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The portal opened just one week ago today. Think about all that has happened since. Texas has added four players in just seven days (five in nine days). All are key additional pieces and all are at positions of need. You get the feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was a plan. A plan that was thought about and strategized behind the scenes for months. Hats off to Brandon Harris and the entire personnel department staff. What they accomplished in such a short period of time is the envy of college football personnel departments. ** Another fact to contemplate: Not a single portal visitor who visited Texas this portal period took a visit e…

It’s hard to believe that this season has come to an end. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that Jeff ,CJ and I recorded our first ever episode of Bases Loaded and that we were all curious as to what the season would bring. “Hosting a regional” is what I said when we discussed the topic of what would be considered a successful season. “Going .500 in conference play” was Jeff’s answer just a few weeks later when I asked what would be considered a success for Texas’ first year in the SEC. Texas exceeded those .500 expectations, dropping only two series toward the end of the season. They won the conference title in the toughest baseball conference in t…

Wednesday afternoon recruiting notes Here are a few notes from the recruiting trail. 5-star Lamar Brown ... The 5-star DL out of Baton Rouge (La.) Southern Lab has been talking with Steve Sarkisian, LaAllen Clark and Kenny Baker weekly for the last 5-6 weeks. Obviously, that is giving Texas the feeling they can position themselves with a successful weekend to be right there battling Texas A&M, LSU and Miami. Texas A&M has been recruiting the 6-foot-5, 285-pounder as a defensive lineman the longest. Both LSU and Texas began recruiting Brown as an OL, but changed to DL as Brown began to lock in on wanting to play DL. Kyle Flood went to Brown's …

Texas clinched its fourth Director’s Cup as the nation’s best college athletic program in the last five years last night. The Texas women’s track team finished in 10th place, which was just enough to out point USC and Stanford. The winner of the Director’s Cup was literally decided on the second to last race of the women’s meet last night. A win is a win but it was truly by the narrowest of margins. How close? Had a Stanford runner finished in second in the 5,000 meters instead of third (something Stanford challenged), the Cardinal would have won the cup by virtue of moving up overall in the track standings. Had Texas finished 12th overall instead of 1…

Cornerback Samari Matthews out of Cornelius, N.C., will announce his college decision today at 6pm CT. Matthews, ranked the no. 57 overall prospect in the country by the 247Sports composite, is deciding between Texas, South Carolina, Clemson, Miami and Florida State. Twelve hours before his pick, Texas is thought to be the leader over South Carolina. Yet as we have seen time and time again during this recruiting cycle, things can and do change. We’ll have live coverage of the event later today. ** Matthews is an interesting case study in what winning on a national stage can do for a program and who it recruits. Before Texas had even reached o…

Portal additions: Predictions and expectations entering fall camp The Texas Longhorns begin fall camp in six days with the start of the season just 37 days away. The program welcomes 11 new members to the team from the transfer portal this season, with as many as seven expected to be starters this season. OnTexasFootball makes some predictions and lines up expectations headed into fall camp. Defensive line the key ... Maraad Watson, DL, 6-3, 327 The freshman All-American is expected to start, or play starter snaps without question. Texas loves what they have seen to this point. Two years left to play before heading off to the NFL. OTF predictio…

Younger Players Who Will Be Impact Pieces in 2025 Based off the first two days of practice combined with returns from behind the scenes, I wanted to compile a list of players who you would be smart to invest in early as a Texas fan wanted to sound smarter to friends in the group chat. Thank me later. *** Freshman CB Graceson Littleton The easy pick for No. 1 on this list is the cornerback out of Wiregrass Ranch High in Florida. Often times when kids who are off the radar prospects are late additions to the class, they instantly become enigmas when they arrive on campus for the Texas fan base. Thinking of Payton Kirkland, X'Avion Brice to an extent…

I was reminded by someone yesterday that most of the first week is always “install” for the coming season. That means getting players - all players, not just the first-line units - to understand key aspects of the offense and defense, and doing the things in live action that the coaches have talked about and shown to the players on the proverbial chalkboard for months. Install is mostly a learning phase of training camp. But it’s also an opportunity for coaches to see which players can ingest (or have already ingested) the material and put it into practice. That ingestion allows for some freshmen or younger players to a get a head start. Graceson Littl…

