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August officially kicks off in just a few days and shortly after, the Longhorns will take the field for fall camp. It’s the final step in the long road of the offseason until we have football back.
Texas enters an all-important fall camp heading into an all-in 2026 season where anything short of a title will feel disappointing. Despite the expectations, Texas doesn’t have every question (or position) answered.
Here are the six positions that could see a major shake up during the next month:
This has been a position of change all offseason for the Longhorns. Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers joined from the portal and Derrek Cooper comes in from the high school ranks. That trio will likely make up 90+% of the carries for Texas this season. The question that has to be answered this month is: what is the breakdown of those carries? It seems Smothers and Brown are in a 1A, 1B situation heading into camp, but could one separate and become the true RB1? On top of that, could we see Cooper earn more carries, cutting into the Smothers/Brown impact?
This position has been in a state of flux much of the offseason. At different moments, there has been an argument for Michael Masunas, Nick Townsend and Spencer Shannon to be the TE1. It seems Townsend has a slight edge heading into camp, but that could change quickly this month. Masunas and Shannon both have a path to becoming TE1, not to mention Emaree Winston’s ability to factor into the equation. This month will decide the breakdown of snaps among the four options, but all four will be used this season.
This is the position most Longhorn fans are likely concerned about heading into fall camp. Laurence Seymore joined this summer and this will be his first chance to participate in normal practice in Austin. He’s the likely starter, but it seems Jaydon Chatman, Devin Coleman and others are not far behind. This is a position that is as open as any heading into camp and it needs to be figured out before kickoff. I’d put my money on Seymore winning this job, but there are challengers that’ll emerge this month.
The backend of Texas’ defense is still being figured out heading into camp. Xavier Filsaime has moved to the nickelback position, while Kobe Black has moved back to safety. The question that has to be answered this month is: who will start across from Jelani McDonald to start the season? Derek Williams Jr. is the perceived favorite heading into the season, but Black and Jordon Johnson-Rubell will fight for that spot. Again, I’d bet it’s Williams Jr. to start the season, but I’m watching Kobe Black closely in August.
It’s known linebacker is a position of concern heading into the season. Rasheem Biles is the only player you can confidently say will start at LB for Texas, with the other spot wide open. It seems Ty’Anthony Smith and Justin Cryer are locked in a battle for the MLB spot. Will one of them pull away from the other? On top of that, could we see Rocky Cummings continue to rise or Tyler Atkinson fully hit his stride? This position needs positive news throughout this month, but that news could come from any number of places.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Running back, safety top Texas positions to watch heading into fall
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Texas enters an all-important fall camp heading into an all-in 2026 season where anything short of a title will feel disappointing. Despite the expectations, Texas doesn’t have every question (or position) answered.
Here are the six positions that could see a major shake up during the next month:
Running back
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This has been a position of change all offseason for the Longhorns. Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers joined from the portal and Derrek Cooper comes in from the high school ranks. That trio will likely make up 90+% of the carries for Texas this season. The question that has to be answered this month is: what is the breakdown of those carries? It seems Smothers and Brown are in a 1A, 1B situation heading into camp, but could one separate and become the true RB1? On top of that, could we see Cooper earn more carries, cutting into the Smothers/Brown impact?
Tight End
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This position has been in a state of flux much of the offseason. At different moments, there has been an argument for Michael Masunas, Nick Townsend and Spencer Shannon to be the TE1. It seems Townsend has a slight edge heading into camp, but that could change quickly this month. Masunas and Shannon both have a path to becoming TE1, not to mention Emaree Winston’s ability to factor into the equation. This month will decide the breakdown of snaps among the four options, but all four will be used this season.
Left Guard
This is the position most Longhorn fans are likely concerned about heading into fall camp. Laurence Seymore joined this summer and this will be his first chance to participate in normal practice in Austin. He’s the likely starter, but it seems Jaydon Chatman, Devin Coleman and others are not far behind. This is a position that is as open as any heading into camp and it needs to be figured out before kickoff. I’d put my money on Seymore winning this job, but there are challengers that’ll emerge this month.
Safety
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The backend of Texas’ defense is still being figured out heading into camp. Xavier Filsaime has moved to the nickelback position, while Kobe Black has moved back to safety. The question that has to be answered this month is: who will start across from Jelani McDonald to start the season? Derek Williams Jr. is the perceived favorite heading into the season, but Black and Jordon Johnson-Rubell will fight for that spot. Again, I’d bet it’s Williams Jr. to start the season, but I’m watching Kobe Black closely in August.
Linebacker
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It’s known linebacker is a position of concern heading into the season. Rasheem Biles is the only player you can confidently say will start at LB for Texas, with the other spot wide open. It seems Ty’Anthony Smith and Justin Cryer are locked in a battle for the MLB spot. Will one of them pull away from the other? On top of that, could we see Rocky Cummings continue to rise or Tyler Atkinson fully hit his stride? This position needs positive news throughout this month, but that news could come from any number of places.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Running back, safety top Texas positions to watch heading into fall
Continue reading...
