On Texas Football: Who's Ready to Explode This Season? | Longhorns | Steve Sarkisian | Arch Manning - On Texas Football

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[00:00]
A
Who's the player we're most excited to see when Texas opens up camp next week? We'll discuss that here on this latest edition of On Texas Football, brought to you by Price Picks. I am Jeff Howe. It's time for the On Texas Football sideline debate. Our panel this week, CJ Vogel, Hank South, Jerry Hamilton, Rod Babers and Jordan Scruggs. Guys, simple question. Let's see what answers we've got. Who's the player you're most excited to see when the Longhorns get on the practice field starting next Wednesday? CJ who's your pick?
[00:27]
B
Yeah, I'm going a little off the grid here, at least in terms of what you would think to be the most common answers. I'm going with Murad Watson on the defensive line and you know, that's someone coming in from Syracuse, was a freshman all American, put up about 480 snaps at Syracuse, only played about 320 a year ago. I don't believe he was fully healthy. In fact, there were nagging injuries throughout that he played through. But now going into a contract here, and I know that we've talked about that for a number of guys, Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman, you know, all the way throughout this roster, there are guys who are eligible to enter the NFL draft. Well, defensive lines, a premium position. Can he go back to what we saw at Syracuse at times with his pass rushing ability?
[01:06]
C
Right.
[01:06]
B
That's of course not a place that you look at with defensive linemen, especially on the interior. But he was a guy that I thought lost a little bit of a step. So to see if he can come back and we know he is going to be on this on the field a lot this year if we see that quick first step once more, that gives me a a lot of comfort for what this defensive line will bring.
[01:27]
D
Love that.
[01:28]
A
Versatility, probably going to be the key word we throw around regarding defensive line. I love the fact that at least when we saw him in the spring, they were working him multiple shades and there's several guys like that on this defensive line. Jerry, including your pick who I would imagine if you polled Texas fans, I don't know, 6 out of 10, 7 out of 10 might take your pick for this one.
[01:50]
D
I'm going, I'm going Planet Fitness for sure. Justice Terry. Justice Terry hadn't been fully healthy since midway through his junior year of high school. That that's when he first started having some of those shoulder issues. He missed time as a senior. It was, it was the Citrus bowl was kind of crazy But CJ And I were sitting there at practice every day and we're like, oh, Justice Terry's gonna play. He didn't play on game day, and then he had surgery. And so you think about Will Muschamp's defense, you think about the fit in that defense, and you think about what we talked about earlier on Murad Watson, we've talked about on many shows, who's going to be the disruptor for Will Must champ on the interior, because there's a spot for a disruptor, too, right now. And we know it's not going to be an Ian Jaffar. Right. That's not going to be his role. So who's going to be that disruptor? Who's going to be that guy that comes up and has a really big year that we may not be expecting in that regard? It's Justice Terry for me, because when he flashed, he flashed really well, but he still wasn't healthy. And now, knock on wood, this is the first time we're going to get to see Justice Terry healthy. And remember, he came into Texas at 258 pounds. He was listed at 275 to 80 in high school. He wasn't even close. He's now 289, 290, 291, depending on when they weigh the guy. Right. He's physically. He was always been a strong guy, obviously, but now he's physically got the weight in the lead behind him to hold up against the run in the SEC and also be a disruptive player. I think that gives him a chance in this Will Muschamp scheme to kind of come out of nowhere and be a very key member of this Texas defense in this Texas team.
[03:25]
A
One more thing regarding the defensive front. Rod, you've talked about it during your career on the 40 acres. You've mentioned a lot, multiple times that it was a lot easier to cover guys when you had Sean Rodgers and Casey Hampton blowing things up on the interior, making life hell for quarterbacks. Can you quantify what it means to a defense to have a legitimate disruptive force in the middle of the defense?
[03:50]
E
Man, it I. I thought playing corner was pretty easy my first year as a starter because I did have a Casey Hampton and Sean Rogers. But being able to collapse the pocket right from the interior also is something really significant that way. A lot of quarterbacks, they feel comfortable stepping up into the pocket, but when there's nowhere to step up, you kind of panic and chaos ensues. And I that's what's really unique about that Disruptive force in the interior. Having a guy like a Casey at the shutter rods. Last year you only had like 50 something pressures with your D tackle position combined in 2022 and 2023, you were up at triple digits from pressures combined from your whole entire D tackle room. So I think that's what they're trying to get back to. A deep group, but also a deep disruptive group.
