No. 5 Texas is finally back on the field to open the 2026 season, and the Longhorns start with a Texas State team that brings a real early test to Steve Sarkisian’s new-look roster.
The opener comes after a long offseason in Austin, with plenty of attention already drifting to the Week 2 trip against Ohio State. But first, Texas has to handle business against a Texas State squad the source describes as “sneaky good,” and one that could make things uncomfortable right away.
The biggest injury storyline for Texas has centered on left tackle Trevor Goosby, who took a bone bruise in fall camp and left his status for the opener in doubt. That uncertainty has now been cleared up: Goosby is available to play against the Bobcats. How much he’ll be needed with Ohio State looming is still the question, but Texas got the answer it needed on its most important injury concern.
Texas State also arrives with plenty of buzz of its own. The Bobcats return 71 percent of their production from last season, and while they finished with seven wins, they went 1-2 in one-score games. The source notes that history suggests those results tend to even out, which would point toward an 8-9 win type of team.
At the center of that optimism is quarterback Brad Jackson, who is being billed as one of the best non-Power Four quarterbacks in the country. He’s a true duel-threat presence, coming off a season in which he threw for more than 3,000 yards and ran for just over 700 more.
In Other News...
Texas Has One Clear Edge But A Worry Fans Can't Ignore
Texas enters its matchup with Texas State with one of the more obvious advantages on the field, and it starts at receiver. Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V are back, and the addition of transfer Cam Coleman gives the Longhorns a group that can stretch a defense in different ways and make life easier on the rest of the offense. For a team still settling into the rhythm of a new season, that kind of target talent is a useful place to lean.
The part Texas fans cant quite ignore is the other side of the ball, where linebacker depth has become a real talking point. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamps return has brought a welcome lift to the scheme and the room, but depth questions have only sharpened after recent roster changes. That leaves Texas with a clear edge in one area and a lingering test in another, the sort of imbalance that can look manageable in September and much louder once the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Need To See This Change To A Marquee Home Stretch
Texas footballs home schedule is getting a subtle but meaningful shuffle over the next two seasons, with Texas Athletics confirming that four Longhorns home games will be moved up by one week after the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee approved an earlier start to the college football season. The adjusted slate includes 2027 matchups with New Mexico State, Michigan and UTEP, along with the 2028 game against Louisiana Tech, all of which now sit a week earlier on the calendar than originally planned.
For fans, it is the kind of change that can quietly alter the feel of a fall in Austin, especially with marquee opponents like Michigan still anchoring the home schedule. Texas also has the edge of history against each of those programs, which only adds to the anticipation whenever those dates come into view. The bigger question now is how the new timing will shape the flow of those seasons and the atmosphere around a home stretch that already had plenty of appeal. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Opener Could Decide Which Longhorns Earn Real Roles
The Longhorns still have a few jobs up for grabs as they head into the season opener against Texas State, and the first game should give Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood a real look at who is ready for more than a spot duty role. Among the players in that mix are Sikorski, Cojoe and Bishop, all of whom are trying to turn preseason competition into something more concrete once the games count.
Texas is using the opener as an evaluation point, especially for players looking to carve out meaningful snaps as the season moves along. Black is another name in that conversation after making a switch and trying to force his way into a bigger defensive role, while the staff will be watching closely to see which of these battles start to settle and which ones remain open well beyond Week 1. [Read more 🡒]