Had a conversation this morning with someone in attendance at the scrimmage yesterday. Here’s a few notes from that conversation that I haven’t previously reported: - As Bobby said in his piece this morning, CJ Baxter was back in action. Baxter, along with Tre Wisner and Christian Clark all received an ample amount of work yesterday. - The only turnover I’ve heard of up to this point came on a tipped pass that was from QB Trey Owens. No other INTs or fumbles were mentioned and I’ve asked multiple people. - I’m told the Daylan McCutcheon TD reception I reported on yesterday was a “thing of beauty.” - Safety Derek Williams had a massive hit that ca…

Young players - ones who have yet to play meaningful snaps in a game for Texas or are freshmen - with developmental “arrows up” following Saturday’s scrimmage and the early portion of camp: WR Parker Livingstone DB Graceson Littleton RB Christian Clark QB KJ Lacey DE Zina Umeozulu TE Jordan Washington DB Xavier Filsaime OL Nate Kibble TE Nick Townsend LB Bo Barnes DB Kade Phillips WR Daylan McCutcheon ** There is another group worth watching, older players who are either new to the roster or have made significant strides to become more regular pieces to the Texas puzzle. - DE Brad Spence - DT …

Sarkisian Hopeful New Faces See Field Saturday AUSTIN, Texas – One of the biggest benefits of the non-conference schedule is to get a look at your young talent and assess whether or not they would be prepared to contribute for the upcoming conference slate. Steve Sarkisian admitted Texas has not been able to accomplish that feat as much as they would prefer through the first three weeks, but the final home game of the non-conference provides one final opportunity to get a look at who else can crack the rotation and be players for the Longhorns in 2025. "We are seeing are seeing the running backs, obviously," Sarkisian said of his youngsters Thursday morning…

Recruiting: The Weekend The Texas staff hosted a number of key visitors Saturday, and of course the returns have been extremely positive. This morning, we will talk about the 2026 prospects of note in attendance. Derrek Cooper's OV ... It's very rare when an OV doesn't go well, especially one in which a prospect is the lone official visitor on campus. Two sources informed OTF that the visit went very well, with Cooper and family. Cooper spent time with Texas players from Florida (Baxter, Myron Charles and Jaime Ffrench). Texas only strengthened the position over the weekend. Does that mean Miami will give up? Nope. Does that mean Cooper won't take in an…

Sark's Philosophy on The Opening Kickoff A few weeks ago I ran down the opening kickoff numbers and scoring successes Texas has when they receive the opening kickoff vs. getting the ball second in a game. The numbers heavily favored Texas kicking off when winning the coin flip – something they did for the first time last Saturday against Sam Houston State at home. Just running back through the numbers since the beginning 2023: *** In 34 opening possessions from the beginning of 2023: – Texas has received the opening kickoff 22 times – they have converted those drives into points twice. (9.09%) – In the 12 instances where Texas started o…

Four-star center Peyton Miller high on the Horns Anna, Texas - When it comes to listing the top offensive line prospects on the board for the Longhorns in the 2027 cycle, Peyton Miller (Anna, Texas/High) is at the top at center. In fact, the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder is the only center Kyle Flood is after. Texas offered the third year starter for the Coyotes June 1 after a workout at Elite Camp. Since that time, Flood has stayed in contact with the Northern most DFW area junior on a weekly basis. "It's been great," Miller told OTF Thursday after athletic period. "Ever since camp last summer, we have been in touch. Since being in touch with him and coached by …

Approaching the Offensive Line Over the Next Few Weeks Texas ran the football 36 times for roughly 4-yards per clip against Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon. In total, 136 yards were racked up in the win over what is still the nation's No. 10 ranked rushing defense. It was a sight for sore eyes, especially after the circus show that traveled to The Swamp where only 15 rushing yards were accumulated by running backs. I think what we saw in Dallas was a step in the right direction. Texas saw a pulse from the running game, and based off of what we have seen from the running game against top-end opponents over the last two years, that is basically all you can as…

With the announcement of Quinn Ewers heading to the NFL, the Arch Manning era at Texas has officially commenced. There are those who wonder if Manning can step in immediately next season and be as good as Ewers. I think he can. That’s not a knock on Ewers. It’s just that I believe in Manning and his abilities and preparation that much. Folks have to remember Manning doesn’t just have the physical skills. He also has the mental ones. He understands just how important preparation is, how important repetition is, etc. Make no mistake, he’s never going to be perfect. So, as fans, we will ride the ups and downs with him over the next couple of seasons.…

