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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…

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 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…

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…

- 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…

For those of us wondering what Arch Manning would look like in a Quinn Ewers-style offense or perhaps how he would perform with good pass protection, well, our questions were answered… With an exclamation point. Manning was nothing short of phenomenal yesterday. Completing 25 of 33 passes for 328 yards and 3 TDs, he was precision-like to the point where the opponent had no answers. Many who watched this game will focus on the near collapse of the Texas pass defense in the fourth quarter. And yes that is of concern, though Texas was missing two starters almost the entire game at safety. But one of the real takeaways from this contest, the thing tha…

Tip your cap. And move on. That’s my best advice to a Texas team who was clearly beaten by a superior Georgia squad. Yet there are valuable takeaways, things you just can’t do and expect to compete and win. Nine penalties to one. Three outright busted coverages. Giving up an onside kick. Four drops. Texas has had issues like that all year long. The drops and penalties, especially. Issues like that don’t suddenly disappear in game 10 against a top five opponent. While the Texas players were out-performed, so too were the Texas coaches at key times. After his lead was cut to 4 points midway through the third quarter, Kirby Smart produced a mast…

Last week, a few readers dismissed my assertion that the Texas offense had been moving in the right direction and was becoming a consistent strength of the team. That’s understandable. I wrote and said that right after a paltry 10-point performance against Georgia. Yet here we are after a 52-37 win over Arkansas, and I’ll say the same thing again this morning. And that fact - at least to me - is as clear as day. The Texas offense has emerged as the team’s better, more consistent and more reliable unit. Since the flip switched for Arch Manning late against Mississippi State, he is 99 of 152 for 1,314 yards, 11 TDs and just two INTs. That’s an average of…

The college football gods did not smile on Texas yesterday. In fact only one team that ranked ahead of the Longhorns lost this weekend. Texas really needed two teams to lose - just about any two teams. Yet like much of the season, while OU’s offense was stuck in mud for an entire game, its defense saved the day long enough for its opponent to bust a couple of coverages. Alabama was equally unimpressive against Auburn. The Crimson Tide just aren’t very good in any aspect if you ask me. Vanderbilt trounced an overrated Tennessee squad. Then there are the teams outside the conference. For style points, Miami threw a bomb on Pitt in the 4th quart…

There’s only one SEC team the Longhorns would be underdogs against on a neutral field - Georgia. Not Alabama. They can’t run the ball and their QB is seriously overrated. Certainly not Oklahoma, Texas A&M or Vanderbilt. Texas already beat them all convincingly. Not Ole Miss either. They lost their coach. That’s the problem with this “committee”. It talks about the Longhorns’ loss to Florida as if Texas is the same team today that played in Gainesville at the first of October. The Longhorns clearly aren’t. Texas is 6-1 over the last seven games, including three top 10 wins. Texas itself should be among the top 10 teams in the country. The …

Texas finished its first week of bowl practice. There are a number of opt outs, almost exclusively on defense. - Anthony Hill (NFL) - Manny Muhammad - Michael Taaffe - Trey Moore - Ethan Burke - Jaylon Guilbeau ** Muhammad has not announced his intentions to go pro a year early although that is the expectation. ** Tight end Jack Endries is likely headed to the NFL but has not made an announcement either. Endries is expected to play in the bowl game. ** Players who have announced for the portal are not expected to play in the game. That list includes: - Trey Owens - CJ Baxter - Connor…

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…