Texas has put together plenty of talent under Sean Miller, but the Longhorns still don’t look like a true one-and-done factory.
That label belongs to the sport’s usual heavyweights - Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky when John Calipari was there, and Kansas - the programs that routinely send elite freshmen straight to the NBA after one college season. Texas has had its own high-end departures, with Kevin Durant and Tre Johnson both leaving after a year on the 40 Acres, but that hasn’t moved the Longhorns into that same class.
A big reason is simple: for a long stretch, Texas just wasn’t bringing in enough five-star talent after Rick Barnes left. Miller has changed that conversation by making the Longhorns legitimate players for top recruits again, and the 2026 class is proof. Marcus Spears Jr., Austin Goosby and others are coming to Austin with serious hype.
Still, the roster pieces Texas is adding don’t point to a program about to become known for one-and-dones.
Spears, for one, reclassified from 2027 to 2026 and is arriving a year earlier than expected. That usually wouldn’t matter much for NBA draft timing, but in his case it does.
He turned 17 in April and won’t turn 18 until after his true freshman season ends, which makes him ineligible for the 2027 NBA Draft. That means he has to spend at least two years in college, assuming he stays in Austin and doesn’t enter the transfer portal.
Goosby brings another layer to that same idea. He’s a five-star prospect and the No. 19 overall recruit in the class of 2026, so the talent is obvious.
But there are real parts of his game that still need work. He shot just 25 percent from three-point range during his senior season, and he still leans heavily on his dominant hand as a ballhandler.
Those are the kinds of issues that usually push a player toward staying in school longer, not bolting after one year.
That’s why Texas doesn’t project as a one-and-done program, even with the recruiting wins piling up.
In a recent 2027 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, only one Longhorn was projected to hear his name called: Elyjah Freeman, who transferred to Texas this offseason after one year at Auburn.
And with only 60 players drafted each year across two rounds, the NBA draft board fills up fast. A lot of those picks come from overseas or from the blue-blood programs that have owned the one-and-done lane for years. Texas has produced a few first-rounders lately, but it still isn’t ready to join that club.
In Other News...
Sarkisian May Have 2 Freshmen He Can't Keep Off Texas' Offense
Steve Sarkisian spent the offseason making sure Texas had more veteran help where it needed it, bringing in running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown along with offensive linemen Melvin Siani and Laurence Seymore. The idea was straightforward enough: add proven depth, give the Longhorns more immediate options, and make sure the roster had players who could help right away once the season got rolling.
Even with those additions, a couple of freshmen have kept themselves in the conversation during fall camp. Derrek Cooper has caught the staff's attention and could be in line for early work in the backfield, while Jermaine Bishop Jr. looks like the rookie most likely to find a path onto the field through offense or special teams. Sarkisian has said the transfers were brought in to contribute immediately, but Texas may still have young players forcing their way into the mix before long. [Read more 🡒]
Colin Simmons Is Becoming The Face Of Texas Defensive Hopes
Colin Simmons has spent just two seasons turning hype into something sturdier for Texas, piling up production that matches the elite expectations that followed him to Austin. The edge rusher has already posted 21 sacks, 29.5 tackles for loss and seven takeaways, numbers that help explain why he enters the season as a pre-season first-team All-American and a Bronko Nagurski Award watchlist name.
The broader national attention has caught up to him too, with The Athletic placing him No. 10 on its College football Freaks List because of his explosiveness and athleticism. For Texas, the appeal is obvious: Simmons is no longer just a high-end recruit with a lot of upside, but one of the players around whom real defensive hopes can be built. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got Extra Fuel For Its Ohio State Showdown
Rasheem Biles has already found a place in Texas defense, and now the linebacker is headed toward a second-week matchup with a bit more personal edge than most. The Ohio State native came to Austin after three productive seasons at Pitt, where he developed into a steady, versatile defender before transferring to the Longhorns. Steve Sarkisian has praised Biles for the way he can move around the defense and make an impact in different roles, which is exactly why Texas expects him to be part of the plan when the Longhorns line up against the Buckeyes.
The backdrop makes the showdown a little more interesting, because Biles has never hidden how he feels about the school just up the road. He grew up near Ohio State, but the Buckeyes passed on recruiting him out of high school, and that slight still lingers as Texas prepares for one of its biggest early-season tests. For a Longhorns defense looking for any extra edge, Biles brings both experience and a little added motivation into a game that already had plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]