[04:32]
A
Yep. I mentioned probably six out of ten Longhorn fans would take Jerry's pick. The other four would probably take Jordan's pick. Jordan, who do you have for the guy you're most excited to see when practice starts next week?
[04:43]
C
I went with Jonah Williams, rising second year safety out of Galveston. Hard to not select him. He was a five star top safety in the country for a long time. Throughout that entire cycle was also viewed a bit of a linebacker safety projection. But he wants to stay at safety. And when you're as freakish athletically as Jonah Williams is, you get to pick where you want to play. So the problem has been injuries. Four consecutive semesters he's had an injury credit to CJ for that stat. He's entering his fourth semester at Texas. High expectations. Not necessarily, you know, has to be a starter, but if Jonah Williams can develop into a starter, that makes the rest of the team, the rest of the program better. Improves their chances at a national championship. So if you can get, you know, full 100% healthy season from Jonah Williams, I think that's the main thing you have to ask for. But if he can really contribute, whether on special teams or at safety, whether with the two deep or as a starter, you're playing with house money. And I think that changes the projection so much of that safety room going forward, whether you look into 2027, 2028 and beyond. So Jonah Williams having a huge year would really benefit the rest of the program. That safety room. And so hard to not select them.
[05:56]
A
I like it, Jerry. I don't want to put like a now or never label on, on a true sophomore, but when you look at Jonah Williams trajectory, I think we need to remember he is draft eligible in baseball next summer. So again, I don't want to say now or never or the clock is ticking, but you're getting to the point where he, he needs to be on the field for this staff to really figure out what they've got.
[06:21]
D
I think it's is kind of now or never because if he has a healthy baseball season, he's got tools. I mean he's going to be if he shows any Power at all, hits the ball over the fence in baseball. He's, he's going to be a top two round pick because the tools he has. So it is kind of now or never from a football standpoint to see if he continues playing football or if his decision is forced in the MLB draft after the baseball season if he has a healthy year on the 40 acres. So I do think, kind of think it's now or never for him in football because look, if he doesn't start to what Jordan's talking about, if he doesn't start to ascend on the football field, it makes a nice seven figure offer potentially in baseball very easy to make. He came to, he came to Texas and he bypassed the MLB draft as a senior in high school against the thoughts of some people in his family because he loved football and he's never got to really see what he could become in football. That's why this season is critical for him because he may be faced with that decision after the baseball season. So if his mind, if in his mind he has a good season and he can see a future in football that could keep him on the 40 acres a couple extra years as a two sport athlete.
[07:36]
A
Yeah CJ we talked about it a lot this off season but you know maybe I think the kind of the saving grace for Jonah, the thing he's got working for him the most is you've got a wide open spot next to Jelani McDonald in that secondary. I mean that a safety position is far from settled going into camp and
[07:52]
B
I think that's what adds to kind of the excitement right the unknown of Jonah Williams for, for Jordan's pick here. Having two guys that are six, two and a half, six three that can run and range physical that play the football as well as Jelani and Jonah do. That's kind of what you know that's a, a dream tandem in, in most secondary. So that, that's why it's so exciting. At least the thought of what he could do. And again with Derrick Williams walking in as the guy next to to Jelani in this secondary he's going to have to fend off a number of guys especially with Kobe Black moving back there to Ray Davis was a freshman that folks liked coming out of the spring. So a lot of bodies fighting for not many snaps with only two safety seeing the field. It's going to be really interesting if he can carve out even just a little bit of a role this, this fall camp.
[08:41]
A
Yeah Xavier filsome easily. I thought about taking in this spot, too. C.J. to your point, because of the safety position open and the fact that we talked about his versatility, maybe play nickel, maybe the body type must Champ prefers as a nickel. Yeah. A lot to be determined in the secondary going into camp. Hank, who's your pick for this spot? The guy you're most excited to see when camp starts next week?
[09:03]
F
