With fall camp underway and kickoff against Ohio State less than a month away, Texas football insiders break down the hottest position battles, key players to watch, and which matchups could define the 2025 season.
Texas Football is back! Well, almost…this week marked the beginning of fall practice for the Longhorns, and we’re less than 30 days away from kickoff against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Let’s start this roundtable off with what storyline you’re following the most out of fall practice?
Daniel Seahorn (@DanielSeahorn) – I’m watching the right tackle spot personally. Texas had really good tackle play last year, and right now Brandon Baker and Andre Cojoe are competing for the starter spot. I was high on Baker coming out of Mater Dei, but he hasn’t taken control of the spot coming out of the spring.
Gerald Goodridge (@ghgoodridge) – Since the offensive line is the prompt for the second question, I will go with the interior of the defensive line here. This is yet another season where Texas seems to be content with moneyballing the position with a bunch of guys from the transfer portal. We’ve seen how good a PK defense can be with great play in the middle of the defense, creating numbers issues for opponents’ blocking schemes. If the guys that transferred in and those homegrown dudes can give Texas at least what they got from Collins and Broughton a year ago, the unit should be great again.
Cameron Parker (@camerondparker) – Who will be the starting right tackle by the end of fall? We already know Goosby, Hutson, Umeozule, and Campbell will be starting against Ohio State, but who will be at RT? Brandon Baker? Does Jaydon Chatman or Andre Cojoe make the push? What about true freshman Nick Brooks? I have a feeling that who we see start against Ohio State may not be the same five that Texas ends the season with.
Jacob Neidig (@jneidig_2) – It’s no secret that Texas has excelled in the transfer portal during the past few seasons. I’ve been paying close attention to the integration of some of the new, but experienced faces. Tight end Jack Endries has been a player I’m particularly curious about.
Quentin Bell (@uncleqbell) – The RB room and the competition that’s been developing between Baxter, Wisner, Clark, and other RBs.
Wescott Eberts (@SBN_Wescott) – I’ll be tracking the defensive tackle position, too. With five transfers at the position, Texas can send waves of bodies at opponents, but I wonder if the group will be disruptive as they’ve been in the past. The staff made a big investment in Syracuse transfer Maraad Watson to do exactly that, so I’ll be interested in seeing if he can match those expectations.
Which positional group do you want to see make the most progress, and why is it the offensive line?
Daniel – Offensive line is definitely my answer due to the amount of talent and experience they lost. Breaking in a new starter at center and both tackle spots, and there is a lot of upheaval in one offseason. They will need to come together quickly and become cohesive with the Buckeyes awaiting them in week one.
Gerald – This was my answer to No. 1, but I started it before I read all of the questions. Rookie mistake. You never want to replace that much production in one offseason, but Kyle Flood has done a great job of building that room and developing those players. It seems like a battle for the right tackle spot between Brandon Baker and incoming freshman Nick Brooks. With what we know about Baker, it likely means Texas has six guys who are probably starter-quality at worst. Texas is replacing one of the longest-tenured centers in college football history with a talented guy who will be anchoring the unit for the first time. Perhaps what I am most curious about is if this is the year DJ Campbell finally figures it all out. He’s got such a high ceiling; it has been frustrating to watch the flashes of brilliance he puts on tape paired with the breakdowns we see from him.
Cameron – Can I zag and say the tight end room? We’ve at least seen DJ Campbell, Cole Hutson, and Trevor Goosby start in big games, but the tight end room is largely unproven. Jack Endries was a huge get for Sark, considering how important the TE position is to both the passing game and the run blocking game. We’ve already heard Jeff Banks say Jordan Washington is ready for an every-down role after bulking up this spring. Can one of them turn into the weapon that Gunnar Helm was?
Jacob – The linebacker group doesn’t need to make a huge jump, but the ceiling of the room, if they do, makes me giddy. We know about the capabilities of Anthony Hill and the potential of Liona Lefau. With the likely addition of Trey Moore in an off-ball role and the potential emergence of Tyanthony Smith, this group has a chance to dominate. I’d love for this group to make the jump from good to great, from top to bottom.
Quentin – O-Line/TE: Their workload is usually high and gets overlooked by the big names on the team. As long as the O-Line/TEs can come together and work as a unit, there’s no way to contain the explosiveness of the offense.
Wescott – It has to be the offensive line for me. Brandon Baker winning the right tackle job is in the best interests of the program because of his upside, and I expect that to happen. What I’m less sure about is whether this group shows some improvement in being more physical downhill blockers so Texas can run inside zone and duo more frequently. I thought it was notable in that regard that Sark mentioned on Wednesday that they’re pushing Baker and Andre Cojoe to bring more nastiness to the position.
What player (not named Arch Manning) do you want to hear the most good things about in practice reports?
Daniel – Kobe Black/Jaylon Guilbeau. They are both in line for more snaps at corner and will be play key roles this year. I want to see them taking the next step in their development in an important year.
Gerald – Manny Muhammad. We saw some regression from him between Year 1 and 2, so getting him back to freshman year production will mean a ton of good things for the Longhorns’ defense and make a lot of questions about the unit moot.
