Anwar’s Football Section …
* The Texas Longhorns staff is preparing for both Oklahoma quarterbacks, but nobody behind the scenes will be surprised if John Mateer starts on Saturday. Mateer is recovering from hand surgery on Sept. 24 and was listed as questionable on the initial SEC availability report on Wednesday. The anticipation behind the scenes is that Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is being coy about his quarterback’s status. We may not know the answer until warmups on Saturday.
* I was told not to expect the same Michael Hawkins Jr. we saw last season if he starts at quarterback for Oklahoma. One person said Hawkins is playing with more maturity and appears to have a better understanding of Oklahoma’s playbook. Nobody expects Hawkins to repeat last year’s struggles against Texas during the 34-3 loss.
* From an offensive perspective, one person told me Oklahoma’s defense is one of the toughest to play against for a quarterback because of the different ways the Sooners attack and disguise coverages. Even though Texas has been successful against Oklahoma’s defense, I was told the staff has worked hard to prepare Manning for the different looks he will face on Saturday.
* (Don’t shoot the messenger note): One person believes the criticism of Longhorns offensive line coach Kyle Flood has been harsh. That person pointed to Flood’s history of development and draft picks before this season. When asked why some players have not developed, I was told the staff is looking for more toughness from the players up front — a trait they believed this offensive line had before the season.
* It is important to remember that the driving force behind Texas not spending a lot of money in the transfer portal is that team leaders anticipated how much would need to be spent to retain the majority of this roster in 2026. After the 2024 season, returning players wanted NIL guarantees before the transfer portal closed (the portal entrance window is extended for playoff teams). The thought process was to develop the talent already on campus and focus on re-signing current players after the 2025 season.
* Texas receiver Parker Livingstone was listed as probable on Wednesday’s injury report. I was told Livingstone sustained a shin injury against Florida, but his recovery is going well.
* Speaking of the receivers, there is optimism inside the building that Ryan Wingo is finding his rhythm and has started to build real chemistry with Arch Manning, especially on deep throws. Livingstone has capitalized on his opportunities, while a healthy Emmett Mosely V is expected to contribute in the run game as a blocker.
Ketch’s Football Section …
* I asked a source on Thursday whether Texas junior guard Neto Umeozulu was in any kind of a dog house that was keeping him from seeing more playing time. On Thursday, Steve Sarkisian mentioned that consistency issues were keeping Umeozulu off the field. “Sark is not trying to be the morality police,” the source said. “Unless he absolutely has to sit a guy down, he’s going to play the guy if he’s the best player. When has he ever benched any of his best players if they haven’t committed a crime? Sark is here to win. The truth is that Neto isn’t playing because they don’t think he helps them win. People need to quit trying to make something that’s pretty easy, really hard.”
* Whether it’s earned or not, I’m told that confidence won’t be an issue this weekend for a team that was served up a reality check in Gainesville. “I saw some of the players last night and I didn’t sense any lack of confidence. The coaches have been laser-focused. Everyone seems to be on the same page. Saturday was a shock to their systems. They look ready to get back on it. All I heard is that everyone believes every goal this team has is still on the table. Until that isn’t a reality, Sark will have these guys dialed in.”
* Arch Manning has this locker room. All questions suggesting otherwise were swatted down very quickly this week. “He’s their guy,” a source said. “That isn’t fabricated. Wherever we go, he will lead us there and everyone believes that.”
* I was told on Thursday that there will be an internal audit of the program when the season concludes and every decision that was made that impacted this season will be under scrutiny. “Sark won’t ever get burned by some of these mistakes ever again,” a source told me on Monday.
Suchomel’s Football/Recruiting Section …
* I got a call from someone I trust on Thursday, just after I had filed my Truths & Lies entries, so I thought the War Room was a good place to post this note. This team source was talking about some of the heat Arch Manning has taken this year, and this week in particular from some of the national media outlets. He said some of that stuff has really, really pissed off other team members, and the respect the team has for Arch is at an all-time high after the way he fought through so much adversity against Florida.
* Grant Haviland is one of the most sought-after tight end prospects in the 2027 class. He visited Texas in the spring and was back in Austin earlier this year for the San Jose State game. I caught up with the Milton (GA) product earlier this week to touch base and talk about that most recent visit. Haviland said that trip was extremely positive, including the time spent with the coaches and seeing how the tight ends were utilized.
* Haviland has been busy this fall. Along with the Texas game, he’s seen games at Clemson, LSU and Georgia. He’ll be at Tennessee this week and at Ohio State in a few weeks. He doesn’t have a formal list of favorites but said Texas’ culture has the Longhorns in a strong position. “Texas is definitely up there for me. They’ll definitely be in consideration,” Haviland said.