A Texas special teams analyst will be moving on to a coordinator role according to a report by Football Scoop. Analyst Jeff Crosby has accepted the App State special teams coordinator position according to the report. Crosby had been a member of the Texas staff since 2021 when Texas hired Steve Sarkisian. Formerly, Crosby spent time with Southern Miss and Washington. The Longhorns will be experiencing all sorts of turnover in the special teams room next year. The addition of P Jack Bouwmeester is piece one. Jeff Banks will be tasked with getting the room improved and ready for 2025 throughout the spring. Also, I am expecting a new place kicker for 2025…

The final AP Top 25 has been released and the Longhorns come in ranked 4th in the country. A bit of a surprise as the Oregon Ducks make the leap over both Semifinal losers and end the season ranked 3rd. Here are the full rankings. *** Ohio State Notre Dame Oregon Texas Penn State Georgia Arizona State Boise State Tennessee Indiana Ole Miss SMU BYU Clemson Iowa State Illinois Alabama Miami (FL) South Carolina Syracuse Army Missouri UNLV Memphis Colorado View full news story

The Texas Junior Day will kickoff this weekend to truly commence the start of the 2026 class for the Texas staff. Of course, the staff has been on the road in DFW, California and the deep south this week, but the first true on-campus event always hits a bit differently for recruits in the current class. This year's January Junior Day will be a bit smaller than the 2024 event. I would attribute that to Texas playing well into 2025 with its season. But regardless, there will be no shortage of talent on campus this weekend. A quick rundown of some names that might be flying under the radar in comparison to other 2026 prospects. Also, some 2027 prospects that w…

Wanted to share quick snippets from the Texas Junior Day from this afternoon. Starting with the offensive side of the ball, defense will be posted tomorrow. Specifically, what stood out to a number of top 2026 prospects. @Gerry Hamilton, @Jeff Howe and I were all out on the scene today and the Longhorns did well based off of conversations we had after the Junior Day. *** 2026 Texas QB Commit Dia Bell "Today was really good. I got to meet a lot of new faces and talk to a lot of guys, get to answer some questions they have about Texas and why I chose Texas. It was a great time. I got to meet a lot of new people and just hangout." 2026 Forney …

Mark your calendars. In case you missed it, we reported yesterday that Texas is expected to start spring ball March 25, exactly one month from yesterday. The Longhorns get 15 practices in total. There will be a fan appreciation day on April 26 that is in conjunction with a baseball game against A&M at Disch-Falk. Athletic director Chris Del Conte will talk more about the fan appreciation day later this evening during his annual Texas athletics town hall program. ** CJ is covering the NFL combine for us this week. The DLs and Edges are talking to media today and workout tomorrow. I am speaking with NFL Draft expect Lance Zierlein…

Texas now up to 35 official visitors The Texas Longhorns are now up to 35 official visitors with two more additions today. Hough High (Cornelius, N.C.) 4-star++ cornerback Samari Matthews told OnTexasFootball that he is locked in for June 13-15. In addition, OTF believes Richardson (Texas) High and OTF 4-star++ defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield will officially visit Texas June 20-22. Texas hosted 41 official visitors last June, and OTF believes that number will be eclipsed this June. June official visitor list ... The Texas Longhorns staff now has 35 official visitors confirmed by OTF. June 6 (4) Ezavier Crowell, RB, Jackson (Ala.) Hig…

This isn't shocking news, but I was told today not to expect Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte to make any public comments regarding the status of men's basketball coach Rodney Terry until after the 2024-25 season is complete. Again, not an earth-shattering update by any stretch, but don't hold your breath waiting for CDC to address RT's job security publicly.

Saturday afternoon was a virtual infomercial for Texas football on the NFL Network. Not only was Quinn Ewers on display throwing the ball, but Steve Sarkisian was in the booth discussing the combine. Meanwhile, the hottest topic on every pundits tongue were the superlative performances of a multitude of Texas players. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve never seen Texas get that much positive discussion on the NFL Network. ** In last night’s Sunday livestream, a viewer asked who next year’s speed merchant might be at the combine for Texas. Right now, I don’t know that there will be one… unless Texas does some work in the portal. And y…

As mentioned by @Bobby Burton earlier this morning, the Longhorns will be back on the practice field for session No. 12 later this evening, one that figures to be a physical scrimmage-like practice with a lengthier team period at the backend. Of course, the Longhorns have opted to go a lighter route this spring, meaning less full contact periods and more instruction between the 27 new players on the team and plethora of coaching changes. So, heading into tonight, a quick recap on what we have heard in regards to practice over the last 48-72 hours. *** – I will focus mostly in the trenches. I was made aware on Saturday that the defensive line had a pret…