Yeah, mine's kind of a. I don't know. It's not a outlier, really. I'm going with Arch Manning mainly because we haven't seen Arch Manning since the Citrus bowl and, you know, we see Arch Manning all the time. It's just not. We haven't seen Arch Manning in live action. Obviously, he had the, the foot surgery in the off season was limited. You know, he was still participating throughout spring, but not, you know, full speed. And they would do, they would do throwing with Arch when media was not watching. And then obviously during the spring game, spring showcase, whatever you want to call it, it was KJ Lacy and MJ Morris L leading the way there. So I'm really excited to see him. You know, we, we've heard a lot and seen a lot throughout the spring and summer where, you know, he's been really building this bond, this relationship with these riders, this new wide receiver group. They went out to New Orleans, worked out together. I think they were in Arizona recently. They've been going all over, training together, building that chemistry. So I'm excited to see what that looks like on the field. Obviously, you know, I, I think you, you can make an argument that Texas has the, the top starting three wide receivers in the country, depending on which, what, you know, you know, which schools you're looking at. But I'm excited to see him back out on the field, fully healthy, slinging it around, seeing how these wide receivers look in live action. Obviously, I'm excited to see the wide receivers, too, but it all start. This team is, is going to go as far as Arch Manning will take them. And so I'm excited to see him the most.
[10:22]
A
Now, I'm not gonna say that he's the guy I'm most excited to see, but I do think it's worth mentioning. Hank, like you said, it was almost out of sight, out of mind that QB1 was on the shelf for the most part in spring practice. Jerry, I go back to you only because you asked Sark about it at SEC media days. Just file away the work KJ Lacey's gotten in the spring and the work he's gotten in the summer and whatever he'll get in camp, the, the odds of you needing a backup quarterback to come in in a big moment during the 16, 17 game season are pretty high. So let's not lose track of the progress K.J. lacey's making.
[10:57]
D
No, I mean, look, I, I, when I asked that question, I didn't expect that long of an answer from Sark. Honestly. I thought he was just, hey, he's progressing like we thought and he had a really good spring. I mean that was pretty detailed. Bryce Young came up and he actually said, we're seeing the best of K.J. lacy this summer. I, he gave him a lot of praise and I thought that was very interesting. And that was interesting because they absolutely, that tells you they absolutely feel comfortable with K.J. lacy as the two. Yeah, there's no competition for the two quarterback. He is the number two quarterback and that there's some confidence in Sark that if they had to go to him, he said the fans would like what they see.
[11:37]
A
Rod, who's your pick?
[11:40]
E
I'm kind of piggybacking on what Hank picked there. With Arch Manning. I went with Cam Coleman. I know it's an obvious choice, but seeing Cam Coleman in this Sark offense. Right. Cam Coleman was basically one of the best players in, in the country, essentially upside wise on one of the worst offenses. So now you're going to put him with Arch Manning, number one, who's. Arch Manning has a really great deep ball. He may be the best deep contested target in all of college football. He had 81% catch rate on deep contested targets. By the way, that is the highest for any player in the Pro Football Focus era who has double digitized by Google the deep contested target. So no player was better. In the history of college football focus.
[12:26]
D
Sorry.
[12:26]
E
In the history of pro football Focus, which goes back to about 20, 2014. Also Arch Manning had 13 deep passing touchdowns. I think with Cam Coleman's verticality in this game, that's also going to help him as well. That combination Sark's going to put him in the slot more. He was only in the slot about 6% of the time in his career at Auburn. That's also a cheat code for wide receivers. Matthew Golden, Xavier Worthy, what are you talking. Ryan Wingo, those guys are in the slot usually around 25% of the time or more. You also look at the amount of Yak yards that Sark can produce and generate in an offense. His run to daylight philosophy. You look at Cam Coleman is under three yards after the catch per reception in his career. I mean, Matthew golden was over 5. Ryan Wingo is over, I believe over 8, 8.6 yards after the catch per reception. Xavier Worthy was over seven. So you're going to get more Yak opportunities for him as well. He only had one target behind the line of scrimmage last season. Captain Coleman Sark's emphasis on the screen game and easy completions are also going to be something that I think Cam Coleman's going to enjoy in this offense. So, so many ways that he's going to weaponize Cam Coleman that they just didn't do at Auburn, right? They just didn't get a chance to utilize him in the right way. I believe it was, you know, Texas who threw out there, Chris, Chris Jackson who threw