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I’ll have some more team notes a little later today. But for those of you who know me, I really enjoy trivia, especially sports trivia. Here are a couple of Longhorn questions for you (answers at the bottom): 1. What team was the first Longhorn group (in any sport) to win a national championship? 2. What former Texas baseball player replaced Shoeless Joe Jackson in left field following Jackson’s banishment from baseball? 3. Who was the Longhorns’ first consensus All-American in football? 4. What Texas basketball player from Ocala, Fla., led Texas to the 1990 Elite Eight? 5. Against which college does Texas football have the worst winning perc…

Texas took it on the chin yesterday. The Horns were blown out early by the Aggies in baseball and the softball squad lost a tough one to Oklahoma. Both will look to bounce back today to salvage at least one game in their respective series. ** While Gerry, Hank and CJ all followed football recruiting closely yesterday, there’s other roster movement going on behind the scenes. Texas continues to monitor possible last-minute portal transfers who will be eligible for the 2026 season. To be clear, these are not front-line players. These are depth pieces. But I’ll be surprised if we don’t look up in May and see at least one or two additional p…

I didn’t get to say much when it happened, but I want to mention it now. Jack Endries has wrestled with the decision to turn pro or return to Texas since the A&M game. He remains likely to turn pro. After all, that was the plan prior to the season beginning. And some draft boards have him among the top five tight ends available. Even the advice of nearly every agent these days is for a draft-able player to sit out their non-playoff bowl game. Well, Endries couldn’t do it. He likes football too much. And he is genuinely considering returning to Texas in 2026. While a lot of guys with NFL possibilities are opting out, players like Endries, Jelan…

The final day for a typical portal transfer to enroll at Texas and be eligible for spring ball was Friday. Texas could, however, try to add someone this week. From an academic standpoint, they would have to get permission from a dean. ** There has been no news on Indiana offensive guard Bray Lynch and whether or not he has elected to enter the transfer portal. IMO no news is good news… for Indiana. ** Miami linebacker Raul Aguirre entered the portal. He is a player to watch, but only IF he’s willing to compete for playing time. One item that shrinks the pool of players open to Texas that not many people realize is that some players are a…

With the addition of defensive lineman Elijah Ali, Texas will likely finish the 2026 recruiting class with 23 signees. Add in 19 portal transfers, and the Longhorns will have 42 new faces in the 2026 season. That’s roughly half of the entire roster. ** Four of the high school recruits are defensive linemen: Ali along with James Johnson, Jamarrion Carlton and Richard Wesley, although Carlton and Wesley will start at defensive end. Texas also added two interior DLs from the portal, Ian Geffrard and Zion Williams. That group retains Hero Kanu, Alex January, Maraad Watson, Josiah Sharma, and Myron Charles. On paper, Texas should be good - or…

Let’s talk about some of the defensive newcomers in the freshman class and what we’ve heard the last couple of days and end it with a couple of notes on offense: - If you’re asking who is the biggest surprise of all freshmen so far, look no further than California linebacker Rocky Cummings. Cummings not only has the physique of a big-time prospect but he has already clocked 21+mph while showing ample athleticism. For comparison, Cummings is clocking just as fast as Tyler Atkinson and Kosi Okpala. - Okpala has also been mentioned as one of the bright spots. His combination of speed, athleticism and tenacity have been noted. - Atkinson has also impr…

Today is Sark’s birthday. Tomorrow he gets to open his presents. Sark officially embarks on his sixth spring football with the Longhorns. In those six years, he has taken a program that seemed rudderless for more than a decade and turned it into one of the nation’s elite. The transition from a flailing program to one of preeminence is there for all to see. Three consecutive top 10 finishes. Two college football semifinals. Two regular season conference championships and one post-season one. He’s won three of the last four against OU - they rarely score a touchdown these days - and his first two against the Aggies. But what is really the difference…

It’s Selection Sunday. Texas women’s basketball is likely to receive a well-deserved no. 1 seed today. As for men’s basketball? They’re on the bubble. And the bubble is really wobbly. Rightly so. While Texas has six Tier I wins, the Horns also finished the year with three consecutive losses and losses in four of their last five contests. One of those defeats came to OU, a team Texas is potentially fighting with for an at large bid. ** I did a lot of deep reading this weekend on the future possibilities of college sports. Everything from a couple of conferences breaking away from the NCAA and how they might do it, to the idea of collective bar…

