Texas got a few glimpses of what happened behind closed doors on Saturday, and the first fall scrimmage offered more than just the usual camp silence. The Longhorns’ official X account released a recap video with several highlight plays, giving fans a small window into the opening scrimmage of camp.
Bobby Burton of OnTexasFootball also broke down some of the clips from Texas’ first of two fall scrimmages, and the plays that surfaced all came on offense. Cam Coleman showed up again, and the running back room also made a strong impression.
Coleman, the Auburn transfer and one of Texas’ biggest offseason additions, has already become a camp headliner. He previously went viral during the first week of practice when a clip showed him making an airborne catch on a ball that appeared to be tipped at the line and thrown behind him. This time, he was back at it with a deep catch over Jonah Williams in coverage.
The quarterback in the clip wasn’t shown, but it can be inferred the throw came from Manning. That lines up with what Sarkisian said Saturday, when he explained that several of Texas’ top playmakers were kept out of extended live action.
"I felt for Arch [Manning] and Ryan [Wingo] and Cam [Coleman] and Emmett [Mosley] because they played the first series, then they sat because I didn't want them to be live, …” Sarkisian said.
There was also an interception from Texas safety Jonah Williams among the additional highlights available on the Longhorn Network.
If Coleman remains the splash-play name of camp, the bigger storyline for Texas may be the shape of its run game. The Longhorns finished outside the 90th in rushing offense last season, averaging 137.77 yards per game, so getting the ground attack moving has been a clear offseason priority.
The names of Smothers and Brown fit that plan. Both were starters at NC State and Arizona State, respectively, and Texas brought them in with the idea of strengthening both the offensive line and the backfield.
Cooper, though, is the one who could create the most buzz. The freshman from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, signed as a four-star in the 2026 class, and he arrived with plenty of attention after high school. His showing in the first scrimmage gives Texas reason to believe he could factor in as a first-year contributor, even with a deeper group ahead of him.
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