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Just as the offensive line seemed to gel against Oklahoma, starting center Cole Hutson has now been labeled as “out” for the Kentucky game by Coach Steve Sarkisian. The exact injury has not been revealed but Hutson sustained it during Tuesday’s practice. It is not expected to be season-ending, but he “will miss some time”. ** Back-up Connor Robertson is expected to take over for Hutson at center with Nick Brooks remaining at left guard. One of the key aspects of Brooks’ relative success on Saturday was his reliance on both Hutson and Trevor Goosby and their combined experience helping Brooks with his assignments pre-snap. While Robertson has spent…

The Texas state track meet starts today in Austin on the campus of the University of Texas. If you have never been and live anywhere remotely close to Austin, I encourage you to go, especially for one of the night sessions this weekend. Do it at least once in your life. The state track meet is one of those special events that stick with you. It’s similar to the old Texas state championships in basketball that were held at the Drum. Fans and athletes from across the state stream into Austin with hopes of returning home with a gold medal. You’ll see yellow school buses, car windows laden with white shoe polish and a lot of smiles on anticipatory faces of the …

News broke late last night that President Trump would name former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas Tech mega-booster Cody Campbell as co-chairs of a federal commission on college sports. This news came on the heels of the NCAA replying to objections from the judge in the House Settlement surrounding grandfathering scholarships for former players who would have been otherwise cut. Frankly, it’s hard to keep up with all the ins and outs of what is going on in college sports these days off the field. Yet the best thing about sports - or at least one of the best - is that the games are decided on the field of play, not in a courtroom, not in chambers of congr…

Playmakers. Touchdown scorers. Ballers. Call them whatever you want, but that’s what every great team has. And the term certainly applies to Jermaine Bishop Jr., who committed to Texas yesterday afternoon. A Willis High School product, Bishop totaled 18 receiving touchdowns as a junior with more than 1,500 yards receiving. He’s been an impact player ever since he stepped onto his high school campus. He was district defensive newcomer of the year as a freshman. He played varsity basketball and ran varsity track as a freshman, too. He’s related to some fairly good athletes, too. Try former Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop, NBA star Jimmy Butl…

Most of the national college football news made yesterday did not originate from the SEC meetings. Rather, it came from reactions to the SEC meetings by the brass at the Big 12 and Big 10. The Big 12 announced it is in favor of a 5-11 CFP format. That means just five conference champions would receive automatic bids to a 16-team college football playoff. The Big 10, meanwhile, said they were not in favor of the 5-11 format unless the SEC adds a ninth conference game. What was SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s response to all the hubbub? Essentially, he said we don’t tell other conferences what to do, so why should any one presume they can tell us. An…

If you missed the softball game last night, you missed an absolute classic. It was the ultimate pitcher’s duel. Texas Tech pushed across a single run in the 5th aided by a ridiculous obstruction call. But that set the stage for a two-out rally for the Horns in the bottom of the sixth. After getting two quick outs to start the sixth, Tech superstar pitcher NiJaree Canady first gave up a pair of hits and a pair of stolen bases. With runners at second and third, the Tech coach called for Canady to intentionally walk Texas All-American catcher Reese Atwood. But on a 3-0 count, Atwood stroked a single through the left side of the infield bringing home two r…

I gotta admit, it’s fun covering (and following) Texas recruiting. With Steve Sarkisian, there never seems to be a dull moment. Yesterday is case in point. Pensacola, Fla., five star defensive end Trenton Henderson surprisingly visited Texas. It was an unofficial visit. And now it looks like Texas will get one of his final official visits on June 20. Henderson is emblematic of a Texas recruiting staff that just doesn’t take no very easily. ** Of course, this is not all Sark’s doing. He’s had help. What’s so promising about Sark’s tenure at Texas is that he continues to build a staff around him capable of recruiting at a high level. …

The Longhorns continue their pursuit of more than 15 blue chip prospects who will make their decisions over the next two- to two-and-a-half weeks. And the first one starts today at around 6pm when Alabama running back Zavier Crowell announces his school choice. In that decision, most would say the smart money expects the Crimson Tide to prevail. But Steve Sarkisian is recruiting Crowell personally. And while Crowell has strong ties to the state of Alabama, he has also been on the Longhorns’ campus just about as many times (4) as he has been on the Crimson Tide’s. ** Whatever Crowell decides, some could see this recruitment as a barometer for …

