3 Players Who Won't Be on the Texas Longhorns for the 2026-27 Season

It was a beyond successful first season for the Texas Longhorns in the Sean Miller era. When the lights were the brightest, the players bought into the system and played their best, advancing to the Sweet 16. A loss to an experienced Purdue Boilermakers squad ended their run, but it was a strong sign of what could be to come.

The bittersweet outcome is saying goodbye to several athletes who played a critical role in the process. Many players will return to build the program further, while some will transfer to a new program, some will enter the NBA draft and others will exhaust their eligibility.

3 Texas Longhorns Who Won't Return for the 2026 Season

Tramon Mark

After being arguably the Longhorns’ best player during the NCAA Tournament, sixth-year guard Tramon Mark will be out of eligibility as the season comes to a close. Mark joined Texas in 2024 after three seasons at Houston and one at Arkansas. He had two years of remaining eligibility at the time.

Having been a member of the 2020 recruiting class, Mark’s first season with the Cougars was affected by COVID-19, giving him an extra year of eligibility. He also received a medical redshirt after playing seven games the following season. This gave him the opportunity to play six seasons of college basketball.

With Houston and Arkansas, Mark got plenty of experience in high-stakes matchups. He played in 172 games, including 12 conference tournament games and 13 March Madness games, including the First Four in 2025 and 2026. Undoubtedly, this helped him prepare to lead Texas in his final season.

Despite finishing third in points per game during the season, he elevated his game at the most important time. He scored 17.8 points per game over four NCAA Tournament games, including a game-winner against NC State and 29 points against Purdue. His lasting legacy will be his excellence in his final games.

Jordan Pope

As yet another player who stepped up when the team needed him most, guard Jordan Pope leaves his college days behind him. With five seasons and 135 games under his belt, he prepares for the next step of his basketball career, with his college eligibility exhausted.

Pope hit multiple big shots for Texas in the NCAA Tournament, particularly against BYU. However, he broke his foot late in the game against Gonzaga but returned to start against Purdue in a losing effort. His resilience was evident, and he finished with 12 points and four threes.

“It was definitely tough. I’m not sure a lot of guys would have went out there and played,” Pope said after the game to the media. He thanked the training staff for taking care of him and getting him ready to play, particularly knowing it was his last game in burnt orange.

Had it been any other game, he may have sat, but he showed his dedication to his team and his willingness to bring a championship to Austin, Texas. “Thankfully, I was able to go out there and play,” he said.

Pope led the Longhorns in total three-pointers made and three-pointers made per game this season, and Texas will need to replace his sharpshooting ability. He spent two seasons with Texas and three with Oregon State, sticking in Austin alongside Mark after Miller took over as the head coach.

Chendall Weaver

Heart. Hustle. Dedication. Many words can describe guard Chendall Weaver’s determined style of play, but they cannot capture his intangible impact on the game. No player won the small battles more than Weaver, who began his career with the UTA Mustangs for a year before transferring to Texas.

Much like Pope and Mark, Weaver gave Miller a chance this season, and vice versa, returning to The Forty Acres and buying into him as a coach. The gritty play style translated, and his value did not go unnoticed by his head coach.

“He’s that throwback player where, this is it for him,” Miller said of Weaver on March 23 ahead of the Sweet 16 matchup. “… He's a Texas kid. He loves this place. He grew up here; it means a lot to him. You can sense his desperation in a good way, where he's playing his heart and soul, leaving it all on the court.”

Miller said that Weaver’s dedication to the game translated to winning basketball, particularly as the season progressed. He nearly made two of the biggest plays of the game against Purdue, too.

He tipped in a missed shot by forward Dailyn Swain to bring the score within one point with about one minute left. He also forced the missed layup by All-American guard Braden Smith, which ultimately resulted in a game-winning tip-in by forward Trey Kaufman-Renn.

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