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THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. A little this, a little that
Texas continues to work on filling out its 2026 recruiting class (more on that below) and the staff was on the road last week checking on some potential options.
The names along the defensive line are plentiful and pretty well known with guys like Javion Hilson, Joseph Mbatchou, Malcolm Simpson, Kevin Wynn, Zion Williams, Caleb Bell, Braxton Kyle and Chace Sims on the radar to varying extents. Other positions are a bit more tricky but we do know that Texas would like to add one more defensive back, preferably a cornerback.
Conroe standout and Oregon commitment Dorian Brew has always been a tough one to figure out. He rarely does interviews, he’s not active on social media and he and his camp keep things as closely guarded as just about any player Texas has recruited in this cycle.
Texas coaches Steve Sarkisian and Terry Joseph were at Conroe on Friday for a visit, and you know they wouldn’t be making that stop if the Longhorns didn’t have a decent shot at flipping Brew’s commitment. I’ve reached out to Brew and people close to him to see if there’s a chance he’ll be at the Georgia game in Austin, but so far it’s been radio silence. Brew quietly coming in for that game wouldn’t be a surprise at all. In fact, I’m somewhat expecting it.
Texas A&M commitment Cobey Sellers is a name that’s been asked about lately, but in checking around on that one, there’s really not much action. Yes, Texas stays in touch with Sellers from time to time, but he has no plans to visit Texas and is pretty locked in with his commitment to the Aggies. Something would have to change in College Station for this one to have much of a chance.
The Texas coaches continue to recruit Devin Sanchez, as they should, but I see little to no chance of him peeling off of his commitment from Ohio State.
One other random note … a few of you asked last week about Texas commitment Lance Jackson after it was reported that he was going to be in Arkansas last weekend to watch the Razorbacks host Tennessee. As expected, there’s absolutely nothing to be worried about. Jackson was simply in Fayetteville to watch his brother Landon play on an off week for Pleasant Grove. Per a source, Jackson is “100 percent committed to the Longhorns,” so much so that when he goes to root for his brother he stays away from wearing Arkansas colors in support of his brother and instead wears all black or his high school gear.
2. Texas wide receiver Chris Stewart has a knack for finding the end zone
Texas 2026 wide receiver commitment Chris Stewart is no stranger to scoring touchdowns. Through six games this season, the Pearland Shadow Creek standout has found pay dirt 10 times. Last weekend, Stewart was a regular visitor to the end zone, scoring four times on receptions and punt returns.
For Stewart, a Rivals250 member, it was good to have success and pick up a team win while also quieting some critics.
“That felt good. I was just trying to get back in the groove, prove myself,” Stewart said. “I’ve got a lot to prove. I feel that way, don’t really like the way people are disrespecting me, taking me lightly. I’ve got to show them after the loss in the first week, I’ve got to prove everybody wrong.”
In Friday’s win, Stewart racked up 6 catches for 93 yards and two scores. He would finish the night with 246 all-purpose yards and four scores.
“I was just in the zone, was just clicking,” Stewart said. “Any time I caught the ball on the punt return, I was just thinking I was taking it to the house. Any time the ball touched my hands, I just refused to go down.”
Stewart, who committed to Texas in June, has attended UT home games this year against UTSA and ULM. He’ll be back in Austin next week when the Longhorns host Georgia.
“Overall, the experience was great. No question about that,” Stewart said of his first two game visits. “I was impressed with how they move the offense. The way they spread the ball out with all the receivers they have, that’s incredible. Coach Sark has an offensive mindset. You can’t beat that.”
Though he’s solidly committed to Texas, that hasn’t kept other schools from reaching out to the 6-0, 175-pounder. Programs like Alabama, Tennessee, USC and Michigan still hit him up via text or phone calls. Texas assistants Chris Jackson and A.J. Milwee also stay in close contact.
“I still feel good on my commitment,” Stewart said. “Signing day is far away, so anything can happen. But I still have great love for the Texas coaches. That love isn’t going anywhere.”
Looking back at his decision to commit to Texas, Stewart said it was a variety of factors that led him to give the Longhorns an early commitment. Seeing so many freshmen make an impact on this year’s team has only solidified his pledge.
“Their culture. The coaching. The offense, coach Sark is an offensive-minded coach, not afraid to throw the ball deep. They’ll play freshman,” Stewart said of what prompted him to pick Texas. “It’s a family thing going on around there. I want to be part of that.”
3. It was a good (and surprising) off weekend for yours truly
With Texas having an off weekend, my wife and I decided to head down to San Marcos to see our two kids that are attending Texas State. It was the typical parents-of-college-students visit … go see the son’s apartment, go to Walmart and load the kids up with groceries/household necessities/gift cards and then take our son and daughter to dinner. Five years ago, that would have sounded extremely lame to me, but now that a couple of our kids are out of the house, I cherish any time I get with them and my wife and I genuinely enjoyed the visit and getting to see the kids on “their turf.”
