The Texas Longhorns and head coach Steve Sarkisian are all-in on the 2026 season. With both quarterback Arch Manning and left tackle Trevor Goosby opting to return to Austin instead of head to the NFL, Texas got aggressive in the portal and brought in the No. 3 class in the country.
That combination of returning stars and talented newcomers, in tandem with the surprise hiring of veteran defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, has generated a ton of buzz around the program.
With so much on the line for Texas in 2026, Sarkisian and his staff have to ensure their best eleven are on the field on every down. To do that, they are going to have to make some tough decisions in some tight position battles.
Below are the five battles that will determine the Longhorns’ season.
No. 5: How Does the Wide Receiver Depth Shake Out?
Texas’ top three wide receivers are set: Cam Coleman at X, Ryan Wingo at Z and Emmett Mosley V in the slot. Who takes over if one of them goes down remains unclear.
Highly touted members of the 2025 recruiting class Daylan McCutcheon and Kaliq Lockett were hardly used last season but remain über talented. They will have to beat out veteran transfer Sterling Berkhalter, who had 416 receiving yards for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The wildcard in the room is freshman Jermaine Bishop, whose position Texas is not even sure of yet. Bishop, the No. 2 athlete in his recruiting class, is the most athletically gifted receiver in the room and could force Sarkisian to put him in certain packages if he proves himself in fall practice.
No. 4: Who is TE1?
To be clear, the Longhorns know who they will be using in the off-ball, F-tight end role, as Nick Townsend is running nearly unopposed for that role. What remains in question is who will take the majority of snaps attached to the offensive line as the Y-tight end.
Michigan State transfer Michael Masunas was slated to take that role until Spencer Shannon impressed in spring practice, drawing the battle even. With the investments Texas has made into the run game, choosing the right man to dig out defensive ends and seal off linebackers will be imperative to its success in 2026.
No. 3: Can Jonah Williams Earn a Starting Spot?
Jonah Williams was the sixth-ranked player in the class of 2025, but made a bigger impact at UFCU Disch-Falk than he did at Darrell K. Royal. The path was initially cleared for Williams to start this season, however he suffered an injury in the baseball that season that caused Texas to get safety Derek Williams Jr. back on campus after he initially entered the transfer portal.
Jonah Williams has all of the talent in the world, but Derek Williams Jr. has more experience and a cleaner bill of health. If Jonah can earn his spot over Derek, he could be the x-factor in Muschamp’s hectic scheme.
No. 2: Who Will Plug up the Middle?
Austin has been an underrated interior defensive lineman factory since Sarkisian became the head coach, but this year’s room might just be the deepest. Between Ian Geffrard, Hero Kanu, Maraad Watson, Alex January, Zion Williams and Justus Terry, the Longhorns have an embarrassment of riches in the middle of Muschamp’s defense.
Texas will no doubt use this depth to their advantage and rotate the unit heavily, but they will need to pick two starters so they can build cohesion in Muschamp’s complicated scheme. Geffrard being the starting nose tackle is the closest to a sure thing that this group has, but who starts next to him is anybody’s guess.
If one of the others is able to separate from the pack, it could be what propels Texas’ defense to the top of the SEC.
No. 1: How Will the Backfield Work be Split Up?
To say that Texas’ backfield is in a position battle is probably unfair, the Longhorns invested heavily in both Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers and will use both accordingly. However how and when they are used will mean everything for the shape of Texas’ offense.
Smothers and Brown are fairly similar stylistically, so it will not be a typical ‘thunder and lightning’ backfield a la Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson or Lendale White and Reggie Bush. Instead, Sarkisian will have to carefully calculate when to use each back.
Whether Smothers’ consistency or Brown’s homerun ability receive the bulk of the carries will determine what Texas’ offense, if not season, will look like.
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