out there that he's not, you're not going to have any flaws in Cam Coleman's game by the time he's done with 2026. Based on evaluations, he's saying that all these different areas of his game that we've talked about, that we've critiqued and said that, you know, he hasn't really showcased his jack ability. He hasn't showcased that he can use the entire route tree. At Texas they're going to showcase that he can be the all around receiver and they're going to try to close that gap between he and Jeremiah Smith. He's considered the second best wide receiver coming out next year. A lot of people know that Jeremiah Smith's going to be number one, but there are some people that believe that that the gap between number one, number two, significantly, if Cam Coleman can really be utilized correctly.
[14:26]
A
Texas does have that track record recently of taking portal wide receivers and kind of giving them those that finishing touch, that last bit of polish before they go on to the league. Cam Coleman should be next in line for that. Hey Jordan, I only bring this up because you saw Jermaine Bishop a lot in high school. Any concerns or excitement wanting to see what he looks like moving back to the receiver after working at DB all summer.
[14:50]
C
The main thing I'm looking forward to seeing is just on the hoof, how does he look because I believe he's listed at 160 or 165 pounds. He never played a game of high school football over 154 pounds. He's always been a small guy. So curious if That's a real 160 or real 165. We'll see. I've covered him since he was a 14 year old freshman. So he's kind of resembled the same look physically for a long time now. So Excited to see what SEC strength and conditioning program can do for him. As far as the player goes, I mean, I've always loved watching Jermaine Bishop. I think the, you know, he's obviously a statute stuffer, but the thing that is so unique and interesting about him, even back in Texas spring ball this spring, we're watching Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, Emma Mosley, all these guys who are going to play in the NFL, very high chance of doing it and none of them move like Jermaine Bishop. And I'm not saying they're more athletic than him or whatnot, but like he is exactly what you want a slot receiver to look like. He's twitcher than anyone on the roster, is 0 to 60 speed or his top end speed is probably not even close to the fastest on the roster, but 0 to 60, the acceleration is world class. So there's so many things he does that stand out with and he makes it look easy. So really just excited to see him out there and especially on the hoof, excited to see some weight gain.
[16:16]
A
Hank, real quick, you, you talk about it before we started recording. There's a case to be made if you're going to take a wide receiver to pay attention to. There's a case to be made that Emmett Mosley is that guy. Just because again, coming off the injury, we just didn't see much of him this spring.
[16:30]
F
Yeah, absolutely. And you know, it was kind of an interesting situation last year. He came in late in the spring transfer portal window from Stanford. He was hurt for most of, I think he got hurt in camp last year and, and missed, you know, the first quarter of the season. So you know, we kept kind of asking like, you know, when, when is Emmett Mosley come back? When are we going to see him? We saw that first glimpse of him in the Florida game, had the big catch and then obviously had the game winning catch against Mississippi State. But all the returns, I know Jerry wrote about it today on, on Texas football have been really positive about Emmett Mosley. And you know, talking to people at Texas, they're always saying, hey, keep an eye on Emmy Mosley. Like this, this guy is, is for real. And you know, he's, he's a sure handed, he run, you know, he, he, he runs with great routes. You know, he obviously has, you know, the track record. He broke the Stanford freshman receiving record before he came to Texas. Then once he got healthy at Texas, he, he really kind of shined down the stretch, you know, when called upon. Didn't have a, you know, huge stat line, but did what he needed to do last season for the Longhorns. So I'm excited to see him fully healthy. Hopefully he can stay healthy throughout fall camp and contribute from week one because I think he could. He could really turn some heads in his second year at Texas.
[17:39]
A
Yep. If he stays healthy, I don't need to have producer Matt pull the tape. Last year. CJ's hat throws with the frustration with Emmett Mosley's health situation. So hopefully we don't have to do that again. My pick is Lawrence Seymour. There were several offensive linemen he could have gone with. You know, Jerry, it's interesting. You, you and Rod talked about this on the Friday live stream and you recently wrote about some offensive line stuff over it on texas football.com it was depth on the offensive line. There's still positions in a pecking order to sort out, you know, Jackson Christian because he's got the center flexibility. If left guard doesn't go the way they hope it does, does Jordan Coleman slide inside? But to me, that all depends on Lawrence Seymour. I just want to eyeball him just for proof of life, proof that he exists, that he actually is a real player that we've been talking about all summer. But Jerry, there's depending on where left guard goes, there are three or four guys in that old line room that suddenly become next most important, important guy.
