Subscriber Scoop

Last night I was on a panel with three former Longhorn players - Tony Hills, Alex Okafor and Fozzy Whittaker - at the Dallas Texas Exes season kick-off event. Not only was it a great event, but as I was sitting up there, I started thinking about how uplifting it was to see all three of those men up there, years after playing for Texas, succeeding in life and talking positively about their experiences as Longhorns. That was just great to witness. Hats off to the Dallas Texas-Exes, and Doug Rice in particular, for putting it all together. ** One thing Fozzy said last night that caught my ear. Fozzy said he was talking to Tashard Choice last week. And Cho…

Monshun Sales (Indianapolis, IN – Lawrence North HS) Talks Texas Official Visit *** One of the biggest visitors on campus this weekend was the 6-foot-5-inch wide receiver out of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Monshun Sales, the No. 8 player in the country per the 247Sports Composite rankings and top uncommitted wide receiver spoke with @Gerry Hamilton and @Hank South at Bergstrom on Sunday following his Texas official visit. Here is the latest from his time on campus: Media: What were the highlights for you (on the OV)? Monshun Sales: Probably the coaching staff and getting back around them. They showed me how they woul…

While the general public thinks the college football season doesn’t come until Labor Day or so, the kickoff for the 2026 football season actually starts this week, at least for those that cover the sport. For years on end, the Texas High School Coaches Association would mark the start of the season for me. Now, it’s the THSCA convention and the SEC Media Days. Both are this week and OTF will be on site. I’ll be in Tampa for the SEC Media, along with Gerry, Hank, Jeff, CJ and Matt. Blake, Jeff and Jordan will be in Houston for THSCA. In the next few days we’ll hear from coaches across the region and state, some of them multiple times, including Steve Sarkisi…

One of the nation's top 2026 prospects headed to Austin January 25 The Texas Longhorns January 25 Junior Day has a new addition to the confirmed list, and it's a big one. One of the nation's faster prospects is now scheduled to be in Austin with his parents, for a first time. Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School 4-star++ wide receiver Naeem Burroughs and parents are going to see the University of Texas for the first times next weekend. Burroughs, whose expected to crack the 10.4's in the 100 meters this spring, has Texas in a lead group with Florida, Clemson, Notre Dame, Florida State and Wisconsin. Burroughs older brother, Quincy Wiggins, is…

Mike White and the Texas softball team are returning to the Women’s College World Series for the third time in four years following their 6-5 victory over Clemson last night. The Horns won the best two-of-three game series after dropping the first contest on Thursday night and then winning an extra innings thriller deep into Friday evening. The final two games were a measure in resiliency for the Horns. Friday night’s game included a season-saving situation where Clemson had runners on second and third base with no outs. Somehow the Horns escaped the situation unscathed. Last night, Texas took control of the game early but Clemson would not go away. The Tig…

I was invited to attend a basketball beat writer’s roundtable with Texas men’s coach Sean Miller on Wednesday. The on-the-record lasted roughly an hour and covered several topics. In the name of keeping this entry as concise as possible, I’m focusing on the 2025-26 roster, including Miller’s thoughts on transfer portal additions who are new to the Longhorns. — Tramon Mark and center Lassina Traore have been cleared for non-contact activities, but the staff is taking things slow with the two veterans. Mark is recovering from labrum surgery. Miller said the issue bothered Mark late last season, which required a spring surgery. “To be able to welcome him …

On my first Friday as a member of the OTF staff, I have five things on my mind. The list starts with an extension of what I wrote on Thursday about Kelvin Banks Jr. and the 2025 NFL Draft. I joined Rod Babers, Bob Shipley and CJ Vogel on the Thursday edition of “The Winning Drive” and the following question was posted to the panel: Who will be the second Longhorn taken in the draft? Citing the need NFL teams have for linemen who can legitimately play tackle, I went with Cameron Williams. Rod, Coach Shipley and CJ went with Jahdae Barron, but it’s hard to ignore the buzz Matthew Golden has generated after his strong finish to the season. After studying Golde…

The top 2028 QB on the board? I stopped by Vero Beach High in September to see 2028 quarterback Wonderful "Champ" Monds IV. The 6-foot-2, 223-pound sophomore put together a tremendous freshman season for Vero Beach High before sustaining a high-ankle sprain in the season opener in 2025. He's scheduled to return in the next couple of weeks ahead of the playoff run for 7-0 Vero Beach High. Texas quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee has been in contact with Vero Beach head coach Lenny Jankowski multiple times, and OTF believes the Longhorns will be offering Monds in the near future. Monds currently has 19 offers, and multiple colleges have told the Vero Beac…

