Hossler, who is searching for his first Tour victory, opened with a 4-under performance.

Following their rounds, they both recalled the events of that day, and Hossler said his former coach may have deflated the situation.

In the spring of 2015, Texas was playing at a one-day event in Lubbock, with then-junior Hossler and freshman Scheffler paired together for the morning and afternoon sessions.

“We were playing this mess-around tournament before the regional,” Hossler said. “Basically, we were both playing a match. I wasn’t playing him, I was playing a New Mexico kid and he was playing a New Mexico kid. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Lubbock, but it’s very, very, very windy.

“I hit one on the water on 18, which was the ninth hole. You couldn’t even — it was so windy you couldn’t hear each other from however far apart, so I didn’t even like announce what ball I was playing but I just hit. Two holes later, No. 2 is kind of this blind par-5 I think. We both hit it down the middle and whatever. I walked past the first ball, I walked to the second ball, it’s 10 yards in front. He hits the ball in the back and then I realized that that was not my ball that I was standing next to. We had different markings, but we both were playing a Titleist whatever, 3 with a Longhorn on it. One had a marking, and mine didn’t.”

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Added Fields on the podcast: “You would’ve thought Mount Vesuvius just went off, like we had a volcano 15 yards below us. Scheffler got so mad when he figured out that he’d hit the wrong ball, he ran up to the green, 260 yards on a dead sprint, picked up the ball, ran back, and threw it at Beau’s feet. Beau goes ahead and hits the right shot, and Scottie has lost the hole now. He’d just lost a hole, but it’s killing him. And now, they’re jawing against each other on the way up (to the green), and finally on the next hole, on the par-3, I told Beau, ‘We are not going another step farther until you apologize to Scottie for that.'”

Hossler told his coach he didn’t think he needed to apologize.

“He wasn’t happy,” Hossler said of Scheffler. “I was like, ‘Well, listen, you’re the one who hit the wrong ball.’ I understand like it’s not a — but like you hit it, I didn’t. And it was a bad deal. It didn’t mean anything, but it was just — we’re really competitive, both of us. That was the really cool part about our golf team at Texas, it was like every player on the team was like either a very good player or a pretty good player that was very competitive. We wanted to kick each other’s ass all the time.”

“I don’t blame him for not being happy about it. I still think it was his fault, he’s the only one who hit the wrong ball. I agree I should have checked closer that it was — that that was actually my ball, but one way or the other it’s a good story. The good part about friends usually is that lasted — he was pissed off and I was pissed off for about two hours and once we got on the plane home, it was OK.”

2024 Texas Children's Houston Open
Scottie Scheffler chips on the first green in the first round of the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open golf tournament. (Photo: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

Although he didn’t get as descriptive, Scheffler said he recalls the day and how Fields’ story was true.

“I’d love to hear Beau’s side because we do like talking about it,” Scheffler said. “It was just one of those moments where we had been around each other I think for so long and you’re in the heat of the moment, you’re out there competing and something happens. Yeah, it’s pretty funny to look back on though, we get a good kick out of it.

“At the time we both played Titleist balls, and I had been playing the same number the whole day and he had a different number and switched unknown to me. Just one of those deals. When you’re around each other that much, stuff like that, mistakes happen.”

Texas made match play at the NCAA Championship that season, and the next year Hossler went on to win the Haskins Award. However, as Fields and Hossler. mentioned, it was two competitors going at it in the heat of the moment.

2024 Texas Children's Houston Open
Beau Hossler of the United States hits a tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course on March 28, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

“Scottie’s one of my really good friends,” Hossler said. “We’ve had so many … we’ve grown up literally since we were probably 10 and 9 years old together, he’s only a year behind me. We played a couple years at Texas, but we grew up playing the same tournaments and now we’ve been out here on Tour together. He’s the best. He’s obviously having tremendous success, I’m happy for him. It’s a good story.

“But no, Coach Fields didn’t exaggerate.”

JD PicKell previews Week 2 matchup between Texas, Michigan

One college football analyst weighs in on Texas vs. Michigan.

Seldom does a Week 2 game determine a team’s postseason fate. One early meeting in Ann Arbor has playoff implications for two blue bloods.

The Texas Longhorns and Michigan Wolverines play this season. It’s their first meeting since Texas quarterback Vince Young carried the Longhorns to a Rose Bowl one-point victory in the 2004 season.

The winner of the game launches itself toward the top of college football. The loser significantly decreases its margin for error.

On3 Sports’ JD PicKell described the Michigan team Texas will face on his show, The Hard Count.

“You’ve got some really key pieces back… with Kenneth Grant (and) Mason Graham on the D-line, with (tight end) Coleston Loveland, but it’s a new team in regards to, you’re gonna have a new quarterback, I believe they are 128th in returning production. For context, there’s only 134 teams.”