[18:36]
D
Yeah. And you look for the square. When he walks off the bus, you look for the square. That's him. I mean, you're talking like 6 foot and a half, 3 10, 315. I mean, he's that. You'll know him. He'll turn sideways to go in the gate. But I think it's a huge, huge competition at left guard. And I wrote that, I was like, I think people are just assuming they're gonna hand Lawrence Seymour to starting left guard job. It's not going that way. He's got to earn it. I mean, look, there's a difference between a guy who comes in, that's Cam Coleman, okay. And other guys. Cam Coleman was going to be your. Absolutely. Your starting outside receiver. Lawrence Seymour is not that first round guy. He's a really good player, but he missed spring practice and he's got to go compete with other guys who are quality players themselves. And we don't know what's going to happen with a Jordan Coleman. So you don't know if Texas is going to rep him a little bit on the in inside at left guard. We don't know any of that yet. But I, I love that you, you brought him up, Jeff, because he. This is the biggest position battle that Texas fans care about. And I don't even know if there's a close second. I mean, on our shows, on message boards, it's left guard. It's left guard. It's left guard nine out of 10 times and talking about a position. So it's going to be a lot of intrigue with that. And I, I think the key with Seymour is there's two things for me. How quickly does he take learning the scheme to the field without hesitation, like any player that transfers? And two, how does he fit the wide zone run scheme as more of a Mauler left guard? I think if he proves those two things out, I, I like his chances to win the starting job, but he's still got to go get it done.
[20:19]
A
And Rod, you and I talked about this on football Theory and elsewhere on the channel. Like getting your personnel figured out at guard, center guard, your interior line personnel, that could be the biggest thing Sark needs to get figured out to determine what direction he goes in on offense when he's building the identity of this thing.
[20:35]
E
Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, if you look at. Pff. Left guard position in terms of pressure rate allowed, Texas had the highest pressure rate allowed at the left guard position in all of college football. So that's where your issue started. And then I'm with you. You wanted to try to solidify that interior of that offensive line, and moving Brandon Baker inside, I think is a big part of that. Now you got a returning starting center is a big part of that. But who you gonna. Who you're gonna get at? That left guard position is going to be critical. And yeah, what are their strengths? Right? Are they good at pass blocking? You got somebody that can be an asset in the run game. It's also going to be a big part of determining your identity as an offense because everybody knows that's a clear weakness on the. The O line. And late in the season you figured out some things that worked. But early on in the season, everybody attacked that weakness and they did it early and often. And it really did. Just, just, in my opinion, it kind of debilitated. It was a debilitating situation for Texas all throughout the early part of the
[21:33]
A
season for Archman, to Jerry's point. I mean, not just the athleticism for the wide zone scheme. Texas pulls their guards a lot in the run game and pass protection. So definitely something we'll be watching to see if Lawrence Seymour can nail down that left guard spot, which is going to be a competition. We'll find out, gentlemen, in a matter of days when Texas gets back on the practice field and starts camp. All right, that's going to do it. For this edition of the sideline debate, C.J. hank, Jerry, Rod, Jordan, thank you guys for the time, the knowledge, intel and expertise. As always, big thank you to Matthew behind the scenes for producing it, doing the great job that he does for us here at On Texas Football. Thank you to Prize Picks for sponsoring this edition of On Texas Football. We've mentioned several articles over at on texas football.com if you're not a member over on the site, make sure you get over there, check out everything we've got going on, make sure that you like this video. Make sure you're subscribed to the on Texas Football YouTube channel and and make sure you got your notifications set. That way, anytime we go live or drop a new video, you're not missing any of our Longhorn coverage or breaking news for C.J. for Hank, for Jerry, for Rod, for Jordan, for Matthew, for the entire On Texas Football staff, I'm Jeff Howe. Thank you so much for watching and listening. And until next time, welcome.

