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AUSTIN, Texas — The OnTexasFootball staff was out in full force at Frank Denius Fields for Day 1 of spring football for the 2026 Texas Longhorns. Here's some of our observations from the media viewing window. Bobby Burton, Gerry Hamilton, CJ Vogel, Jeff Howe, Rod Babers, and Hank South all contributed to this report. Offensive notes — KJ Lacey led the quarterbacks with Arch Manning suited up but looking on. — Strong day overall for Lacey as well as freshman Dia Bell. Both quarterbacks were accurate and throwing very catchable balls despite it being wet. Newcomer transfer MJ Morris was late on a couple passes. He was running third behind Bell. …

Steve Sarkisian Presser | Day 1 of Spring Ball *** Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian meets with the media Monday morning following the first practice of the spring. The Longhorns are battling quite a bit of injuries at the moment, but we will get to hear from the head coach about the portal additions and the true freshmen that are on campus now. @Jeff Howe, @Hank South and myself will have a recap video coming to YouTube after the availability. Notes and quotes from the presser in the comments down below. View full news story

Initial thoughts: - The RB room is completely revamped. The familiar faces of Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter are gone. The additions of Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown and Derrek Cooper are evident, each bringing a slightly different skill set than the other. It's an increase in overall speed and general explosiveness. There is no doubt in my mind that the difference between this year and last year is night and day. From a what was really a one-man gang in Wisner to a group that has multiple options, including Ryan Niblett, who Sark described as a "Swiss Army knife" in the backfield. I don't know if Smothers or Brown will come out on top here. Smothers is b…

AUSTIN, Texas – The smell of cut grass and sounds of pads popping was what media members in the Texas beat walked into this morning at Denius Field as Texas began practice session No. 1 of the 2026 spring. I don't need to butter this article up much, we all know how much excitement there is going into year two of Arch Manning as the starting quarterback for the Horns. Especially given the portal additions and the returning prospects on campus. Texas added two 1st Team All-Conference running backs, the top wide receiver in the portal, a future NFL Draft pick at right tackle, a 1st Team All-ACC linebacker and an B1G Honorable Mention at cornerback. There is talent…

AUSTIN, Texas — Here's everything Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the Longhorns' first practice of spring on Monday. Opening statement ... “First, quick shout out to women's basketball. Vic Schaefer. That was awesome. What a run for them in the SEC Tournament to get ready for postseason play. And then obviously fired up for our men in the in the their tournament coming up here this week. I think that's always something here that kind of fuels you as a competitor at the University of Texas is watching, seeing the other sports compete. And obviously what baseball is doing right now, and softball. it’s just such a high level of competitor that comes t…

Thoughts & observations from Spring Practice 1 I'm going to open with the most important thought. My thoughts and observations from a 40 minute media viewing window in no way equal 2026 season wins and season results. So much more than just the talent on field creates the season the Texas fan base desires. The 1-85 roster talent is at an elite level, to be clear. And quite frankly, as it should be with Texas' position in the NIL world. With that said, there are some positions with less to prove as expected. Thoughts & observations from Monday ... Arch Manning clearly not 100%, as expected. He wasn't expected to be moving around like "athletic Ar…

Sark said it best in yesterday’s post-practice media session. This team has all of the pieces to the puzzle. Now Sark, his coaching staff and the players themselves have to do the real work of putting it all together. The talent, the ability, it’s all there. How far they go in 2026 will be determined by how well they coalesce as a team. In that vein, Sark mentioned again that he kick-started the team’s “Culture Wednesdays” this semester as opposed to waiting until his usual summer time. Part of that change comes because of the change to the portal rules which used to allow transfers following spring ball. But the more important part is that Sark c…

Texas and Kevin Durant have partnered together for a new Nike NIL program that will celebrate "select Longhorn student-athletes." UT women's basketball star Madison Booker is the first athlete recognized in the deal, and she will have access to KD PEs, apparel and more. “My time at UT had a huge impact on not only my basketball career, but on me personally,” said Kevin Durant. “Supporting players during their college playing career was always a goal, and I’m thrilled to be able to expand our partnership with UT, bring Boardroom into the mix, and create programming that benefits all UT student-athletes.” “It means a lot to be a Nike athlete,” said Madison Booke…