At 10am this morning, Mayde Creek linebacker Kosi Okpala is expected to break the recent recruiting dry streak for the Horns. Okpala has also been considering Penn State, Baylor, Miami and Houston, as well as the Longhorns. He’s an athletic, play-making linebacker who, when you watch him on tape, moves so well that his actual size surprises you. At 6-2.5, 227 pounds, he has the strength and bulk to play inside but the athleticism to play outside and rush the passer. He makes a ton of plays behind the line of scrimmage. ** Tomorrow is the 4th of July. And the Horns are hoping for additional recruiting fireworks. Both John Turntine and Felix Ojo are…

Jamarion Carlton of Temple is expected to make his decision at 4pm today. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive end is thought to be deciding among Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech. Texas was the favorite following his official visit to Austin but he has since visited the Bears in Waco. Baylor is trying to lock down local recruits more than in the recent past. We’ll see if they’re successful in doing so. The Red Raiders are a wildcard. There are rumors that Carlton’s recruitment could be similar to that of Felix Ojo. The majority of industry predictions (88-percent) suggest Baylor will be the call. ** I keep saying that Texas must worry only about who Tex…

As of late last night, I am told that Texas still holds the pole position for Hollywood, Fla., five-star running back Derrek Cooper over the likes of Miami, Florida State, Georgia and Ohio State. He is planning to announce his decision Sunday evening. Again, fingers crossed. ** A lot of Texas fans are understandably giddy about what transpired on Tuesday. The pledges of Tyler Atkinson and James Johnson are massive. But perhaps even more, it showcased that the new “rev share” era of recruiting would not - rather, could not - stop the momentum the Longhorns have arduously built over the past couple of seasons. In other words, Texas, even in the…

After today, Steve Sarkisian gives his team a long weekend prior to the beginning of training camp. Players are set to return for a team meeting next Tuesday and then the first practice is expected to be next Wednesday. At that point, football season will have actually started. ** On the surface, there appears to be a lot of pressure on Arch Manning and the Longhorns to meet out-sized expectations this season. But following SEC media days, I feel like three of Texas’ closest SEC neighbors - A&M, LSU and OU - may have have more daunting expectations. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko is on record saying he has high expectations for his team th…

I’ll start with what was ultra-obvious to me on the first day: Texas is an extremely talented squad. Extremely. Yes, that was expected. But I’m not sure even folks who have been watching Texas this long understand just how rare this is. Everywhere you look on the practice field, it feels like there’s a player who is almost assuredly going to be playing pro football one day. If there are three players gathered together, at least one is a future NFL pick and, odds are, two will be. I sat there and watched Cole Brevard, Maraad Watson and Josiah Sharma in a three-man drill yesterday. All of them are pro-caliber prospects, each are at different st…

As CJ reported on Tuesday, Michael Taaffe sported a green non-contact jersey in practice. Of note, Taaffe is seeing more and more action at nickel in an effort to get the best five DBs on the field simultaneously. This is at least partially influenced by the fact that Derrick Williams has looked really good in his return from injury. Remember, Williams was the starter last season ahead of both Jelani McDonald and Andrew Mukuba prior to injury. ** The fight for the back-up quarterback spot is really heating up. Matthew Caldwell has brought a level of stability and professionalism to the back-up role that Trey Owens must match. Owens, as a thro…

With the football season about to start, that means it’s nearing unofficial visit time in the recruiting world. Yesterday alone, there were comments about Texas commitment Derrek Cooper potentially visiting Miami and the Hurricanes not giving up, and another regarding A&M commitment KJ Edwards and his interest in attending a LSU and Texas game. Here’s what I can tell you: When it comes to the running back position, the Longhorns’ pursuit of Cooper is singular. Texas is all in on Cooper. Texas feels good about its position with Cooper, too. He will visit this fall for at least one game. And remember, he has an official visit to Texas still available…

We’ve talked all off-season about which Longhorn could be the team’s breakout star in 2025. Arch Manning could easily fit that bill. After all, he has only started two games. But the national media already has him pegged as a Heisman front-runner. How can I call someone who is favored to be in New York in December a “breakout” star? So if I had to make the call today - and this is based on feedback from multiple sources across multiple parts of the program both inside and out - I’d go with Ryan Wingo. The sophomore from St. Louis has been on fire the last three weeks. He’s caught multiple touchdowns in a variety of ways - from absolute bombs to lo…

I know it’s Six-Man football, so individual production can be a little out of whack. But a few numbers still defy reason. Congrats to Bode Ham of Jayton. Not only did he lead his team to the 1A-Division II title, he accounted for 13 touchdowns on the day. He had more than 400 yards rushing and 10 TDs and 3 more TDs passing. The final score: Jayton 99 - Richland Springs 54. Have yourself a day, Bode. ** Alabama vs Oklahoma kicks off the CFP tomorrow night at 7pm. The Sooners are favored by 1.5 at home. OU beat them in Tuscaloosa. I see no reason the Sooners shouldn’t win in Norman, too. Alabama has been fool’s gold since beating…

