Texas men’s basketball is heading into a season built from the ground up.
When the Longhorns take the floor for 2026-27, it will be Sean Miller’s second year on the job - and he’ll be doing it with 11 new faces on the roster. Texas still has four holdovers from the 2025-26 group that finished one possession shy of the Elite Eight, but this offseason was about much more than simple reloading. Miller had to reconstruct the roster in his second summer, and he leaned on both the transfer portal and the high school ranks to do it.
Five of the newcomers arrived from other programs, while six are starting their college careers in Austin.
At Southeastern Conference Media Day on Wednesday, Miller said he feels good about the way the roster came together and about the kind of players Texas brought in.
“We really have an amazing group of kids,” Miller said. “I’m talking about guys that really love the game; don’t talk about it, but show it.”
The big challenge now is turning that collection of talent into something more connected. Texas is still working through that process, but the early signs have been encouraging.
“We’re still gelling,” junior guard Mikey Lewis said. “But we’ve come a long way since our first day. So, we’re hoping, like Coach Miller says, to have a good product out there ready to go on night one.”
Junior forward Elyjah Freeman said the team has already started building those bonds the hard way, through the day-to-day grind.
“We just met (at the) beginning of the summer,” Freeman said. “Being around each other (in) the weight room, and going through as hard of the workouts as we go through in the weight room and on the court, … brings us closer together. So when the season comes around, we’re able to play with each other against everybody else.”
Miller made clear what drove his roster choices and what he believes this team is being built to chase.
“March, we can accept it as coaches in college basketball or try to fight it, but March Madness is what it’s all about,” Miller said. “It’s very difficult to be a part of March Madness. I don’t think anybody can truly understate the importance of being in it.”
That mindset is shaping everything around the program as Texas moves toward its first exhibition game against St. John’s on Oct.
- Miller said the energy around the group has been steady because the players arrived with the same intent.
“They have all come to Texas to win and be a part of something bigger than just their own goals,” Miller said. “You feel it when you’re around them; it’s in the energy that you can’t fake, and I think more than any other component, I think that’s what we’re going to call on all season long as we move forward.”
In Other News...
Arch Manning Is Giving Texas A Season-Altering Offensive Question
Arch Mannings first five games have left Texas with a much bigger offensive question than anyone expected at this point in the season. The senior quarterback has shown the kind of talent that keeps the Longhorns believing, but also the kind of uneven play that has made the offense harder to trust, especially in a recent loss to Oklahoma where two critical interceptions helped swing the game the wrong way. Through those five games, he has thrown for 1,122 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 63 percent of his passes.
The bigger issue for Texas is that Mannings inconsistency is only part of the picture. The Longhorns offensive struggles have been tied to more than one source, with coaching decisions and offensive line play also shaping how the unit has looked from week to week. Even so, Manning is the center of it all, because Texas needs steadier quarterback play if it wants the offense to settle in and stop leaving so many drives unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Be Catching A Huge Break Before Florida Arrives
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For Texas, it is the sort of development that can change the feel of a matchup before the opening kickoff. The Longhorns are already bringing a defense that figures to present a serious challenge, and now Florida is trying to sort out its quarterback situation against that backdrop. How the Gators handle the position leading into the game could shape the entire night in Austin. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Is Raising A Texas Question Fans Cant Ignore
Arch Mannings first season in the spotlight has looked a lot like a young quarterback learning on the fly at Texas: the kind of flashes that remind everyone why the hype existed, followed by stretches where the operation around him feels unsettled. He has shown he can make impressive plays, but the issues have been harder to ignore too, from decision-making to footwork to how he handles the pocket when the rush closes in.
Steve Sarkisian has openly acknowledged the mixed results, and the bigger question hanging over the Longhorns is how much of this is on Manning and how much belongs to the coaching staff that has had four years to shape him. Texas expected growth by now, and the debate around Manning is no longer just about talent. It is about whether the Longhorns are getting the most out of it. [Read more 🡒]