Texas OT Trevor Goosby Excited for 'Explosive' New Longhorns Backfield

The Longhorns' offense has a chance to be very special in 2026.

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Trevor Goosby (74) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Texas Longhorns football program is counting down the days until they start the 2026 college football season.

This week, the program traveled to Tampa, Florida, to take in everything that SEC Media Days has to offer. Of course, the Longhorns have been one of the main topics of discussion throughout the entire week.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and a few key players of the team got a chance to speak with the media on Thursday. Left tackle Trevor Goosby is expected to be one of the top offensive linemen in the country this season. However, Goosby made headlines talking about another unit on the Longhorns' offense.

Ready For A Show

Oct 4, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (3) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the game against Campbell Fighting Camels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Goosby was asked to give his thoughts on the new Longhorns backfield for the 2026 season. The program brought in two transfers, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, to carry the load in the run game.

"They provide explosion. Watching Raleek's tape, he's a super explosive guy. Same thing with Hollywood," Goosby said.

Smothers was one of the top running backs in the ACC this past season with the NC State Wolfpack. Smothers finished the 2025 season with 939 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Nov 1, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown (3) celebrates during their game with the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For Brown, this will be his third stop on his college football journey. His first two seasons were spent with the USC Trojans, and his last two seasons were spent with the Arizona State Sun Devils.

In 2025, Brown rushed for 1,141 yards and four rushing touchdowns. The Longhorns' backfield has the chance to be one of the most dynamic the program has seen in quite some time.

The Advantage

Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown (3) before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Super team may be an understatement when describing the Longhorns' roster this season. A lot of the talk surrounding this offense has been about quarterback Arch Manning, and rightfully so. But it can't be stressed enough how strong the running game can be.

Manning will have plenty of weapons to throw to, including Ryan Wingo and transfer Cam Coleman. But Smothers and Brown are bringing another side to this offense that is going to give defensive coordinators fits.

How do you stop the Longhorns in 2026? If Manning has taken the next step, he will be throwing all over defenses. If a team manages to slow that down, then they'll have to deal with two running backs who could be 1,000-yard rushers.

Coach Sarkisian has champagne problems when it comes to how he will utilize his running backs this season. A problem every coach in the SEC wishes they had.

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