So the cat’s out of the bag. Following interactions with a reporter at an event yesterday, Derrek Cooper, the nation’s top running back, is said to be heavily considering - if not favoring - Texas. It shocked some of those reporters. It didn’t shock this one. 😉 ** Some of those reporters have now changed their predictions from Miami to Texas. Some just picked Texas for the first time. That‘s what happens these days. But, before we go further, I want to caution everyone: Seven days is an eternity in recruiting. Never celebrate until it’s time to celebrate. There can be twists and turns between here and the end zone. ** Texas nee…

Let’s keep today’s column relatively simple and straight-forward. What are the primary position battles and questions expected during fall camp? - Back-up QB. Matthew Caldwell or Trey Owens? Word is, Caldwell very much looks the part But let’s see if Owens is prepared to defend the spot. - RB rotation and the timing of it. Trey Wisner is obviously going to play a lot. The questions are the health and timing of Ced Baxter, and the ability of Jerrick Gibson, Christian Clark and James Simon. Baxter is thought to be “ahead” in his recovery, but just how far exactly? Gibson has worked hard this off-season to re-shape his body. We’ll see if that helps his quickn…

Texas closed out week one of practice yesterday. They take the day off today and get back at it on Monday. ** I am told each practice consistently became more and more physical as the week progressed. Yesterday’s practice included some red zone drills and 11v11 situationals, as well a large amount of seven on seven work. ** Arch Manning has shown a strong command of the offense. The thought processes and mentality seem to be where the coaches want it. CJ Baxter and James Simon also received some plaudits for their work yesterday. ** The defense is said to have had a tremendous night. One reason is turnovers. At least thus far i…

We await the decision of Hollywood, Fla., running back Derrek Cooper later today. As of late yesterday, Texas remains in position to land Cooper. However, all the normal clichés apply: Never say never, don’t count your chickens before they hatch, it ain’t over until it’s over, etc. Cooper, regardless of his recruiting ranking, is seen as a difference maker by major college coaches. So this will be a battle to the bitter end. But it’s our understanding that Cooper genuinely likes the RB set-up at Texas, he likes Sark’s usage and success of developing and relying heavily on RBs. Remember, Texas has had the first two running backs taken in two o…

We had some major questions going into the scrimmage yesterday. Some of them were answered: Back-up QB The role feels more and more like transfer Matthew Caldwell’s to lose. We’re told Caldwell looked more than serviceable again yesterday and even started with the second unit. Granted, Steve Sarkisian singled out KJ Lacey, too. The freshman engineered a two-minute drive for a score while working with the 1s. But the plan has always been to redshirt Lacey while letting Caldwell and Trey Owens fight over the back-up role. Tight end rotation Texas worked a lot in 12 personnel yesterday and the first two in the rotation were Jack Endries and Spen…

We’ve spent a lot of time the last week discussing the Ohio State offense and Ryan Day’s decision to go with Julian Sayin at quarterback. So I think it’s time we explore the other side of the ball a little more - the Buckeye defense. In 2024, Texas was pretty darn salty on defense. Ohio State was even better. The Buckeyes finished the season ranked no. 1 in the country in yards allowed per game (254ypg), points allowed per game (12.9ppg), red zone scoring (60pct) and yards allowed per play (4ypp). Everyone feared the vaunted Ohio State offense. But just as was the case with Texas a year ago, it was actually their defense that led the way. Th…

Arch Manning is not infallible. For those trying to make negative premature judgements, I’d caution against that. Strongly. Manning had a good fourth quarter, sustained four drives in the second half, while working through a difficult day at the office. Part of the problem was Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was clearly determined not to let the Texas passing game beat him. The gameplan worked. Arch also had a couple of nifty runs to keep drives alive earlier in the game and was not taking easy sacks the entire contest. Those are things Texas can and will build on. So long as he grows from here, and gains confidence, he’s ultim…

- Texas men’s football commitment Easton Royal ran a 10.17 100-meter dash to win the Louisiana state championship in record fashion. He also anchored his team’s 4x100 relay to victory. - Texas softball dominated Alabama in the SEC final. Teagan Kavan pitched a 12-strikeout gem and Katie Stewart launched her 25th home run of the season. Stewart’s homer went over the left field scoreboard. - Texas baseball has lost the first two games of the series against Tennessee in Knoxville. It’s the second series loss of the season for the Horns after falling at A&M a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps more importantly is the injury bug. Second baseman Ethan Mendoza rolled his…

Arch Manning went off last night. Literally and figuratively. He completed his final 13 passes to finish the game 18-21 with three TDs, two TDs rushing and more than 300 yards passing. He hit the short passes, the long ones and everything in between. He moved well in the pocket and ran the ball effectively in the red zone, too. And he did it all with authority. He was fiery, more than we’ve ever seen (and perhaps more than anyone ever thought possible). In short, he let it all - his ability and his emotions- rip. ** One thing is very clear: Manning, when he is on like he was last night, is the complete package. He proved he’s n…