Cameron – If Cedric Baxter were a full participant, I would say him, but since he’s not, I’ll go with Jerrick Gibson. Texas needs someone besides Tre Wisner to step up, and I’m hoping for a big year for the Baby Rhino. If Gibson can shed his fumbling issues, he’ll be a big part of the offense in 2025.
Jacob – Jack Endries. The last two years have made it crystal clear that TE is a weapon in the Sarkisian offense. With Helm and Davis leaving, the experience and upside of the room weren’t in a great spot. Jordan Washington is talented but unproven. Endries sliding into the system and smoothly handling run blocking responsibilities while threatening in the pass game, would do a lot for the offense that Sarkisian prefers to operate. Not to mention, a good TE is a quarterback’s best friend.
Quentin – Defensively: Colin Simmons. Along with the DL and LB group, there are crazy possibilities. Offensively: Ryan Wingo: a great go-to with hot hands.
Wescott – I agree with Jacob. Tight end is such a key position in Sark’s offense, and the expectations are high for Endries like they are for Watson. I asked Jeff Banks on Tuesday whether he thinks Endries can be an effective in-line blocker, and he said he wasn’t sure yet. That’s my hope so that the staff can get Emaree Winston on the field.
Rank these positional groups from 1 to 5: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, and Offensive Line
Daniel – Running backs (Wisner is back along with Clark and Baxter back in the saddle), Quarterbacks (confidence in Arch is really high), Wide Receivers (Vets in Wingo, Moore, and Mosley plus upside guys like Livingstone who had a good spring), Tight ends (imported Jack Endries and have talented unproven young players), offensive line (lost a ton of talent and experience this offseason).
Gerald – Running Backs (the only group with a proven, full-time starter), Quarterback (we know what Arch is), Offensive Line (highest floor group on the offense), Tight End (with Washington up to 260 and Endries, second-highest floor behind OL), Wide Receiver (Crazy high ceiling, but what is the floor?)
Cameron – 1) Running Backs, 2) Wide Receivers, 3) Quarterbacks, 4) Offensive Line, and 5) Tight Ends. Every positional group on offense has a lot of unknowns, but I’m confident in Cedric Baxter and Tre Wisner to have the running backs as my No. 1 pick. I think Texas fans are sleeping on this wideout room, and by the end of the season, they might be No. 1. If you want to put QBs at No. 2, I wouldn’t push back, but I also worry what will happen to the offense if Arch gets hurt. Not a lot of big game reps between Owens, Lacey, and Matthew Caldwell. The offensive line will no doubt grow, but until I see it on the field, I’m cautious. I have no idea what to expect out of the tight end room.
Jacob – Quarterbacks, Running backs, Wide receivers, Tight ends, Offensive line. The experience or depth isn’t there at quarterback. Any injury would derail the season. Doesn’t matter. The upside of Mr Manning outweighs those concerns for me. I love the explosiveness and depth of the skill position groups. Mark me down as pensive but hopeful for the line and TEs.
Quentin – 1) Wide Outs: veteran status with almost no ceiling, 2) Running Backs: dynamic with multiple outlets, 3) QB’s: Arch is the truth just needs to stay healthy, 4) O-Line: have a lot to prove but usually the smartest guys on the field have the biggest workload, 5) TE’s: are usually overlooked in my experience which gives them a reason to thrive, since they usually have the biggest workload being a part of the O-Line.
Wescott – 1) Wide receiver – Sark talks up the wide receiver room in a way that he doesn’t for the running backs. 2) Running backs – I still have questions about the group’s upside. 3) In Arch I trust, and the addition of Matthew Caldwell could be important. 4) Tight ends – Endries and the young talent are a much more heartening combination than just young talent. 5) Offensive line – Texas needs this group to play better, even though they replaced four starters. Concerning.
We’ll end each roundtable leading up to Week 1 with a season preview question: What game are you most excited for on the calendar in 2025?
Daniel – I want to say Ohio State because of how big a tone setter it is for the season, but I think the Georgia game in Athens is my pick. With how the off-season has gone between the two fan bases, that game is going to be absolutely bananas with both sides foaming at the mouth.
Gerald – Going to Athens to try and get it back in blood. The Longhorns should walk into one of the historic venues in the nation with a chip on their shoulder will be fun. If Texas is who they want to be this year and going forward in the SEC, this game will be telling.
Cameron – Florida. The Gators are my sleeper pick for the SEC this season as long as D.J. Lagway can stay healthy. That’s a big ask considering his injury history, but if he’s 100% when the Longhorns come to the Swamp to start off conference play, it could spell trouble for Texas. Florida has a talented defensive front, while the Horns’ OL may still be a work in progress. Either way, it’s going to set up for a fantastic game.
Jacob – A&M at home. I’m still making up for lost time. Beating the Aggies once in the last decade wasn’t enough for me. I can’t wait for that game. DKR is going to be more hostile than it’s been in a while (hopefully) and will be in the crunch time of the year with huge postseason implications.
Quentin – Florida at the Swamp. It’s the first conference game for the Longhorns and a true test after getting a couple of weeks under their belt. The Gator D-Line vs the Longhorn O-Line is going to be the battle to watch.
Wescott – It feels too serendipitous for the Ohio State game in Columbus to come on the 20th anniversary of the moment when you knew Texas was good enough to win it all to pick any other game. I’m looking for a similar feeling from the return trip.