Texas came into the 2026 season with plenty of buzz, and through four weeks, the Longhorns have delivered on that promise on one side of the ball. The offense has been uneven, but the defense has been steady enough - and strong enough - to keep Texas winning when it has mattered.
That’s exactly the kind of cushion new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp needed to build. With the Longhorns still waiting for the offense to fully click, his unit has turned into the program’s safety net.
Texas was supposed to be a team that put everything together in 2026, especially with quarterback Arch Manning entering his second year as the full-time starter. That breakthrough on offense has not arrived yet. Instead, the Longhorns have leaned on a defense that has been pieced together and molded into one of the best groups in the country.
The numbers back it up. Texas ranks No. 12 in opponents’ points per game at 13.3, No. 13 in opponents’ yards per game at 271, and No. 9 in opponents’ yards per play at 4. Those are not just solid marks - they put the Longhorns among the most dominant defenses in college football.
The pressure has come from everywhere. Texas has piled up 31 tackles for loss, with Colin Simmons leading the way at 8.0 and Hero Kanu next at 3.5.
The pass rush has been just as disruptive, producing 15 sacks so far. Simmons is again at the front of the line with seven, including his five-sack eruption against the Tennessee Volunteers.
The linebackers have been just as important. Rasheem Biles has paced the team with 30 total tackles, while Justin Cryer has added 23 and sits third on the roster. In the back end, Jelani McDonald and Kade Phillips have also been major contributors, ranking second and fourth on the team with 26 and 19 tackles, respectively.
Muschamp has clearly changed the look and feel of this defense since taking over. Through the first month, he has delivered the kind of transformation Texas hired him to produce. And with two-thirds of the season still ahead, the Longhorns can keep leaning on one of college football’s best defensive units while the offense searches for consistency.
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Colin Simmons Gave Texas Fans Another Reason To Question The SEC
Colin Simmons gave Texas exactly the kind of breakout afternoon that gets remembered long after the final whistle. The Longhorns edge rusher posted a career-high 5.5 sacks against Tennessee and set a new program single-game sack record, a performance so disruptive that it instantly became one of the biggest individual highlights of the season for Texas.
Even so, the weekly conference honors did not follow in the way many expected, even as Simmons picked up multiple national awards after the game. For Texas fans, it only added another wrinkle to the ongoing debate over how much the SEC values what happened on the field versus everything that surrounded it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Pass Rush Is Becoming A Serious SEC Problem
Texas has found a pass-rush pairing that is starting to change the conversation around its defense. Colin Simmons and Lance Jackson have been two of the biggest reasons the Longhorns have looked so disruptive early, combining for 29 tackles and 9.5 sacks while giving the front seven a much-needed edge in SEC play. Their pressure has been a steady theme for a defense that is trying to prove it can hold up when the schedule gets heavier.
Simmons, in particular, has already delivered the kind of breakout performance that puts a player on the league-wide radar, and Jackson has helped make sure the offense cannot focus its attention in one spot. For Texas, the bigger picture is obvious: if the pass rush keeps winning on obvious passing downs, the Longhorns can make life a lot harder on the teams standing between them and a playoff run. The next test is whether this early momentum holds when opponents start planning for it every week. [Read more 🡒]
Bijan Robinsons Latest NFL Statement Has Texas Fans Beaming
Bijan Robinson keeps giving Texas fans a reason to check Sundays with a little extra pride. The former Longhorn put together another standout showing against Green Bay, piling up 213 total scrimmage yards and finding the end zone twice, a reminder that his all-around game has translated cleanly to the pro level. He is also off to a strong early-season start, sitting near the top of the league in both rushing and receiving production.
The latest recognition adds to the sense that Robinson is becoming one of the NFLs most reliable matchup problems, especially away from home. His recent run has put him in rare company and given Texas supporters plenty to celebrate, even if the bigger picture around how high he can climb this season is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]