I wanted to be as informed and measured as I could be in my article this morning, so I waited to write this column until after re-watching the game. ** This will be of no surprise to any of you. Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning did not have good games. Both of them. Arch as a player and Sark as a coach. Let’s start with Arch. He looked ok early on, converting three third-and-longs, and scrambling for another first down. But then he airmailed a crossing route to Ryan Wingo in the first quarter and Jack Endries in the second and he seemed to never be the same again. It’s almost like he went in the tank. After that, it seemed that he really…

With their backs against the wall, down 17 points in the final quarter, the Texas Longhorns fought and clawed their way back to tie the game at the end of regulation before winning in overtime 45-38. I use the terms “fought” and “clawed” purposefully because that’s exactly what they did. It wasn’t always pretty, but this team would not give up. They fought every second even after what looked like a nail in the coffin 62-yard touchdown from Mississippi State early in the fourth quarter. Yet rather than folding tent, Texas fought back behind the arm of Arch Manning and a fleet of receivers that had a breakout game for the first time this year. But i…

Last night, Quinn Ewers was off to a Heisman-esque start. He was already 14-16 with two TDs and one INT for 185 yards early in the second quarter. But then injury struck and Arch Manning entered. And the train kept on rolling down the tracks. If you want to know the deepest position on a Texas team that is stocked with elite talent, it’s the QB room. Last night showed exactly what we’ve been saying all along. Texas is extremely blessed at QB. Extremely! ** The RB room was already without Jaydon Blue last night. Then Tre Wisner left the game hobbled on the first series of the game. Wisner returned but didn’t seem to have his usual pop. …

So what did you think of Arch Manning? In my eyes, he was equal parts terrific yet still very human. He showed glimpses of why he was rated the nation’s No. 1 ranked QB while also being a first-time starter. That deep ball to Isaiah Bond? To Matthew Golden? Things of beauty. Overthrowing Jaydon Blue twice? Repeatedly throwing into coverage? Not so much. It just goes to show that even the ones who have elite talent still need a warming up period; they need experience. It was a solid performance. Not the best debut for a Texas QB ever nor the worst. Arch finished 15-29 for 258 yards with two TDs and two INTs. Once upon a time, another…

Despite the 35-13 win over Mississippi State yesterday and the fantastic performance from back-up QB Arch Manning, the victory felt almost hollow. Why? There were simply too many mental miscues coming from a team befitting of a no. 1 national ranking, which is what Texas was entering the contest. For the first time this year, Texas had a very incomplete performance. Whether it was poor tackling, a dropped pass, two fumbles, multiple false start and holding penalties, a curious decision by the coach to take points off the board, the Horns kept stubbing themselves in the toe, time after time. That’s not what a top-ranked team does. And that’s why th…

The Horns started slow. Too slow. Then things turned really ugly… for the Sooners. The Longhorns absolutely dominated the second through fourth quarters, administering a Texas-sized butt-whipping to Brent Venables for the second time in three years, this one a 34-3 embarrassment that will leave more than a few Okies questioning if they have the right man for the job when they head back north of the Red River. Meanwhile down in Austin, the Longhorns don’t have those problems or questions. Steve Sarkisian’s team overcame a sluggish start, scoring 34 unanswered points and leaving the field on Saturday without the Sooners scoring a single touchdown. I…

There’s a lot to digest from last night. - We could spend all day dissecting what went wrong in pass protection for the Horns. - The Longhorn offensive line was clearly overwhelmed way too often. - Yet Quinn Ewers did his teammates no favors. In the face of a legit pass rush, Ewers folded as easily as a piece of paper in a book. - He repeatedly bailed backwards instead of stepping into the pocket. In doing so, Ewers gave the Georgia pass rushers an even larger target. Georgia could use the wide pass rush and therefore make the Texas OTs protect more space. The Georgia DL did NOT need more space to operate. That space also gave Georgia ed…

Folks may wake up this morning with a lot of questions about this Texas team. And that’s fair. But one thing you can not take away from the Longhorns is a 7-1 record headed into the season’s final bye week. Texas is poised to make a run at the College Football Playoff, exactly where it wanted to be with four regular season games remaining. ** Much of the focus yesterday was on whether or not Quinn Ewers would have a bounce back game and whether or not the Texas defense could safely corral Vandy QB Diego Pavia. There are two key stats that answer both of those questions: Heading into the contest, Vanderbilt was converting 51.6 percent of their…