Texas Football’s 2026 Schedule Just Got Tougher

A recent court ruling will have a massive impact on college football, and the Texas Longhorns’ schedule just got more difficult.

Texas Longhorns defensive backs Graceson Littleton (29) and Caleb Chester (25) react after an interception against the UTEP Miners. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

A third season in the SEC is on the horizon for the Texas Longhorns. With the 2026 schedule locked up, expectations for their schedule were seemingly set in stone. However, a recent court ruling in Mississippi just turned things upside down.

With the SEC moving to a nine-game schedule, Texas was already preparing for a more difficult season ahead. After the latest ruling on Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ eligibility, the Longhorns will face a fully loaded Rebels squad that just went on a run in the College Football Playoff.

How Trinidad Chambliss Affects the Texas Longhorns’ 2026 Schedule

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian claps during warmups before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Longhorns are scheduled to host the Rebels on Oct. 24, the seventh game of the season. Sandwiched in a three-game home stand with games against Florida and Mississippi State, Ole Miss likely marked Texas’s toughest SEC opponent at home in 2026.

Things could be more difficult for the Longhorns, though. First-year head coach Pete Golding received a boon when Chambliss, the Rebels’ starting quarterback in 2026, was granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA, according to multiple reports.

Chambliss is currently eligible, though the NCAA can still appeal the decision. According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, this is considered the likely outcome. The NCAA says it will “continue to defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules against repeated attempts to rob future generations of the opportunity.”

This preliminary injunction grants Chambliss immediate eligibility for the 2026 season, though his status for 2026 is not guaranteed. This also comes in the wake of Alabama men’s basketball center Charles Bediako’s case against the NCAA, for which he was denied a preliminary injunction. Chambliss will enter his sixth season of college football and his second at Ole Miss.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss testifies during the hearing in his lawsuit against the NCAA at Calhoun County Courthouse in Pittsboro, Miss., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chambliss was looking to return to college, foregoing a chance to be a part of the 2026 NFL draft, where he was expected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken. However, he and the Rebels narrowly missed a national title last season, a potential priority for Chambliss, who is a two-time national champion with DII Ferris State.

In 2025, Chambliss passed for an SEC-best 3,937 yards in 15 games. He totalled 22 passing touchdowns with just three interceptions, adding 527 yards and eight scores on the ground. He did not start until Week 3 against Arkansas and emerged as one of the SEC's premier quarterbacks.

Despite being undersized, Chambliss has proven that he can not only compete with tough, fast SEC defenses but also at the national stage in the College Football Playoff. His dual-threat ability makes him both a weapon in the running game and a difficult player to tackle in the backfield as a scrambler. His ability to keep plays alive was on full display in the CFP.

Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will face the challenge of scheming against Chambliss, who has gotten the best of some of the SEC’s brightest minds. The Longhorns aspire to win their first SEC title, and Chambliss will make that path more difficult.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) and defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) react after a touchdown during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

This season, the Longhorns face a tough task that will either prove the team’s resolve or hold them back as it did in 2025. An early matchup with Ohio State will test the program's mettle, and Texas has road/neutral-site contests with Tennessee, Oklahoma, LSU and Texas A&M.

Golding went 2–1 with Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, an impressive feat as the team’s head coach following Lane Kiffin’s exit for LSU. There is still plenty for the Rebels to prove under their new leadership, but with several key pieces returning — including running back Kewan Lacy — the future is bright in Oxford, Miss.

Before playing Texas, Ole Miss will have a difficult schedule. They play Louisville in an out-of-conference matchup and then open their SEC schedule against LSU, at Florida, at Vanderbilt and against Missouri.