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2 months ago
Texas football roster: 5 players who could break out for Longhorns in 2026
Summary
The Texas football headlines this time of year often revolve around the transfer portal. And for good reason. Coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns have used the portal more than ever before, signing 17 players to nail down the third-best transfer class in the country, according to 247Sports.
Many of those players will plug holes left on a roster that went 10-3 last season. But what about the depth players who elected to stay in Austin and play for the Longhorns in 2026?
Here are five potential breakout candidates from that group — with a member of UT’s 2026 recruiting class sprinkled in:
The Texas coaching staff talked a big game about getting five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry involved early last year. He didn’t truly start to show out until the second half of the season, though. He forced his way into the lineup for each of the final three regular-season games, including a remarkable cameo against Georgia in which he came up with four tackles while playing just seven snaps.
There’s some substantial experience between Terry and a featured role — both Hero Kanu and Alex January are back for 2026. But the Longhorns favor a rotation-heavy approach under defensive line coach Kenny Baker, and Terry should be a bigger part of that rotation.
MORE: Which Texas teams made a profit? And 2 more things we learned from UT's financial docs
Anthony Hill Jr., Liona Lefua and Trey Moore — the three most-used linebackers on Texas’ roster last season — left the program this offseason. The Longhorns have been aggressive in their pursuit of linebackers. Pitt transfer Rasheem Biles was one of the most sought-after linebackers in this portal cycle and Texas also added some depth in Florida State’s Justin Cryer and Akron’s Markus Boswell.
But at a position with so much turnover, is it wise to bet against five-star freshman Tyler Atkinson making some kind of impact? Crucially, Atkinson is already on campus and enrolled, allowing him to partake in offseason workouts and spring football and, potentially, expedite his journey to earning some playing time.
Texas signed four wide receivers who were top-200 overall prospects in its 2025 recruiting class, but none of them delivered any impact of note until the final game of the season.
Kaliq Lockett played just 11 passing snaps all year before Texas’ Citrus Bowl win against Michigan. Against the Wolverines, he brought down two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, including the go-ahead score on a back-shoulder throw from Arch Manning.
Lockett’s path to starting is blocked by three proven commodities in Ryan Wingo, Emmett Mosley V and Auburn transfer Cam Coleman, but he has every chance to become Texas’ fourth receiver — and take charge if an injury happens in front of him.
MORE: Why revenue sharing didn't play major role in $23.3M deficit
The Longhorns have to replace Michael Taaffe at one of their safety spots, and they haven’t dipped into the portal for secondary help outside of Rutgers cornerback Bo Mascoe.
Xavier Filsaime, a sophomore in 2025, started in Taaffe’s place for the Citrus Bowl. It wasn’t a particularly impressive showing, but it did speak to the belief the Longhorns’ coaching staff had in him. Of course, Filsaime must now inspire similar confidence in new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. And he’ll have to fend off former five-star recruit Jonah Williams — as well as veteran Derek Williams Jr. — to earn a starting job.
Brad Spence might be the most versatile player on the Texas roster.
The Longhorns added Spence out of the portal last year and deployed him conservatively, using him as a quarterback spy in certain packages against mobile QBs while also occasionally setting him loose as an edge rusher or an inside linebacker. On a few occasions, Spence even lined up on the interior of the defensive line and at slot corner.
He’s an athletic player who can make an impact just about anywhere on the first two levels of the defense. As Texas sorts through a wave of departures on defense, his experience and versatility could make him a valuable tool in Muschamp’s belt.
Many of those players will plug holes left on a roster that went 10-3 last season. But what about the depth players who elected to stay in Austin and play for the Longhorns in 2026?
Here are five potential breakout candidates from that group — with a member of UT’s 2026 recruiting class sprinkled in:
The Texas coaching staff talked a big game about getting five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry involved early last year. He didn’t truly start to show out until the second half of the season, though. He forced his way into the lineup for each of the final three regular-season games, including a remarkable cameo against Georgia in which he came up with four tackles while playing just seven snaps.
There’s some substantial experience between Terry and a featured role — both Hero Kanu and Alex January are back for 2026. But the Longhorns favor a rotation-heavy approach under defensive line coach Kenny Baker, and Terry should be a bigger part of that rotation.
MORE: Which Texas teams made a profit? And 2 more things we learned from UT's financial docs
Anthony Hill Jr., Liona Lefua and Trey Moore — the three most-used linebackers on Texas’ roster last season — left the program this offseason. The Longhorns have been aggressive in their pursuit of linebackers. Pitt transfer Rasheem Biles was one of the most sought-after linebackers in this portal cycle and Texas also added some depth in Florida State’s Justin Cryer and Akron’s Markus Boswell.
But at a position with so much turnover, is it wise to bet against five-star freshman Tyler Atkinson making some kind of impact? Crucially, Atkinson is already on campus and enrolled, allowing him to partake in offseason workouts and spring football and, potentially, expedite his journey to earning some playing time.
Texas signed four wide receivers who were top-200 overall prospects in its 2025 recruiting class, but none of them delivered any impact of note until the final game of the season.
Kaliq Lockett played just 11 passing snaps all year before Texas’ Citrus Bowl win against Michigan. Against the Wolverines, he brought down two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, including the go-ahead score on a back-shoulder throw from Arch Manning.
Lockett’s path to starting is blocked by three proven commodities in Ryan Wingo, Emmett Mosley V and Auburn transfer Cam Coleman, but he has every chance to become Texas’ fourth receiver — and take charge if an injury happens in front of him.
MORE: Why revenue sharing didn't play major role in $23.3M deficit
The Longhorns have to replace Michael Taaffe at one of their safety spots, and they haven’t dipped into the portal for secondary help outside of Rutgers cornerback Bo Mascoe.
Xavier Filsaime, a sophomore in 2025, started in Taaffe’s place for the Citrus Bowl. It wasn’t a particularly impressive showing, but it did speak to the belief the Longhorns’ coaching staff had in him. Of course, Filsaime must now inspire similar confidence in new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. And he’ll have to fend off former five-star recruit Jonah Williams — as well as veteran Derek Williams Jr. — to earn a starting job.
Brad Spence might be the most versatile player on the Texas roster.
The Longhorns added Spence out of the portal last year and deployed him conservatively, using him as a quarterback spy in certain packages against mobile QBs while also occasionally setting him loose as an edge rusher or an inside linebacker. On a few occasions, Spence even lined up on the interior of the defensive line and at slot corner.
He’s an athletic player who can make an impact just about anywhere on the first two levels of the defense. As Texas sorts through a wave of departures on defense, his experience and versatility could make him a valuable tool in Muschamp’s belt.
AI Description
The article discusses potential breakout players for the Texas Longhorns football team in 2026. It highlights the team's strategy of utilizing the transfer portal while also focusing on the development of current players who chose to stay.