Texas opened fall camp Wednesday at Denius Fields with the kind of Austin heat that can expose everybody, and the first media window offered a quick but revealing look at where things stand a month before the season opener against Texas State on Sept. 5.
One of the first names to watch was freshman cornerback John Meredith III, who reclassified to 2026 last month so he could join the roster for the upcoming season. Meredith looked the part physically, even if the work of getting acclimated is clearly still underway. During the viewing period, he was bent over in discomfort, likely from the heat, before moving off to the side and talking with strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton for a few moments.
The quarterback picture also started to take shape. Arch Manning is the starter, and KJ Lacey is the likely backup.
The real competition is at QB3, where true freshman Dia Bell seems to be gaining ground on veteran transfer MJ Morris. Morris had a rougher showing, including a fumbled handoff during running back drills and several inaccurate throws while working with the wide receivers and tight ends.
Bell, who missed the spring scrimmage because of injury, looked sharp and backed up the praise he drew this spring from quarterbacks coach AJ Milwee.
In the backfield, the early read pointed toward Hollywood Smothers as the lead option for the opener. Raleek Brown was close behind, and the two appear likely to share the workload in a committee-style setup as Texas tries to keep both fresh for what it hopes is a College Football Playof run. Still, if someone has to get the Week 1 starter label against Texas State, Smothers is the name that kept coming up.
Another encouraging sign came from running back Jerrick Lockett. After missing all of spring following surgery on a lower-leg injury, he was active on Wednesday and didn’t seem restricted, with no wrap visible.
Texas already has its top three receivers set entering the fall, but a healthy Lockett would add another layer of competition for the No. 4 role alongside Sterling Berkhalter, Daylan McCutcheon, Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Kohen Brown. And after staying put when he could have transferred this offseason, he may have some momentum from fans hoping for a breakout in 2026.
A few other notes stood out during the brief look at practice. Ryan Wingo, Ryan Niblett and Raleek Brown were first in line on punt return drills.
Arch Manning wrapped up stretches with a “H-O-R-N-S” chant before the quarterbacks broke away. Jeff Banks had steady praise for tight ends Michael Masunas and Emaree Winston.
Derrek Cooper looked huge from the start, appearing as big as Rasheem Biles if not bigger, an eye-opener for a freshman who already seems to have added more size this summer. Former Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops was also in attendance as he begins his time on the Texas staff, while Cam Coleman and Colin Simmons spent a solid stretch talking one-on-one before heading back to their position groups.
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