Texas Longhorns Announce Another Roster Addition for Next Season

The Texas Longhorns are making an addition to their roster for next season, this time from the international ranks.

Texas officially announced Friday that the team has added international guard Mantas Laurencikas to the 2026-27 roster, giving the Longhorns some backcourt depth off the bench to help add to an already talented portal class for head coach Sean Miller.

Laurencikas played last season in France for Monaco's Espoirs and has played for the Lithuanian national team at the FIBA level the last four years. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in France this past season. He will join fellow Lithuanian native Matas Vokietaitis, who has already announced his return to Texas for next year.

What Mantas Laurencikas Brings to Texas

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller addresses the media in a press conference during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

With the addition of Laurencikas, the Longhorns are adding a player who has experience at the professional level overseas, which could give him an advantage over other incoming true freshmen that have only played in the states.

Set to enter the season at just 20 years olds, Laurencikas has been played professionlly since he was 15 and could end up becoming a fan favorite in Austin if he's able to successfully use this experience to help lead the Longhorns to success in Year 2 under Miller.

Laurencikas joins an offseason Texas recruiting class that features some big portal names. The Longhorns have already added TCU forward David Punch, Auburn forward Elyjah Freeman, Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson, Saint Mary's guard Mikey Lewis and Tennessee guard Amari Evans.

Laurencikas is set to come off the bench, likely alongside Evans and Lewis. This is an exciting trio to get behind, especially as depth pieces. Texas will rely on Johnson and true freshman Austin Goosby for most of the backcourt production but the bench could see an improvement next season.

Along with Goosby, Texas is bringing in some other talented freshmen that will join Laurencikas in serving key roles off the bench, including guards Joe Sterling and Bo Ogden. The other freshman, center Coleman Elkins, is likely to redshirt during his first year on campus.

The Longhorns have also secured the return of big men John Clark and Lewis Obiroah.

With the addition of Laurencikas, it appears that Texas has its roster set for next season barring one final potential portal commitment during the summer.

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