Texas State comes to Austin with an offense built to stress a defense every snap, but Texas enters Saturday carrying the bigger headline: a 2026 season that already feels loaded with pressure, hype and a top-five spotlight.
The Longhorns open at home at 2:30 pm CT against the Bobcats, and they do it ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and No. 4 in the AFCA Coaches poll. That’s before the calendar even flips to Sept. 12, when No. 1 Ohio State shows up in Austin for a top-five matchup.
Oddsmakers have already adjusted to the matchup. Texas opened as a 30.5-point favorite over Texas State, and the number slid to 29.5 points. Part of that respect goes to the Bobcats’ offense, which ranked No. 12 nationally in scoring last season at 36.5 points per game.
Texas State brings back sophomore dual-threat quarterback Brad Jackson, who threw for 21 touchdowns against 7 interceptions while completing 71.3% of his passes in 2025. He also has two proven targets back in Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn, both 1,000-yard receivers.
There was also some uncertainty around Texas left tackle Trevor Goosby and left guard Laurence Seymore, with Goosby dealing with a bone bruise in his knee and Seymore with a foot injury. But Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that both players are "good to go" Saturday.
The Bobcats are guided by fourth-year coach G.J. Kinne, who knows Austin well from his time as a redshirt freshman quarterback at Texas in 2007 before transferring to Tulsa. His offense leans into the Baylor /Art Briles' NASCAR-tempo, veer-and-shoot style, using wide splits, receivers aligned out at the numbers and Jackson’s quick run-pass option decisions to keep defenses on edge.
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Steve Sarkisian spent part of a media Zoom call Tuesday laying out where Texas stands heading into its game against Texas State, and the picture was mostly one of sorting through roles and readiness. Trevor Goosby has been cleared to play, Cojoe has drawn praise for the way he has practiced, and the staff is still working through coaching positioning and special teams assignments as the opener approaches.
Sarkisian also touched on the challenge of facing Texas State quarterback, while noting the mental side of the first game can bring its own pressure. He said the Longhorns are trying to manage performance anxiety and expects some growing pains early, which makes these final days of preparation more about settling a few spots than locking everything in place. [Read more 🡒]
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Browns read on the schedule also speaks to how far the program has come from the uncertainty of a year ago. The Longhorns are again carrying high hopes, but the margin for error is always thin when the calendar quickly brings a heavyweight opponent into the building. For Texas, those first two games could shape the tone of the season before the real grind of the schedule begins. [Read more 🡒]
Former Longhorn Now Sees Exactly What Texas Has Become
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Kinne has also made clear that Steve Sarkisian has helped shape that jump with his offensive mind and years of coaching experience, giving Texas a level of polish that stands out even before the first snap. From the outside looking in, he sees a roster with a clear talent edge and, in his view, the kind of play-calling that can make a dangerous team even tougher to handle, which is why the Bobcats know exactly what kind of challenge is waiting when the ball is kicked off. [Read more 🡒]