Texas’ path to becoming a true SEC and national title contender in 2026 may come down to something pretty basic: which returning players turn last season’s lessons into a real jump this spring and summer.
That kind of growth can change everything. Texas has seen it before.
In 2006, Colt McCoy was battling Jevan Snead to take over as the starter after Vince Young’s national championship run in 2005. Snead looked better in the spring and the spring game, but by the time fall camp arrived, McCoy had clearly made the bigger leap.
Snead eventually transferred to Ole Miss after the 2006 season.
A similar transformation showed up in 2014, when John Harris went from a Texas receiver with nine career catches over his first three seasons to a senior who finished with 68 receptions for 1,051 yards and seven touchdowns.
And then there’s Michael Taaffe, the walk-on safety who built his career through special teams, earned a scholarship, became an All-American at Texas and is now with the Miami Dolphins.
Those are the kinds of individual improvements that can lift an entire program.
This week’s Insider focuses on six Longhorn starters whose development will matter most in 2026. The group includes players who got valuable starting experience last season and now have to raise their level if Texas is going to reach the next tier.
One of them is Jackson, who made one start in 2025 - the Citrus Bowl against Michigan - and played 261 snaps on defense as a true freshman, the most of any true freshman on that side of the ball. He finished just ahead of cornerback Kade Phillips, who played 256 snaps, and Jackson’s season was good enough to earn him a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team, as voted by the league’s coaches.
In Other News...
Sarkisian Just Landed The Kind Of Texas Recruiting Win That Lasts
Texas 2027 class already sits among the nations best, and Steve Sarkisian just added the kind of foundational piece that can shape a roster for years. The Longhorns have been working to keep the offensive line stocked with both blue-chip talent and older help, pairing this latest commitment with experienced transfers as they try to fortify the front for 2026 and beyond.
What makes this one matter is the level of the player and the schools Texas had to hold off to get him. The Longhorns won out over Oregon and Texas A&M for a prospect ranked among the very best linemen in the country, the sort of addition that can alter how a class is viewed the moment it lands. And because he is the kind of tackle who could be in the mix quickly, the Longhorns may not have to wait long to see whether this recruiting win pays off on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Sarkisian Had A Blunt Take On Texas Long Overdue Upgrade
Texas has spent the better part of a generation working around its old indoor practice bubble, and Steve Sarkisian made it clear why the upgrade has been so overdue. The Longhorns are getting ready to leave behind the 24-year-old setup for the new Frank & Wofford Denius Indoor Football Facility, with recent photos showing the project moving toward the finish line and the program eyeing an August opening.
Sarkisians point was less about aesthetics than daily function, and that is usually how these facility moves get judged inside a program. The old bubble had its limits, especially with traffic flow for players, staff and video work, and Texas is now close to having a space built for the pace a major program expects. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Be Losing A Massive Commitment At The Worst Time
Texas already had one of the headliners of its recruiting class in Easton Royal, a prized wide receiver from New Orleans whose pledge gave the Longhorns a foothold with one of Louisianas best prospects. But recruiting never really stays still, and Royals situation has turned into the kind of late-cycle battle that can reshape a class in a hurry, especially when a regional rival starts making a hard push.
LSU is now working to pull him back home, with its staff leaning into the chase and trying to change the momentum around a commitment Texas once felt good about. For the Longhorns, the timing makes this especially delicate because losing a player of Royals caliber would not just sting in the abstract, it would open the door for a rival to make a real statement on the trail. [Read more 🡒]