Texas OL Brandon Baker Opens Up About Position Change to Right Guard

The Texas Longhorns head into the 2026 season with major championship expectations both in the SEC and nationally, and for good reason, as the Longhorns roll into the year undoubtedly with one of the best rosters in the country.

While a lot of the expectations will be put on players like Arch Manning and Colin Simmons, and for good reasons, as two of the leading faces of the Texas program, the Longhorns' offensive line unit will also be under a bright spotlight in 2026.

The Texas offensive line underwent another major reshuffling ahead of this year, and the unit will look for much better results after a struggling season in 2025. One of those major moves was a change of position for one of the unit's young bright spots.

Brandon Baker Highlights the Adjustment of Moving Inside

Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Brandon Baker (73) run onto the field before a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Camping World Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Longhorns made plenty of moves over the offseason, especially in the transfer portal, bringing in the likes of Melvin Siani and Laurence Seymore to help construct a strong offensive line that will be more than up to the task compared to the unit's struggles a year ago.

Outside of the transfer portal additions, the other big decision the Longhorns made was to switch junior Brandon Baker's position from right tackle to right guard.

In a recent appearance on 3rd and Longhorn, Baker spoke about his experience moving from tackle to guard over the offseason and what the biggest adjustment that came with the position change.

"The biggest transition, being from tackle, you're dealing with a lot of the quicker guys," Baker said. "You're anticipating things to happen in a snap, but now at guard, the movements are happening a lot faster because the contact is happening now, but the players are slower. So having to adjust to that, to anticipating things to happen but not right now, that's been the biggest adjustment."

Baker stepped into the starting spot at right tackle in 2025 and started all 13 games in that spot. The first-year starter obviously went through some growing pains early on in the season, but down the stretch of 2025, Baker was one of the strongest pieces of the Texas offensive line that otherwise struggled all season long.

The change comes after the Longhorns brought in Siani, who will take over Baker's spot at right tackle after a productive season at Wake Forest in 2025.

Baker obviously has the necessary athleticism, as he showed playing at right tackle a year ago, and that athletic upside will undoubtedly help him as he moves into the interior, which Steve Sarkisian highlighted when asked about Baker's move to right guard.

“Natural weight is important to me,” Sarkisian said after the Longhorns' first spring practice. “One of his (Baker's) strengths is his ability to move and play with great balance and body control. That’s something that I think will benefit him. Now, mass is helpful. But we just want to make sure it’s the right type of mass as his weight goes up.”

And while nobody will know if the move truly works until the Longhorns hit the field in early September, Baker has more than enough tools and talent to become an anchor at right guard for the Texas offensive line.

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