4 Texas Players Who Could Lose Their Starting Jobs This Season

The Texas Longhorns are entering a highly-anticipated 2026 season with a ton of new faces at multiple key positions.

Most of the team's starting 22 is all but official, even if the coaching staff won't yet admit it. For nearly all of them, predicting a scenario where they lose their starting job isn't realistic as things stand. For example, it feels almost impossible that Arch Manning throws 10 interceptions during Texas' first four games and relinquishes the starting job to KJ Lacey in the process.

That said, there are few arguments that could be made on special teams along with some interesting scenarios on offense.

Hollywood Smothers (with an asterisk)

When it comes to Smothers, "losing his starting job" would be coming with a major asterisk. Aside from a season-ending injury or unrealistic, record-setting fumbling issues, Smothers completely relinquishing the starting role to Raleek Brown for the entire season isn't likely. Any move of that sort made by the coaching staff would be temporary. Vice versa for Brown.

Whether that means an approach focused on "going with the hot hand" or not remains to be seen, but it wouldn't be surprising to see both players flip flop back and forth as the official in-game starter throughout the season based on opponent and overall individual momentum.

Raleek Brown (at kick returner)

If Brown ultimately emerges as the starting running back over Smothers, that would likely mean the end of his duties as a primary kick returner, something fans saw him do during the spring scrimmage when he took one to the house.

But regardless of what happens with Brown's role on offense, relinquishing his spot on the kickoff return depth chart could occur by way of Jermaine Bishop Jr., who could very well prove to be the team's best option in that spot outside of Ryan Niblett.

Though Brown has the speed and agility to make Texas dangerous in that regard, his health should be more of the priority. Avoiding big hits on special teams isn't ideal for a guy that missed nearly all of the 2024 season at Arizona State due to injury.

A combination of Bishop and Niblett on kickoff return sounds much more enticing for Texas, and is a safer approach in the long run.

Spencer Shannon

Depending on who you ask, Spencer Shannon might be viewed as the starting Y tight end entering the season, but that might not last for long.

Texas brought in Michigan State transfer Michael Masunas out of the portal, and he's already receiving hype as one of the more underrated tight ends in the SEC.

The Longhorns have a load of young talent at tight end headed into the fall, but Masunas' experience and talent might just give him the edge once the schedule really takes off.

Gianni Spectic

It's important to note that this isn't a knock on Spectic, but simply a realistic outcome for kickers in general. Whether it's NFL or college football, almost every kicker is on a short leash. A few missed field goals or extra points, and the coaching staff will be forced to consider other options, if available.

Longhorn fans saw this with Bert Auburn in 2024. His struggles toward the end of the season lost Texas the SEC Championship to Georgia and nearly eliminated the Longhorns in the thrilling Peach Bowl win over Arizona State in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals a few weeks later.

As a result, the Longhorns had Will Stone kicking extra points in the CFP Semifinals against Ohio State. Texas didn't attempt a field goal that game, but it's clear Auburn wouldn't have been the choice.

All of this is to say that Spectic is only a few missed field goals in a row away from potentially being on the hot seat. Every kicker faces this possibilty, but Texas fans should still be heading into the fall excited about what he brings to the table.

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