John Meredith III Fights Through "Freshman Moments" at First Texas Practice

The Texas Longhorns began fall camp on Wednesday, which also meant the unofficial debut of true freshman cornerback John Meredith III on the Forty Acres.

Meredith recently joined the team late last month after reclassifying to the 2026 class in order to join the roster for the upcoming season.

Meredith is a very late arrival to the team, having missed all of spring ball and summer workouts. It's clearly going to take him some time to catch up to speed, something Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged while speaking with the media after practice.

Steve Sarkisian on John Meredith III: "He Fought Through"

Texas Longhorns cornerback John Meredith III during fall camp practice. | Zach Dimmitt, Texas Longhorns on SI

“He’s in some real freshman moments right now," Sarkisian said. "I mean, this guy just showed up a week ago, so everything is brand new to him. But I thought he fought through.”

Meredith was active with the rest of the team in drills during the 20-minute media viewing window on Wednesday, but it was also during this time where he showed that there's still some work to do from a conditioning standpoint.

He was seen hunched over before going off to the side in the shade to talk with Texas strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton. Despite Meredith being a native Texan, the hot Austin sun is no joke, especially when it's hitting you in your first collegiate practice.

Texas CB John Meredith III appears to still be adjusting to the heat of summer workouts and college-level speed after just recently joining the team. It’s 98 degrees in Austin.

Was talking off to the side with Torre Becton after being hunched over a bit a few moments earlier. pic.twitter.com/bzWsIGdHNy
— Zach Dimmitt (@ZachDimmitt7) August 5, 2026

It's hard to blame Meredith for potentially being a bit behind some of the other freshmen. After all, he's supposed to be starting his senior year of high school in a few weeks, not preparing for SEC-level football.

Regardless of what some college football fans might think, making the jump from high school to college is not as seamless as it may seem. There's a reason why these players have to go through such intense summer conditioning in order to get in shape for the season.

It's not Meredith's fault he was denied eligibility for his senior year, which left him with no choice but to join the 2026 Texas roster at a very late point on the college football calendar, which resulted in him missing these necessary workouts.

But once he's up to speed, it's hard to imagine Meredith not playing some sort of role in the Texas secondary this upcoming season. With Kobe Black making the move from cornerback to safety, there's potential snaps available for Meredith alongside Kade Phillips, Bo Mascoe, Graceson Littleton, Wardell Mack and Samari Matthews.

Of course, Meredith will first have to prove that he's got a grasp of Will Muschamp's defensive scheme, another important element that he will have to learn quick with the season right around the corner.

Meredith was the No. 1 overall cornerback in the 2027 class for a reason. He's got elite size and length while showing he can lay the boom, too. It will likely only be a matter of time until fans see him making plays in the Texas secondary.

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