Texas enters the season with the kind of star power that grabs headlines fast. Arch Manning gives the Longhorns a potential All-American at quarterback, and Colin Simmons returns as the SEC’s reigning sack leader. On paper, the roster looks loaded nearly everywhere you turn.
Yet one of the most important pieces of the puzzle may be the group that has drawn the least attention this summer: tight end.
Steve Sarkisian has never been shy about using his tight ends, and he should have plenty of reason to lean on them again in 2026. The room is deep, and the Longhorns are expecting it to matter.
Spencer Shannon is one of the names to keep in mind. The redshirt junior does not bring a long track record of game action, but the expectation is that he will be a major part of the offense.
Emaree Winston is in a similar spot. The sophomore logged just two receptions for 47 yards as a true freshman last season, but Texas is counting on him to take a step forward.
There is also a more proven pass-catching option in the mix. Michigan State transfer Michael Masunas arrives with the most experience in the group after posting 19 receptions and three touchdown catches for the Spartans last season.
That makes fall camp especially important for the tight ends. Masunas may be the one to watch most closely, but the real test for the entire room will be who can build the best connection with Manning.
Texas wanted more from the position heading into 2026, and at the very least, it looks like the Longhorns got deeper. The question now is which tight end turns that depth into production.
In Other News...
Sarkisian Just Landed The Kind Of Texas Recruiting Win That Lasts
Texas has spent the summer stacking its future, and the latest addition gives Steve Sarkisian another building block on the offensive line. The Longhorns already sit with a top-five 2027 recruiting class, and the push to keep that momentum going has centered on adding size, talent and long-term stability up front while the staff also works to fortify the line with experienced transfers for 2026.
This latest win matters because it is the kind of recruiting victory that can shape more than one season. The player at the center of it arrives with the sort of national profile that usually brings a long list of suitors, and Texas had to hold off multiple heavyweight programs to get it done. Even more important for the Longhorns, the expectation is that he could be in position to help sooner rather than later, giving Sarkisian a chance to turn a future commitment into an immediate part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
DeAndre Moore Jr. Is Already Carrying Major Weight For Colorado's Offense
Colorados offseason makeover has been impossible to miss, with Deion Sanders and his staff continuing to reshape the roster through the portal while also reworking the coaching structure around it. The Buffaloes have added a wave of newcomers for 2026, and the arrival of wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. stands out in a group that is already drawing attention for how much it could alter the offenses identity.
Brett McMurphys ranking of Moore among the Big 12s most impactful transfer additions only adds to the intrigue, especially with Brennan Marion now running the offense. Colorado did not bring in a player like Moore just to blend in, and the next question is how quickly he can become the kind of central piece this staff clearly expects him to be. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas May Have Found The One Way To Test Texas
Arkansas has spent the offseason remaking itself from top to bottom, and that matters for Texas because the Razorbacks are no longer just trying to patch holes. With a new general manager, Ryan Silverfield taking over as head coach after winning 29 games over the last three seasons at Memphis, and new coordinators in place, Arkansas has paired all of that turnover with a heavy transfer portal haul. The result is a program that looks very different from the one Texas has handled the past two meetings, when the Longhorns won both games by a combined 25 points.
For Texas, the bigger question is whether the usual formula still holds if Arkansas can speed the game up and force a different kind of contest. The Longhorns are still projected to sit near the top of the SEC, but they also had some trouble creating explosive plays last season, especially on the ground, which makes the matchup worth watching well before 2026 arrives. Arkansas has added playmakers such as Sutton Smith and Chris Marshall, while Texas has worked to add more burst of its own, so the path to an upset may come down to whether the Razorbacks can turn this into a shootout instead of letting Texas dictate the terms again. [Read more 🡒]