* Texas offensive tackle commitment Max Wright isn’t sweating the Longhorns’ struggles along the offensive line. He understands guys are young and will get better as the year wears on. “I’m not worried about it. They’re all young, only one returner from last year,” Wright said. I asked Wright if he’s mentally prepared to come in and compete in year one if that’s what’s needed, or if he’d prefer to redshirt and be brought along slowly. He said he’ll do whatever is asked of him. “I’m just going to try my hardest. If I get the opportunity to play I’ll play. If not, that’s not a problem.”
* Wright is just a shade under 6-8 and said he’s weighing in at 290 pounds right now. He won’t be able to make the Texas-OU game this weekend but plans to be in Austin for the Arkansas game. Wright stays in close contact with the Texas coaches, including Kyle Flood, and has even been getting some early coaching from his future position coach. “I send them game film to look at. I just try to get as much help as I can,” Wright said.
* With Texas being the home team for this weekend’s game against Oklahoma, the Longhorns are able to invite prospects to the game and supply them with tickets. There can be no face-to-face contact with recruits since the game is on a neutral field, but the UT staff can showcase the environment to its commitments/targets, and hopefully put together a good product on the field.
Some of the names who have confirmed that they’ll be in attendance at the game …
QB Dia Bell – American Heritage – He’s locked in with the Longhorns.
RB Derrek Cooper – Chaminade-Madonna – Texas commitment – Schools like Miami are still working him but we like UT’s position.
WR Kohen Brown – Waxahachie – Texas commitment – He’s locked in with his pledge.
OL John Turntine – North Crowley – Texas commitment – One of the Horns’ most important
DT JJ Johnson – Miami Northwestern – Texas commitment – Other schools continue to pursue him but Johnson seems like he’s solidified his commitment.
commitments.
DT Dylan Berymon – Ouachita Parish – Texas commitment – Ole Miss is still trying here.
CB Samari Matthews – Cornelius Hough – Texas commitment – Matthews is locked in with his Texas pledge.
CB Hayward Howard – Edna Karr – Texas commitment – Other schools are trying, but Howard isn’t listening.
2027 DB Jerry Outhouse – North Crowley – Texas is a strong early contender in this one.
2027 DB JayQuan Snell – Waxahachie – One of the nation’s best; could be a Texas-Texas A&M battle in the end.
2027 WR Julian Caldwell – Argyle – Elite WR prospect who likes Texas a lot, but there’s also some Oregon and Texas Tech buzz.
2027 LB Cooper Witten (maybe) – Liberty Christian – Would be big for Texas if he shows up.
2027 EDGE Kaden McCarty – Cy Falls – Longhorns are in his top five and might be near the top of that list.
2027 OL Brian Swanson – South Oak Cliff – He’s been a regular visitor to the 40 Acres, which feels like a good sign.
2027 EDGE Sedrick Marsh – Waxahachie – Doesn’t hold a UT offer yet but a very good prospect.
2028 RB Taylen Strange – Waxahachie – A name to file away for the future.
Jalen’s Hoops section …
* When asked who has stood out so far in the first offseason of the Sean Miller era, multiple names were mentioned. But one player consistently brought up by the assistant coaches was senior guard Jordan Pope. The coaching staff has praised Pope as a strong fit for what they’re looking to accomplish offensively, and he has had a solid summer and fall so far.
* The staff continues to emphasize the defensive side of the ball when it comes to Pope, and the senior guard has shown noticeable progress in that area. They want a team that can compete on both ends of the floor at every position, especially in the backcourt. Dailyn Swain was also mentioned, not only for his defensive IQ but for his improvement on the offensive end as he enters his third year in Sean Miller’s system.
* Chendall Weaver has been one of the most improved players through the summer and fall, with multiple coaches highlighting his development as a perimeter shooter. One assistant coach said, “This summer, he (Weaver) had one of the highest three-point percentages when we tracked live play and stats.” Another added, “The thing fans are really going to enjoy about him (Weaver) is he’s been shooting the ball at a high level.”
* Assistant coach Ulric Maligi went into detail about the team’s defensive philosophy, emphasizing a focus on forcing tough two-point shots, limiting opponents to one difficult attempt per possession, protecting the paint and switching across all positions. That approach ties directly into the performance of frontcourt players Lassina Traore and Matas Vokietaitis, whom the staff said they’ve been very impressed with so far this offseason.
* Standing at 7 feet tall and known for his rim protection, Vokietaitis has also showcased his ability to run the floor a combination of size and mobility that can create problems for opposing defenses in transition. As for Traore, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury last year at Xavier, the coaching staff has praised his aggression inside the arc, particularly in the paint.
*Another name the entire staff couldn’t stop raving about was 6-foot-8 forward Nic Codie. While his frame hasn’t made a dramatic jump, assistants noted that Codie has added about 20 pounds this offseason. Some believe he has the versatility to shift from small forward to a frontcourt role in specific sets. “I think Nic Codie has some of the highest potential to be, whatever you want to call it, a breakout type of player for us,” one assistant coach said.
