If Steve Sarkisian ever decides Texas needs to hand off the play-calling, the Longhorns would not be short on options. The problem, of course, is that Sarkisian still holds onto those duties while Kyle Flood carries the offensive coordinator title - and even that arrangement has not exactly produced the kind of clean, reliable offense Texas wants.
The offense has kept stumbling, Arch Manning’s production has dipped, and the pressure to make a change has only grown. If Sarkisian does finally open the door to a new play-caller, a few names stand out immediately.
G.J. Kinne is one of them, and it is easy to see why.
The former Texas Longhorns quarterback has built Texas State into a real program and helped turn the Bobcats’ offense into one of the most productive units in the country. Named Texas State’s head coach in 2023, Kinne has gone 26-19 overall since taking over.
His background on offense runs deep, too, including a stint as the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive assistant coach in 2019. That kind of résumé makes him a strong fit for a Texas offense that has not found the same level of success over the last two years.
Another name worth watching is Sean Brophy, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State. In a season of change for the Cowboys, Brophy has been a key part of the turnaround alongside redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
While Manning and the Texas offense have gone backward, Oklahoma State’s offense and Mestemaker have moved in the opposite direction, with the Cowboys quarterback climbing NFL mock draft boards as Manning has slipped. Brophy’s ability to guide an offense and develop a quarterback makes him a natural candidate if Texas ever goes shopping.
Garrett Riley also belongs in the conversation. Missouri’s quarterbacks coach has helped quarterback Austin Simmons have a big season, and while Riley is not currently an offensive coordinator, he has already done that job at both SMU and TCU. That experience managing an entire offense gives him a strong case as a potential option for Texas.
Beyond that top trio, there are more names that would make sense. Landon Keopple, Kinne’s offensive coordinator, would be a solid possibility, as would Texas Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich and Ole Miss OC John David Baker.
In Other News...
Texas Still Has One Frustrating Question After That Gators Field Incident
Texas had plenty to feel good about after the Florida game, but one awkward postgame scene has lingered. A fan was identified and permanently banned from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium after he flipped off Gators players on the field, a move that quickly pulled the spotlight away from the scoreboard and onto how a spectator ended up in that spot in the first place.
Athletic director Chris Del Conte said the fan is a local college student attending a Florida school other than the University of Florida, but he also said he does not know who authorized the field access. That unanswered question has become the one many Texas fans keep circling back to, because the ban closes one door while leaving the bigger issue of how the situation was allowed to happen very much open. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Defense Has A New Problem Fans Wont Like
Texas slide in the AP poll has been bad enough on its own, but the bigger concern for Longhorns fans is how opponents are finding answers against that defense. The losses to unranked teams, including the home setback against Florida, have put plenty of pressure on a unit that was supposed to be a strength, and the tape is not making the picture any prettier.
Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner helped back up quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. with boot-action looks that kept Texas off balance, while the Gators run game and play-action game opened up room the Longhorns struggled to close. For Texas, the issue is no longer just a bad result or two. It is the way teams are creating easy, repeatable stress points, and that is the kind of problem that tends to linger until it gets fixed. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Be Missing Its Biggest Defensive Difference Maker
Texas is likely to be without one of its most disruptive defenders when Ole Miss comes to Austin, as edge rusher Colin Simmons has been listed as doubtful because of the right-leg injury he picked up against Florida. Steve Sarkisian confirmed Simmons hurt his right knee, and the early read on the injury points to a high-ankle sprain that could keep him sidelined for the next few weeks.
That is a significant hit for a Longhorns defense that has leaned on Simmons' ability to change games off the edge. He already sits third on Texas' all-time sack leaderboard and had been chasing the program's single-season sack record, which makes his absence more than just a lineup tweak as the Longhorns prepare for a key SEC matchup. [Read more 🡒]