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See the full story · 1 sourcesArch Manning, set to begin his second season as Texas' starter, was among those who drew praise from coach Steve Sarkisian following Wednesday's first practice. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman)
AUSTIN - Steve Sarkisian praised his Texas football team's depth and conditioning after its first official workout of the late summer Wednesday afternoon and commended his coaching staff for their demanding style.
The Longhorn head coach also singled out a number of players who impressed, naming quarterback Arch Manning , safety Kobe Black for his move from cornerback, running backs Hollywood Smothers and Michael Terry and linebacker Rasheem Biles.
"I thought Arch had a good day," he said, "and I've seen a lot of rough quarterback first days. I thought he looked good. Hollywood had some nice runs. I thought Michael Terry showed up running the ball. Defensively, Rasheem Biles was flying around. So a lot of positive stuff."
The players got a hearty endorsement from their head coach for their conditioning. He cited only five instances of cramping Wednesday and recalled how 38 players cramped up in his first practice in 2021.
He complimented defensive lineman Ian Geffrard, the transfer from Arkansas, for dropping 25 pounds. He was listed at 6-foot-5 and 375 pounds on the roster.
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Sarkisian said he loves the depth of this team after adding 22 transfers in a class ranked third nationally and 24 freshmen in a top 10 recruiting class, including five-star 6-2, 180-pound cornerback John Meredith , who just arrived on campus after reclassifying as part of the 2026 class. He had a challenging first practice and had to sit some to recover during a heated workout after becoming nauseous.
"He had some real freshman moments right now," Sarkisian said. "A lot of our freshmen (22) have been with us since January. This guy just showed up a week ago, so everything is brand-new to him. But I thought he fought through and thought he worked at it. He's a competitive guy. That showed up today."
Tight ends Nick Townsend (81) and Michael Masunas (15) practice a drill during Longhorns football practice at Frank Denius Fields in Austin, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman)
It is without question Texas' most talented team on paper during Sarkisian's six seasons. The Longhorns were picked fourth in the USA Today LBM Coaches Preseason Poll Monday but got two first-place votes.
"I think this team is really deep, and we're going to need a lot of these bodies," Sarkisian said. "You guys know what our schedule looks like, and we're playing nine conference games now along with (No. 1) Ohio State, Texas State and UTSA. And both (of the latter two) are probably going to be bowl teams this fall. So we've got a really challenging schedule. The goal is to be two-deep at every spot with hopefully a third guy that can play if he needs to."
Sarkisian loved the intensity of his staff, which includes newcomers like defensive coordinator Will Muschamp , who is easily the loudest coach at Denius Fields, as well as returning safeties coach Blake Gideon from Duke, running back coach Jabbar Julukeee from Florida.
Former Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops was also on the field as a special assistant to Sarkisian after getting fired last December and accepting an almost $38 million buyout. His specialty is defensive backs and should provide a strong voice in staff meetings.
"I thought our coaches were really good," Sarkisian said. "They were getting after it. Our coaches are demanding, and we're going to push them to try to be the best they can become."
Sarkisian said he had no news on offensive lineman Cole Hutson, a former starting guard with 23 starts and experience in 48 games who is suing the NCAA to return to Texas for a fifth year of eligibility. Hutson wasn't at the first practice and was not listed on the official roster that was handed out to the media.
Starting this coming season, the NCAA will fully implement an age-based eligibility model allowing collegiate athletes five years regardless of playing time and eliminating the redshirt rule. Athletes in the class of 2022 like Hutson have challenged the rule in court.
"I don't really have much of an update yet," he said. "I think we'll find out more about Cole here probably within the next week or so. I think there's some positive signs to that thing coming to fruition, but we'll see what happens."
Sarkisian also weighed in on the Protect College Sports Act , the bipartisan Senate bill that could go to the floor for a vote this week.
"I think any time we have structure, it's good," he said. "And we've been operating for the last year to year and a half with very minimal structure. And I just don't think that's healthy. If this bill goes through and some of these things get streamlined in a sense where it provides structure for all of us, I think that's healthy so we're all not just living in the Wild, Wild West."
There’s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢. This article originally published at Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praises depth, conditioning after Longhorns' first practice .
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