In contrast, PicKell views the game as an opportunity to prove Texas’ 2023 season wasn’t a fluke.

”For Texas, this is a chance for them to reemphasize what happened last year and say, ‘no, no, no. That’s who we are now. Folks talk about Texas having a flash in the pan… ‘Texas will come back to being Texas. Don’t worry about it.’ You go and beat the national champion at their place early on in the season? That is an identity defining thing for this team and for Steve Sarkisian and what he’s built there.”

Despite the above points in Texas’ favor, PicKell reasons that a game played in the 20’s could favor Michigan. The Wolverines figure to have a strong defense despite all that they lose. That said, there’s a reason Texas has been viewed as a road favorite. The reason is the other side of the football.

Michigan is set to replace starting quarterback JJ McCarthy, all five offensive linemen and its top two wideouts from last season. It’s not much different than what LSU lost on offense after its 2019 national title season. The Tigers fell back to earth the following season.

More concerning for the team is the inability to exploit the Longhorns’ defensive weakness: Its pass defense.

Without returning its downfield threats, Michigan can’t stress the Texas secondary like teams with speedy downfield threats could in Oklahoma and Washington. And while Coleston Loveland is an elite tight end, Texas could neutralize him far easier than it could slow Washington receivers.

The Texas defense could thrive against a run-dependent attack forced to play football in a 20-yard box. Alex Orji, who has just one college pass attempt, could be asked to lead the Michigan offense at quarterback with few viable downfield receiving threats. He could need an offensive line with five new starters to dominate the line of scrimmage.

It’s possible that Texas struggles against the Michigan defense, but it’s unlikely they get outplayed by the Wolverines offense. Should Texas score 20 or more points, the Longhorns might be in the driver’s seat.

We’ll see how the game unfolds when Texas and Michigan battle in Week 2.

Running Back Preview: Looking at who will contribute for Texas in 2024

How much will Texas split carries in 2024?

Running backs highlight much of the history of Texas football. More rushing success could be on its way this season.

There’s an impressive track record of bell cow backs carrying the team on the field. This year could see multiple backs contribute.

Cedric Baxter Jr. and Jaydon Blue return for another season after carrying the rushing attack after Jonathon Brooks’ injury. In Baxter and Blue, Texas has what could be a top one-two punch in the SEC.

Regardless of what coaches say, it’s easy to see a world in which both backs share carries fairly evenly. Albeit, Baxter might be the first to receive carries with Blue seeing several touches as a change of pace back.

The above two players aren’t the only ones in contention to get the football. Elite running back prospect Jerrick Gibson showed up physically ready for the college game. And if last year with a freshman CJ Baxter is any indication, Texas isn’t afraid to play its young players early.

Gibson and fellow freshman Christian Clark have high ceilings at Texas, but could be ready to play this season.

Second-year running back Tre Wisner could also carve a role for himself in the offense. Wisner isn’t built like your typical running back but has a versatile skill set that could provide value this season.

The Texas running back room has at least five players who could positively impact games if called upon to play. No room is completely injury proof but this position is close. We’ll follow how the room takes shape this spring.

CFB analyst believes there could be way more post-spring portal action

Josh Pate can see more post-spring transfer portal shakeup than we’ve seen in early portal action.

The transfer portal has been active this offseason. It could see even more change once spring football is over according to one college football analyst.

247Sports’ Josh Pate shared the following on his Late Kick podcast of what could happen in the portal over the next couple months.

“The post-spring transfer portal cycle coming up may actually be wilder than the December window. There are no rules.”

Pate continued on what the lack of regulation means for the rest of the offseason.

“The impact is going to be enormous. A lot of you are nervous. Frankly, you should be nervous because there are no players who are safe right now.”

What does it mean for Texas? Like every other college football team, the Longhorns will likely have to continue to recruit their own players. Why? Because college football teams tamper. They do so because they can with little to no repercussions.

The above has become the new normal for Texas, and they’ve done a good job fending off teams trying to lure away their top players. Unfortunately, it could mean the Longhorns lose quality depth this offseason. After all, backups can play more and see better NIL opportunities elsewhere.

Despite the difficulties Texas will face in maintaining its roster, its challenges are shared with every other team in college football. The Longhorns will simply need to be one of the best at retaining their players to enter the season with an advantage.

Texas among top schools for four-star DL Nathaniel Marshall

Nathaniel Marshall is the No. 3 defensive lineman in the country for the 2025 class.

Texas is in good standing with one of the top recruits in the country for the 2025 class. Continue reading “Texas among top schools for four-star DL Nathaniel Marshall”

Texas WR DeAndre Moore’s progress worth monitoring in spring football

How much has DeAndre Moore improved since last offseason?

The Texas wide receiver room isn’t as proven as last season, but it might be as talent-rich. Continue reading “Texas WR DeAndre Moore’s progress worth monitoring in spring football”