There is a Ton of Early Buzz Surrounding the 2026 Texas Longhorns Freshman Class

It’s spring football, so inevitably the hype train is rolling for the Texas Longhorns.

While the highly touted transfers have drawn plenty of attention so far this offseason, Texas’ freshman class is making some noise of its own in practice — at least according to their teammates.

It’s still early, so it’s hard to tell who will truly make an impact when fall rolls around. But here’s what we've heard about the newcomers as spring practice is underway.

Texas Freshmen Already Showing Out

Defensive end Colin Simmons said one of the most noticeable early arrivals has been freshman wide receiver Jermaine Bishop Jr.

“Man, he’s a dog,” Simmons said. “He came in here ASAP.”

And Simmons is not alone in that assessment. Bishop has already generated plenty of buzz this offseason, even garnering high praise from ex-NFL receiver Dez Bryant. The freshman has been commended for his fluidity and effortless movement on the field.

Simmons added that the young players in the edge room — particularly Richie Wesley and Jamarion Carlton — have also injected personality into the unit.

“Richie (Wesley), JC — I mess with them,” Simmons said. “They bring so much enthusiasm to the room. All different personalities.”

At 6-5, 279 pounds, Carlton should emerge as an important depth piece for an already loaded defensive line unit.

Defensive end Lance Jackson pointed to the several young players in the front seven who could turn heads this season, including Carlton and linebacker Tyler Atkison, arguably the team's third-best linebacker.

“That whole freshman class is really good,” Jackson said. “Everybody that came in has looked good.”

Jackson specifically pointed to freshman linebacker Rocky Cummings as someone who could surprise this year.

“If you see him in person, he’s freaking huge,” Jackson said. “He can move. First day of spring practice he had a crazy one-hand interception.”

Only 17 years old, Cummings stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 226 pounds, already possessing an elite frame. The four-star prospect could emerge as an early-down run defender and blitz option for Texas as he continues to develop.

In the secondary, defensive back Graceson Littleton said the young players have followed a similar approach to the one he took during his freshman season — keeping their heads down and working.

“They’re all great,” Littleton said. “They’re doing what I did last year — just coming in and working.”

With several months remaining before the season begins, there’s still no way to know how big of an impact this freshman class will have. But if early impressions are any indication, it could be a special group.

And if the early buzz holds up through the rest of the offseason, the Longhorns’ newest class could make an impact sooner rather than later.