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: On Texas Football – Who’s Ready to Explode This Season?

Date: August 2, 2026
Host: Jeff Howe (with CJ Vogel, Hank South, Jerry Hamilton, Rod Babers, Jordan Scruggs)
Main Topic:
As the Longhorns prepare for the start of fall camp, the panel debates which Texas players are primed for breakout or "explosive" seasons. They explore key newcomers, returning talents, position battles, and the overall outlook for Steve Sarkisian’s squad in 2026.

Episode Overview

This episode of On Texas Football focuses on the most intriguing Longhorn players heading into fall camp, with the panel each making their pick for the “most likely to explode” this season. The conversation spans all three phases of the roster, examining both proven contributors and high-ceiling newcomers who could take Texas to the next level.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Players Poised for Breakout Seasons

Murad Watson (Defensive Line transfer from Syracuse)
- Pick by CJ Vogel
  - Watson, a former freshman All-American, battled injuries last year but is expected to be a starter in a “contract year.”
  - Emphasis on returning to peak form, especially as a disruptive pass rusher on the interior.
  - “If we see that quick first step once more, that gives me a lot of comfort for what this defensive line will bring.” (CJ, 01:06)
  - Panel discusses the critical need for versatility across the DL.
Justice Terry (Defensive Tackle)
- Pick by Jerry Hamilton
  - Entering his healthiest offseason to date and now at SEC-ready size.
  - Seen as a potential “disruptor” in Will Muschamp’s defensive scheme, which requires interior chaos-makers.
  - “When he flashed, he flashed really well, but he still wasn’t healthy... This is the first time we’re going to get to see Justice Terry healthy.” (Jerry, 02:09)
  - Noted as possibly the fan favorite pick.
Jonah Williams (Safety)
- Pick by Jordan Scruggs
  - Former five-star recruit with high expectations; plagued by a string of injuries.
  - With open competition at safety, a healthy Williams could dramatically enhance the secondary and the long-term program outlook.
  - “If Jonah Williams can develop into a starter, that makes the rest of the team...better. Improves their chances at a national championship.” (Jordan, 05:14)
  - Panel also discusses his baseball eligibility and the urgency (“now or never” window).
Arch Manning (Quarterback)
- Pick by Hank South
  - The focus shifts to offense with Arch Manning coming back from foot surgery; the team’s ceiling is tied directly to his performance.
  - Excitement about seeing him fully healthy, especially with new talented receivers.
  - “This team is going to go as far as Arch Manning can take them.” (Hank, 09:38)
  - Jerry notes the importance of backup QB KJ Lacey, whom Sark praised highly for his offseason development.
Cam Coleman (Wide Receiver, transfer from Auburn)
- Pick by Rod Babers
  - Elite deep-threat ability; wasn’t maximized in Auburn’s offense.
  - Expectation is that Coleman will thrive under Sarkisian with more slot usage, better YAC opportunities, and screen game integration.
  - “Cam Coleman was basically one of the best players in the country, essentially upside-wise, on one of the worst offenses. Now you’re going to put him with Arch Manning...and Sark’s going to weaponize him.” (Rod, 11:51)
  - Texas has a track record for “finishing” wideouts before the NFL.

2. Other Names to Watch

Jermaine Bishop (Wide Receiver)
- Panel enthusiastically discusses his twitchy athleticism, quick acceleration, and slot receiver potential despite his small stature.
- “He is exactly what you want a slot receiver to look like. His 0 to 60 speed or his top-end speed is… world class.” (Jordan, 15:42)
Emmett Mosley (Wide Receiver transfer from Stanford)
- Missed most of last season with injury but is considered a “sure-handed” route runner who could shine if healthy.
- “He broke the Stanford freshman receiving record before he came to Texas… he could really turn some heads in his second year at Texas.” (Hank, 16:57)

3. Intriguing Position Battles

Left Guard (Offensive Line)
- Pick by Jeff Howe: Lawrence Seymour — The biggest position question entering camp, with Seymour expected to compete but not handed the role.
- The panel details the need for cohesion at guard, center, guard to set the offensive identity, especially to protect Arch Manning and bolster the run game.
- “Texas had the highest pressure rate allowed at the left guard position in all of college football. So that’s where your issue started.” (Rod, 20:35)
- Scheme fit, learning curve, and run-blocking ability will decide the outcome.

4. Defensive Philosophies and the Importance of Disruption

Rod Babers (former Texas corner) emphasizes how a disruptive defensive tackle simplifies life for the entire defense.
- “Being able to collapse the pocket right from the interior...is really significant...When there’s nowhere to step up, [quarterbacks] panic and chaos ensues.” (Rod, 03:54)

5. The QB Room Depth

Praise for freshman KJ Lacey’s progression. Sarkisian is “absolutely comfortable” with Lacey as the clear QB2.
- “There’s no competition for the [backup] quarterback. He is the number two quarterback and there’s some confidence in Sark that if they had to go to him, the fans would like what they see.” (Jerry, 11:18)

