The first real test of Texas’ 2026 season comes with plenty of noise around it, but the Longhorns still look like the clear side to back when Texas State rolls into the opener.
Steve Sarkisian’s group enters the year carrying all the usual expectations, and the talk beyond Week 1 is already aimed at that looming matchup with Ohio State. Before any of that matters, though, Texas has to handle a Texas State team that has real firepower of its own and enough juice to make this interesting early.
The Bobcats bring in GJ Kinne and quarterback Brad Jackson, a combination that has earned attention for good reason. Jackson is coming off a second year in San Marcos with 3,224 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions, plus 744 rushing yards and 17 scores on the ground. His production even stacked up favorably against Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, who spent time in the Heisman conversation last season.
That’s the kind of profile that can create problems if a defense isn’t locked in, and Texas is introducing a new look on that side of the ball under defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Jackson will have to deal with pressure in the pocket, and that’s where Texas can start to tilt the game in its favor.
At the same time, the Longhorns have too much talent on offense for this to feel like a true toss-up. Manning will be working behind one of the most gifted units in the country, and Sarkisian’s system gives Texas plenty of ways to make defenses chase matchups all over the field. Even with new faces involved, the ceiling here is hard to miss.
Texas has a habit of opening the season with a serious challenge, and this one fits that mold. Texas State has enough playmaking to avoid getting buried, but the Longhorns should still be able to start 1-0 and use the opener to clean up the rough edges before Ohio State comes to Austin.
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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 🡒]