Who are the flip candidates in 2027? The Texas staff has offered a number of prospects in the 2027 cycle committed elsewhere. With the January school visits and evaluations now in the rearview mirror, it's time for OnTexasFootball to take a look at the top flip candidates in the cycle for the Longhorns. DeMarrion Johnson, OT, Tyler (Texas) Legacy Make no mistake, the Longhorns would welcome a flip from the 4-star+ Texas A&M offensive tackle commit. Kyle Flood was by Legacy High last month. Johnson attnded at least one Texas game this past season. Jalen Bewster, DL, Cedar Hil (Texas) High The Texas Tech 4-star++ commit is open to the Longhorns. Stev…

Texas remains No. 2 in the polls after taking the series from a very underrated Ole Miss team. I spoke with a source who felt this weekend would be a defining moment for this team. Texas had yet to have much adversity until Friday night happened and the response was exactly what the staff was hoping for. Winning the series on Saturday/Sunday was HUGE for the players and the coaches. This team is good, really good. If they can stay healthy, the sky is the limit. They'll be tested again this weekend, this time against No. 5 Auburn. Anyway, here's the D1Baseball poll:

AUSTIN, Texas — The entire OnTexasFootball crew was on hand for Texas’ open practice to close out spring football on Saturday. Here’s each of our biggest takeaways from what we saw. Bobby Burton The Texas defensive line is beyond deep - at tackle, end and edge. The group reminds me of the Georgia and Alabama defenses we’re accustomed to seeing. Texas goes three deep at every position and they have young guys who are potential future stars. On the interior, you have to not only love the addition of Ian Geffrard but we’re also witnessing the development of Josiah Sharma and Myron Charles. Then you have Alex January, Maraad Watson and Hero Kanu as the old gua…

OTF on the Road at Austin Westlake *** On the road catching Texas OL commit Jackson Cook in action this morning at Westlake practice. The Longhorns have had a very successful run at Westlake and Cook is next in line to continue the run on Chaps to Longhorns. Also to keep an eye on: 2028 OL Zion Guevara who visited Texas in late April 2030 RB Cooper James with 7 SEC offers currently —— 4:15 pm Update: Made it up to the DFW are, chucking in from Keller Central High. Mark Orphey offered 2028 ATH/CB Isaiah Taylor on April 11th for a visit. On that same trip, Chris Jackson offered twin brother 2028 WR Jeremiah Taylor…

Time to Prove It for Many Longhorns this Fall OTF had the conversation in our group chat over the weekend that no matter the projected starting lineup we have in mind entering fall camp, things can always change. Remember just a year ago, it was unknown where Jahdae Barron would start on the field for the Texas defense. He would eventually go on to win the Thorpe. As well as the WR rotation: Would it be Johntay Cook or Silas Bolden or even Matthew Golden who would step up and be that next big piece in the offense? Well, we all know how that worked out. So the fluidity of camp is certainly top of mind for me as we begin hypothesizing the Texas rotations for …

Texas new 2026 OT offer Micah Smith: The juice The Texas Longhorns extended an offer to 4-star UCLA offensive tackle commit Micah Smith (Vero Beach, Fla./High) Sunday. The 6-foot-5.25, 320-pound current UCLA verbal has seen his stock rise as a senior, despite missing some time with a minor injury. In fact, when I stopped by Vero Beach High last month, Smith was not practicing. Having known Vero Beach High head coach Lenny Jankowski a long time, when he comments on a player I listen. And so do college coaches that have known him for a while. There are several teams trying to get Smith on campus right now. Ohio State re-engaged recently, and Smith mad…

Whether it was the firing of a head coach, a recruiting class falling apart, or a bad losing streak, the Texas Longhorns have flipped at least three prospects from ailing programs in every year of the Steve Sarkisian era. While this upcoming year’s coaching carousel won’t be nearly as chaotic as last year’s coaching carousel, there’s still a handful of coaches entering the season on the hotseat that will have a chance to be fired before the month of November ends. OTF takes a look at coaches on the hot seat who have prospects committed that could be of interest to Texas between now and December’s Early Signing Day. Mike Norvell, Florida State The Semi…

While Anthony Hill will likely be picked in the top two rounds of this year’s NFL draft and four or five other Longhorns will eventually join him in being selected, it’s the 2027 draft that appears loaded for Texas. A year from today, the number is potentially astounding. Here are the draft eligible players of note for 2027: Arch Manning Hollywood Smothers Raleek Brown Cam Coleman Ryan Wingo Emmett Mosley V Michael Masunas Trevor Goosby Melvin Siani Brandon Baker Alex January Hero Kanu Maraad Watson Ian Geffrard Colin Simmons Zina Umeozulu Rasheem Biles Brad Spence Ty’…