Texas Spring Roster Updates & Takeaways *** Biggest takeaways from the Texas Spring Roster updates as we begin spring football. Starting from the top of the positional chart – QB, RB, WR... and so on. *** – QB Arch Manning is exactly where you want him to be: 6–4 and 226 pounds. Dia Bell's first spring has him listed at 212 pounds. Somehow, and very surprisingly, KJ Lacey in year two is down three pounds from his playing weight in the fall. – Two really impressive takeaways from the RB room. The first is Derrek Cooper coming in with perhaps the most ideal frame for a running back you could build – 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. …

Recruiting: OTF is on 2027 offer watch this week The Texas Longhorns are hosting a number of unofficial visits the remainder of the week. Many already have offers that are visiting Texas for the first time, and some have a June official visits set. Then there are a number of prospects that don't have a Texas offer - yet. OnTexasFootball takes a look at a few prospects visitors this week. OTF offer watch... San Antonio (Texas) Cornerstone EDGE Drake Carroll is scheduled to take in Texas practice Wednesday. The 6-5, 220-pound former lacrosse focused athlete is one of the fastest rising prospects in the state since January. The Texas staff is taking a very…

AUSTIN, Texas — The Longhorns’ defensive side of the ball is going through an offseason of transformation. From losing veteran pieces, like Michael Taaffe, Anthony Hill Jr., Ethan Burke, and Malik Muhammad, to bringing in new potential starters at key positions, like Rasheem Biles and Bo Mascoe. Not to mention Steve Sarkisian hired a new defensive coordinator in Will Muschamp, along with making other personnel moves on the backend of the defense. Suffice it to say, the 2026 Texas defense is going to look different in a number of areas. Still, despite losing 2,134 snaps from the aforementioned quartet, among other defensive departures, the Longhorns are welcomin…

2027 South Palding (Ga.) LB Joakim Gouda is on campus. He arrived for his unofficial visit Tuesday evening for a quick run through of the facility. Gouda will be at spring practice No. 2 on Wednesday morning as well. Gouda has an official visit set for June 12 with the Horns. View full news story

SEC Tournament Hoops: Texas vs. Ole Miss Game Thread Texas (18-13, 9-9) takes on Chris Beard's Ole Miss Rebels (12-19, 4-14) tonight in the first round of the 2026 SEC Tournament. The game tonight is straight over tackle in terms of NCAA Tournament possibilities for the Longhorns. A win, and Texas will be in the Big Dance as a 10 seed most likely due to six Quad 1 wins. A loss will send Texas to the "First Four" play in game, or one of the first 2-3 teams out of the tournament depending on how conference tournaments shake out. Texas won the first meeting 79-68 in Austin February 7. The game When: 6 p.m. CT Where: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tenn…

AUSTIN, Texas — After a rainy night in the Capital City, Texas football turned to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium for Wednesday morning's spring practice. OnTexasFootball was on hand for the media viewing portion. Here's some of our notes, with more to come throughout the day. Jeff Howe, Hank South, Bobby Burton, CJ Vogel, and Rod Babers all contributed to this report OFFENSE — Quarterbacks didn’t have as strong of a showing today as compared to Monday. And that’s more targeted at the group behind KJ Lacey. The rising redshirt freshman continues to flash in place of Arch Manning leading the quarterback group. It was wet on the turf today inside DKR, and Lacey…

Recruits on Hand to Watch Texas Spring Practice No. 2 *** The Longhorns hosted upwards of 15-20 recruits on Wednesday for the second practice of the spring. Of course the weather was not all too favorable for practice, and to be honest, it was a bit of a surprise that the media window was able to take place given the rain from overnight. But still, Texas hosted a Texas A&M commit, a Miami commit and their 2027 quarterback commit was back on campus. *** 2027 Class Ty Knutson, QB, San Antonio (Texas) Smithson Valley ... AllGasNoBrakes The Longhorn quarterback commit in the class was back on campus Wednesday, taking in his first pract…

Texas Player Availability Live Thread *** AUSTIN, Texas – The Longhorns are on the field for spring practice No. 2 this morning. Live takeaways and notes in the comments down below. Be sure to check out the practice notes from @Hank South and @Jeff Howe from this morning. View full news story

