3 Things the Texas Longhorns Need To Fix Before the Season Opener

Spring ball is in the past, and all eyes turn to the season opener. What are the areas of concern the Texas Longhorns need not overlook?

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads his team onto the field before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Spring practices and the Texas Longhorns’ “Fan Day” brought a lot of good energy to the team and fanbase. There is excitement about the transfer portal additions, several freshmen may have the opportunity for immediate impacts, and the program is ready to return to the College Football Playoff.

To avoid falling short as it did in 2025, Texas needs to address some areas of concern before the season opener arrives. What do the Longhorns need to fix before Sept. 5?

Health Is a Concern

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning throws a pass during the second quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

One of the biggest storylines in Austin, Texas, during the spring has been the absence of Arch Manning. This has allowed KJ Lacey to emerge as the team’s QB2, but his status for the regular season is not a concern.

Manning was just one of many players who were sidelined during the public practice on Fan Day. According to Zach Dimmit of Texas Longhorns On SI, quarterback Dia Bell and wide receiver Kaliq Lockett were in pads but did not practice. Manning and wide receivers Emmett Mosley V and Ryan Wingo partially participated but did not scrimmage.

Offensive lineman Kaden Scherer was on crutches, and safety Jonah Williams was in a sling. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Justus Terry and safety Xavier Filsaime remained on the sideline the whole time.

Injuries aren’t something you simply fix, but head coach Steve Sarkisian called it one of his long-term goals ahead of the season opener. “Our rehab guys, they'll be kind of here in the month of May, rehabbing themselves, getting themselves ready. June and July is big for us. We get to work with our players now in the months of June and July, so that'll be big.”

Offensive Line Cohesion

Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Brandon Baker against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On paper, the starting offensive line should be improved. The additions of Laurence Seymore at left guard and Melvin Siani at right tackle give Texas starting talent coming off all-conference-level seasons. It is never that simple, though.

The offensive line was an obvious sore spot on last season’s roster, and the team cannot afford to have similar shortcomings in 2026. This is why Texas made the investment it did, but was it enough? It is unclear whether the offensive line has the depth to survive injuries, but the team will need to be sure it does.

Depth pieces like Jordan Coleman, Andre Cojoe, Dylan Sikorski and the Coleman twins could be as important as the starters. In a league like the SEC, five players are not enough to win it all.

Brandon Baker is kicking inside from right tackle to right guard, a position at which he has not yet played a snap at the collegiate level. If he, Seymore and Connor Robertson can improve upon last season's interior offensive line, it will be a boon for the Longhorns' offense.

Get the New Guys on the Same Page

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman catches a pass as Auburn takes on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sarkisian has been candid about his excitement for this season’s roster: “I'm more excited about this portal class than I've been.” However, he was also candid about the ills of the past.

While names like Cam Coleman, Raleek Brown, Hollywood Smothers, Rasheem Biles, and more bring excitement, the human element of creating a roster is often overlooked. Texas is no stranger to high spending and big names, but it can learn from its mistakes.

“This team is close already. I can feel it. I don’t know if I could have said that a year ago,” Sarkisian told Chris Low of On3 earlier this offseason. Sarkisian spoke about what went wrong for the Longhorns last season, saying the team was “cliquish.”

“We’ve done a lot of those types of things in June because historically that’s when your guys would show up,” Sarkisian said. “I felt like I missed the mark a year ago when we had so many guys come in January. I waited until June and they kinda formed their own culture organically, and that’s not their fault. And, then, I was breaking so many bad habits that they had already started on, and it took time to get where we needed to.”

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian leads the team out of the tunnel before a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Sarkisian will need to focus on getting the team on the same page ahead of the fall, and he has taken the right steps early this offseason. After spring practices concluded, he gave an update on the roster.

“I thought this spring was huge for us. A lot of new faces, but a lot of great leadership on this team, too, that these guys have done a tremendous job of bringing these new faces in, getting them acclimated and making them feel part of this team. It's very close-knit already, and this spring was helpful.”

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