A quick look ahead to the class of 2026 and some prospects Texas is in very strong spots with entering the 2024 season. Of course, there is a long way to go here but it is worth mentioning where things sit currently as we flip to August. *** Top of the List 2026 RB Javian Osborne – Forney (TX) High Texas is back in the market for a 2026 running back and all eyes appear to be set on the Forney running back Javian Osborne who returned to campus at the end of July. Osborne and Tashard Choice have a great relationship and he was all Horns after the visit. 2026 WR Jordan Clay – San Antonio (TX) Madison High Texas offered Clay at the Elite Cam…

Difference makers matter. That’s the type of player and commitment Texas earned yesterday in Jonah Williams - a difference maker. The size, speed and athleticism are all there. And so too is the production. He picked off four passes last year and returned three for TDs. He also had two touchdowns rushing and 144 yards on just two carries. He averaged more than 24 yards per catch on 20 receptions. He hasn’t even played his senior season yet he’s already a two-time district MVP. As Steve Sarkisian continues to load the roster with talent, a few will still standout. Jonah Williams is one of those. ** The simulated game yesterday began …

My wish list: 10 recruits in 2027 Texas official visit weekends begin in a month. That means many recruitments will be getting "real" and then coming to a conclusion in the next two and a half months. With the timeline of decisions quickly approaching, I've been thinking about some of the prospects on the board I like the most. And that is for various reasons. 1. John Meredith III, CB, Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley The 5-star cornerback is the top target at the most important position in the 2027 cycle. OTF take: Texas leads 2. Mitchell Turner, DL, Louisville (Miss.) High Disruptive interior defensive linemen are a must in the SEC. The 4-…

Texas official visitor list now at 33 The Texas Longhorns are now sitting at 33 official visitors with two of offensive players added to the list and a kicker. Five-star quarterback commit Dia Bell (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage), 4-star+ running back K.J. Edwards (Carthage, Texas/High) and kicker Gaston Gramatica (Tampa, Fla./Cambridge Christian) are now locked in for June OV's. OTF also exchanged another message with 4-star++ cornerback Samari Matthews (Cornelius, N.C./Hough), and it's very likely that June 13-15th will in fact be locked in shortly. The Longhorns hosted 41 official visitors in June a year ago, and OTF expects the Longhorns to race pa…

Straight from the Boot! Texas adds to its 2026 class with a commitment from CB Hayward Howard Jr. out of Edna Karr High School in Louisiana. Howard made his commitment official in a ceremony of his high school gymnasium Friday afternoon. The Longhorns hosted Howard Jr. for an unofficial visit on April 12 where he and the family were blown away on the visit. I spoke briefly with a family member on the trip who said it was the best campus visit they had been on since the recruitment started. Of course, there were some questions about the interest in LSU once they got involved in his recruitment after offering about a week following his trip to Austin. But Texas d…

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said the quiet part out loud yesterday afternoon. The SEC and the general quality of its teams, thereby the strengths of its schedules, are different than every other conference. He even provided media a 7-page document explaining exactly why. Only two of the conferences 16 schools have averaged being outside of the top 50 teams in college football over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, every other conference has at least twice as many, if not three times as many. What’s the net of all of it? While the Big 10 is trying to force the SEC into a 9-game conference schedule, I just don’t think it’s in the cards. The coaches simply don’t …

Wide receiver recruiting in focus: Big week on the road for Chris Jackson The Texas Longhorns coaching staff will be on the road to close out January and prior to the dead period, which begins February 3. Wide receivers coach Chris Jackson may have the biggest week on the road of the entire staff heading east all week. Jackson will be at Destrehan (La.) High Monday to see 4-star+ Jabari Mack, fresh off a junior day visit with his family. Jackson is scheduled to head east after the stop at Destrehan High the remainder of the week. OnTexasFootball takes a look at the known stops... Douglas County High in Douglasville, Ga. to see 4-star++ an…

Yesterday was bittersweet for me. Blake Gideon is someone I consider a Lifetime Longhorn. From the very minute he stepped on campus 16 years ago as a freshman from nearby Leander, Gideon was determined to make a positive impact for the Longhorns. Despite other recruits being ranked higher and pundits like me not giving him much of a chance, Gideon was determined to succeed. And succeed he did. He simply would not be denied despite others possibly being more athletic, faster, etc. He started as a true freshman, and then all four years as a Longhorn, helping Texas become one of the best teams in all of college football. He even recorded an interception in the…

Texas is ramping up the heat for a number of five-star prospects in the class of 2025. With the dead period concluding, the Longhorns are set to host a pair on Thursday for the BBQ event. A quick look at where Texas sits in the race for a few of the country's best. *** Five-Star ATH Michael Terry Alamo Heights HS – San Antonio, TX Terry will be on campus for the BBQ this week. The race for the versatile playmaker out of San Antonio included Texas, Oregon, Texas A&M and Nebraska at the beginning of the month. I do believe things have tightened at the moment to Texas and Oregon duking it out for his verbal pledge. Texas has the advantage in proxi…