For those of us who suffered through a decade of a roller coaster ride of Longhorn football, the result yesterday was both satisfying and reassuring. The Longhorns, for the third year in a row, have now won 10 games. It’s the first time the program has done so since 2007-2009. Why is that so meaningful? Because Texas fans don’t just want or expect a single year of good football. They want more. They want consistent, repeated excellence; they want proof that their program, even if they fall just a bit short, is continually being built with an eye toward championships. Three consecutive 10-win seasons is proof of that. It was not merely a two-year anomal…

Sorry for the site being down most of the night. It was part of our server migration for greater capacity. ** Texas will host multiple official visitors today. Cal all-conference linebacker Cade Uulave is one of those. A three-year starter, he totaled 97 tackles in 2025. He is a true fit for the Horns and Will Muschamp. ** Speaking of Muschamp, the new defensive coordinator has been busy. As many are aware, Texas freshman linebacker Bo Barnes entered the portal yesterday. Muschamp was unaware of the move prior. Muschamp spoke with Bo and his father yesterday evening. And Barnes was contemplating returning to Texas next season with the ex…

Is Jordan Seaton going into the portal or not? The Colorado offensive lineman announced his intentions to do so on Monday. Yet here we are on Thursday morning, and he is - at least as of the time I’m typing this column - still not in the portal, exceeding the two-business-day lag usually seen in these scenarios. If Seaton does not enter, it will be mildly unsurprising. Of course Colorado wants to keep one of the best players in college football. Of course they’d do as much as possible to thwart his departure. But if he does actually enter, then I think the games have only begun. A multitude of teams will be lined up for him, Texas included. He will be the h…

I watched Chris Del Conte’s Town Hall last night. First and foremost, there were no “gotchas”. There was no extremely bad news or news that fundamentally changed the outlook of the athletic department. I listened intently. There wasn’t even an inkling of a department weaving slightly off course. Instead, he discussed the progress of initiatives already well underway (like the football indoor facility) and gave a sneak peek into plans for the future (a re-imagined softball stadium). He also re-stated his belief in hiring great coaches, giving them the tools to win and then getting out of their way. All in all, it was an informative breakdown of the…

Talent matters. And the NFL draft is as good of an indicator as we have in that regard. But talent is not the only thing. Look at Ole Miss. With the fourth fewest combine invites among SEC teams, the Rebels went further in the playoffs than any team. Or look at Vandy, who won 10 games in the vaunted SEC, with just two players likely to be drafted. And then there’s Texas with six fewer combine invites than Texas A&M yet the Horns beat the Aggies by double digits. What is the revealing factor in data like this? To me, it’s quarterback play. Go down the list for yourself. Teams with good quarterback lifted their performance, l…

The meeting with President Trump and multiple stakeholders across college sports is still set for tomorrow. There was also a meeting of A4 conference stakeholders Tuesday in Dallas who were listening to a pitch from private equity. And there is also a call from government for public comment on the Sports Broadcasting Act as well. In other words, wheels are in motion to “change” college sports. That’s great news. We know it needs to be fixed, at least the part behind the scenes. The problem now is, who is going to be in charge of fixing it? Will it be the voices of schools like Texas Tech and Louisville or will it be Texas and Ohio State? We d…

Gerry, Hank and CJ all have mentioned that Texas has been hosting a number of elite recruits during spring ball this week. Well, Texas is also hosting elite high school coaches from around the country right now as part of a Nike-sponsored national coaches retreat. It’s a three-day event that brought together the likes of Duncanville and DeSoto head coaches as well as those of national powers like Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. It’s a chance for those programs and their coaches to get to know the Texas staff on a deeper level. ** How real is the hype surrounding Jermaine Bishop? It’s legit. And that hot take is not merely from me or from the…

The news broke yesterday that portal transfer Laurence Seymore, an offensive guard who was named second team All-American by one press outlet last year, had been granted his sixth year by the NCAA to play for Texas in 2026. Texas personnel had long been confident that Seymore would receive the additional year because of the unique circumstances surrounding Seymore’s appeal. While I can’t (and won’t) give exact specifics, Seymore’s lost year when he transferred to Akron came because of something that occurred off the field. It was not a physical injury as much as a mental one. Regardless of how received the additional year, Seymore now cements an offensive l…