The trip did start off with a surprise …
I’ve written about our son, Zachary, in this column before when he moved to Japan for a few months after graduating high school a semester early, and again when we moved him into college. He started off at the University of Houston studying Global Hospitality Leadership. After one year there, he decided to transfer to Texas State, where he’s now studying Wildlife Biology. Quite the change.
Speaking of quite the change … during his senior year of high school, Zachary decided to start growing his hair out. I’ve always privately wished he’d cut it short, but my wife does a good job of reminding me “It’s just hair” and nothing is permanent. Well, this weekend we showed up at his apartment door, and I did a double take when this dude on the right answered the door.
What prompted the change? He’s been working outside quite a bit, including volunteering at a raptor rehabilitation center, and decided the short hair was more comfortable out in the Texas heat. Works for me.
My daughter, Cora, did break my heart a little bit. She’s a baseball JUNKIE, but she’s recently started getting into football a little after attending some Texas State games and a couple of Longhorn games thanks to the kindness of the OB family. She’s decided to pick an NFL team to root for. I, of course, told her she needs to be a Steelers fan with me and her younger sister. She informed me that choosing the Steelers would be too much of a bandwagon choice. Instead, she’s trying to decide on either the Jets or the Giants to pair with her New York baseball fandom. Good luck with that Cora. I’ll spend the next off weekend from Longhorn football cleaning out your bedroom and changing the locks.
From San Marcos, the wife and I went down to San Antonio for a quick stay. Normally we stay on the River Walk because that’s really all we know. This time we stayed in an Airbnb in Southtown. San Antonians, why haven’t you all told me about that hidden gem of an area? Very cool place with a very cool vibe. I’ll be back in San Antonio in January for the All-American Bowl and will probably stay in that area again… who’s up for another happy hour get together with our always fun OB San Antonio family?
******
TWO QUESTIONS
1. How might this class finish up?
Texas currently sits at 20 commitments. With scholarship limits seemingly always evolving, class sizes can be tough to predict, but let’s take a stab at how this class might finish up.
Quarterback
Current commitments – KJ Lacey
Additions – none
Running back
Current commitments – Rickey Stewart, James Simon
Additions – none
Wide receiver
Current commitments – Jaime Ffrench, Kaliq Lockett
Additions - Daylan McCutcheon
Tight end
Current commitments – Emaree Winston, Nick Townsend
Additions – none
Offensive line
Current commitments – Jackson Christian, Jordan Coleman, Devin Coleman, John Mills, Nick Brooks
Additions - none
Athlete
Current commitments – none
Additions - Michael Terry
Defensive line
Current commitments – Josiah Sharma, Lance Jackson, Myron Charles, Smith Orogbo
Additions – Javion Hilson, Joseph Mbatchou, Malcolm Simpson
Linebacker
Current commitments – Bo Barnes, Jonathan Cunningham
Additions - Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng
Cornerback
Current commitments – Caleb Chester
Additions - Dorian Brew
Safety
Current commitments – Jonah Williams
Additions - none
2. How do the SEC programs rank after last weekend’s slate of games?
1. Texas (last week: 1) – Wild week in the SEC but Texas is the clear top team.
2. Georgia (last week: 3) – Yes, the lost to Bama but that was in Tuscaloosa.
3. Alabama (last week: 2) – Still can’t believe they lost on Saturday.
4. Ole Miss (last week: 8) – Things get pretty jumbled after the top three, but I still like Ole Miss’ upside.
5. Texas A&M (last week: 11) – I’m still not sure the Aggies are that good, but they did look the part last weekend.
6. LSU (last week: 6) – The Tigers host Ole Miss this weekend; should tell us a lot.
7. Tennessee (last week: 4) – How did the Vols blow that game against Arkansas?
8. Kentucky (last week: 7) – Kentucky and Vandy next week is suddenly an interesting game.
9. Oklahoma (last week: 10) – We’ll see what OU is made of this weekend in Dallas.
10. Vanderbilt (last week: 13) – Huge win last week over Bama.
11. Arkansas (last week: 12) – Win over Tennessee should help Texas take this team seriously.
12. Missouri (last week: 5) – The Tigers have been surprisingly disappointing this year.
13. South Carolina (last week: 9) – Ole Miss last week, at Bama this week. Yikes.
14. Florida (last week: 14) – Got a win last week, but meh.
15. Auburn (last week: 15) – Long year on the Plains.
16. Mississippi State (last week: 16) – Hey, they didn’t lose last week.
******
ONE PREDICTION – Texas beats OU and A&M by double digits
I wrote this prediction almost exactly one month ago, two weeks into the college football season. I’m sticking to my guns.
A&M looks better after recent wins, including a dismantling of Missouri last weekend. The OU game is always worrisome because it’s a rivalry game on a neutral field. I don’t care. Texas is on another level from those teams and wins both games by two scores, starting with this weekend.
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