The Texas Longhorns are making moves-and not just the kind that show up on a depth chart. After a 2025 season that fell well short of expectations, the program is clearly recalibrating with one goal in mind: getting back to the top of the college football mountain. And if there’s a blueprint for doing that in today’s game, it runs straight through Athens, Georgia.
That’s why the Longhorns’ latest addition to their defensive staff is raising eyebrows across the SEC. Garrett Cox, a former Georgia defensive analyst with deep ties to some of the biggest programs in the country, is headed to Austin. He’s expected to work closely with the linebacker corps under newly hired defensive coordinator Will Muschamp-a reunion that could pay serious dividends for Texas.
Let’s rewind for a second. Texas came into 2025 as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, riding the momentum of back-to-back near-misses at the national championship in 2023 and 2024.
But the season didn’t unfold as planned. The Longhorns missed the postseason entirely, a stunning fall for a team that looked ready to break through.
That disappointment prompted some hard decisions. One of the first?
Moving on from defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and bringing back a familiar face in Muschamp. Longhorns fans know what he brings to the table-his defenses from 2008 to 2010 were among the best in program history, and he helped engineer the run to the 2009 national title game.
Most recently, he’s been part of Georgia’s defensive brain trust, helping the Bulldogs dominate the SEC landscape.
Now, Muschamp is bringing a trusted ally with him. Garrett Cox’s coaching journey started as a student assistant at Georgia and has taken him through stops at Georgia Southern, TCU, Michigan, Tennessee, and Alabama.
He’s worked under some of the game’s top minds-Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart-and he’s carved out a niche as a linebacker specialist. When Kirby Smart brought him back to Athens in 2025, it was a clear vote of confidence in Cox’s ability to contribute at the highest level.
That’s exactly what Texas is banking on now.
Cox’s expected role in Austin will center on the linebacker unit, a group that’s key to Muschamp’s defensive identity. The two overlapped at Georgia, and that familiarity could be crucial as Muschamp installs his scheme and culture in a locker room that’s hungry to bounce back. Having a coach who already speaks the same football language can accelerate that process-and in the SEC, every edge matters.
There’s also a bigger picture here. Texas has had trouble solving the Georgia puzzle.
The Longhorns have faced the Bulldogs three times over the past two seasons and haven’t come away with a win. One of those losses came in the SEC Championship game.
Another ended their playoff hopes last year. Georgia has become the roadblock on Texas’ path to national relevance-and Sarkisian knows it.
So yes, this hire carries some strategic weight. Bringing in coaches who know Georgia’s system inside and out isn’t just about familiarity-it’s about gaining insight into how to finally beat the team that’s had their number. Even if Georgia isn’t on the regular season schedule in 2026, there’s a good chance the road to the SEC title-or the College Football Playoff-goes through the Bulldogs again.
But this move isn’t just about Georgia. It’s about building a staff that can elevate Texas back to championship form.
Muschamp is a proven defensive architect, and Cox is a technician with a deep understanding of linebacker play and elite-level football operations. Their combined experience-shaped by years in powerhouse programs-gives Texas a foundation to build something formidable.
Garrett Cox doesn’t just bring a résumé. He brings a Rolodex of coaching philosophies, a track record of player development, and a deep understanding of what it takes to win in the trenches. For a Texas team that’s been knocking on the door, this could be the kind of behind-the-scenes hire that helps them finally kick it down.