Dia Bell may be bigger, may have a stronger arm and may even be a better athlete, but KJ Lacey is clearly the most accurate of the two talented young QBs for the Horns. During Wednesday’s media viewing session, Lacey separated himself from the pack, routinely and almost effortlessly placing the ball on time and on target. Bell, while obviously talented, still seems to be getting used to the speed of the college game and its receivers. ** I thought transfer OL Dylan Sikorski had a somewhat disappointing practice on Monday. On Wednesday, I would say the opposite. You could tell he was really working on his quickness. Sikorski is backing up Jayd…

Updated June OV list with two more OL's added Texas continues to add to the June official visitor list. The list of locked visits has grown to 44 with the addition of two more offensive linemen. QB (1) Tyler Knutson, Spring Branch (Texas) Smithson Valley #AllGasNoBrakes RB (3) Noah Roberts, RB, Chandler (Az.) Basha Texas OV: June 5-7 Lathan Whisenton, RB, Waco (Texas) Midway Texas OV: June 12-14 SaRod Baker, RB, DeSoto (Texas) High Texas OV: June 12-14 WR (8) Texas is planning to sign three in the class. Easton Royal, WR, New Orleans (La.) Brother Martin #AllGasNoBrakes Texas OV: June 19-21 Briceson Thrower, WR, Forn…

AUSTIN, Texas — Longhorns defensive lineman Hero Kanu (pronounced kah-new) had an NFL decision to make this offseason, with some services placing the German defensive lineman as high as a Day 2 draft selection. The one-time Ohio State Buckeye made a major impression in his first season at Texas, tallying 30 tackles, including four tackles for a loss and two sacks. So with playing on Sundays well within reach, why did Kanu opt to come back to the Forty Acres for one more year? “We have a saying … Coach (Kenny) Baker always tells me, just to keep me humble: you never arrive,” Kanu told reporters on Wednesday after practice. “It doesn't matter what you do, you nev…

Texas wide receiver Jermaine Bishop Jr. is turning heads this spring through two practices on the Forty Acres. The five-star freshman receiver is leaving behind a prep career that saw him break into the top 10 in Texas high school football career receiving yards and touchdown catches, and make his mark as the Houston area’s all-time leader in receiving yardage. Bishop has now drawn the attention of former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant. “Most people would look at this clip and say it’s just routes on air,” Bryant tweeted on Wednesday night. “A lot of young wide receivers would just half ass during this period…His attention to detail is be…

Will Texas get in the NCAA Tournament? That's the question that now has to be answered after the loss to Chris Beard's Ole Miss team tonight. There's a lot of people that will say no. Some people that say yes. And a few that say they may not necessarily deserve to get in, but likely could or will due to circumstance. OTF takes a look at both sides of the coin. Starting with the why Texas may still be in the "First Four" game ... This has nothing to do with what any of us think, in terms of if Texas should be in. I could go either way on that, but I'm a hoops watching junkie and see others on the bubble on the struggle bus late too. Texas is as deserv…

Visitors to know this weekend Texas has hosted a number of 2027 prospects the first three days of the week around spring practice, and the remainder of the week will add a number more to the list that visited Friday and Saturday. The visitors at Wednesday practice included a new offer made in the hours following practice. New 2027 offer Wednesday... San Antonio (Texas) South EDGE/LB Brayden Booth picked up an offer after practice Wednesday. The 6-4.5, 200-pounded with frame upside is a prospect Texas stopped by to see in January. After visiting with Will Muschamp and staff Wednesday, Texas offered. Texas adds to an offer list of 18 that includes …

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…

AUSTIN, Texas – Over 40 new faces are running around the practice field on the 40 Acres this week as spring football gets under way. While there are some new faces on the coaching staff, one is certainly more familiar than the rest of the bunch – Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp. Following practice Wednesday morning, the local media was able to meet with four prominent players from the Texas defense who answered the big question: Does Will Muschamp still have the intensity that once lit elite defenses in Austin during his first stint? The short answer, is yes. A resounding yes, in fact. "Energy! The energy is a little bit different," said defensive …

Spring has sprung on the Forty Acres and plenty of recruits have already started making their way to check in on the Texas Longhorns. The UT staff has been busy at work locking in visit dates over the next two months, as well as putting together their summer OV schedule. Here, OTF takes a look at six recruits we believe the Longhorns lead for in the 2027 class as things stand on March 12. Kasi Currie, DL, Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon Currie has visited Texas twice since January, including attending UT’s first spring practice on Monday. A former teammate of Longhorns freshman Richie Wesley, Currie has UT’s attention, and vice versa. There’s no set com…