Notable Quotes & Moments

“If we see that quick first step [from Watson] once more, that gives me a lot of comfort for what this defensive line will bring.” – CJ Vogel, 01:06
“This is the first time we’re going to get to see Justice Terry healthy.” – Jerry Hamilton, 02:09
“If Jonah Williams can develop into a starter, that makes the rest of the team...better. Improves their chances at a national championship.” – Jordan Scruggs, 05:14
“It is kind of now or never [for Jonah Williams]. A seven figure offer in baseball could be easy to take if he doesn’t start to ascend on the football field.” – Jerry Hamilton, 06:25
“This team is going to go as far as Arch Manning will take them.” – Hank South, 09:38
“Cam Coleman was basically one of the best players in the country, essentially upside wise, on one of the worst offenses. Now you’re going to put him with Arch Manning...and Sark’s going to weaponize him.” – Rod Babers, 11:51
“He is exactly what you want a slot receiver to look like. His 0 to 60 speed or his top-end speed is… world class.” – Jordan Scruggs (on Jermaine Bishop), 15:42
“Texas had the highest pressure rate allowed at the left guard position in all of college football. So that’s where your issue started.” – Rod Babers, 20:35

Key Timestamps by Segment

Intro & main question posed: 00:00–01:00
CJ picks Murad Watson: 00:27–01:26
Jerry picks Justice Terry: 01:49–03:24
Rod on disruptive DTs: 03:24–04:32
Jordan picks Jonah Williams: 04:43–05:56
Panel on Jonah’s baseball future: 05:56–07:36
CJ on secondary competition: 07:52–08:40
Hank picks Arch Manning: 09:02–10:22
Jerry on KJ Lacey backup role: 10:57–11:37
Rod picks Cam Coleman, deep dive on WR impact: 11:39–14:26
Jordan on Jermaine Bishop: 14:50–16:15
Hank on Emmett Mosley: 16:30–17:39
Jeff (host) on Lawrence Seymour and OL battle: 17:39–20:18
Rod on OL interior importance: 20:18–21:32

Panel Tone and Takeaways

Enthusiastic, insightful, and candid — the group mixes expert analysis, inside recruiting info, and former player perspective.
Optimism is high thanks to emerging talents, while acknowledging the need for certain players (Jonah Williams, Arch Manning, the new left guard) to step up for title aspirations.
Memorable theme: Breakout potential abounds, but Texas’s championship hopes run through a small handful of position battles and key individuals.

This summary covers all major topics, standout quotes, and highlights the structure of the discussion, allowing listeners or readers to quickly grasp who to watch as Longhorns camp opens and why these key players are central to Texas’s 2026 goals.

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Transcript32 lines

[00:00]
A
Who's the player we're most excited to see when Texas opens up camp next week? We'll discuss that here on this latest edition of On Texas Football, brought to you by Price Picks. I am Jeff Howe. It's time for the On Texas Football sideline debate. Our panel this week, CJ Vogel, Hank South, Jerry Hamilton, Rod Babers and Jordan Scruggs. Guys, simple question. Let's see what answers we've got. Who's the player you're most excited to see when the Longhorns get on the practice field starting next Wednesday? CJ who's your pick?
[00:27]
B
Yeah, I'm going a little off the grid here, at least in terms of what you would think to be the most common answers. I'm going with Murad Watson on the defensive line and you know, that's someone coming in from Syracuse, was a freshman all American, put up about 480 snaps at Syracuse, only played about 320 a year ago. I don't believe he was fully healthy. In fact, there were nagging injuries throughout that he played through. But now going into a contract here, and I know that we've talked about that for a number of guys, Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman, you know, all the way throughout this roster, there are guys who are eligible to enter the NFL draft. Well, defensive lines, a premium position. Can he go back to what we saw at Syracuse at times with his pass rushing ability?
[01:06]
C
Right.
[01:06]
B
That's of course not a place that you look at with defensive linemen, especially on the interior. But he was a guy that I thought lost a little bit of a step. So to see if he can come back and we know he is going to be on this on the field a lot this year if we see that quick first step once more, that gives me a a lot of comfort for what this defensive line will bring.
[01:27]
D
Love that.
[01:28]
A
Versatility, probably going to be the key word we throw around regarding defensive line. I love the fact that at least when we saw him in the spring, they were working him multiple shades and there's several guys like that on this defensive line. Jerry, including your pick who I would imagine if you polled Texas fans, I don't know, 6 out of 10, 7 out of 10 might take your pick for this one.
[01:50]
D
I'm going, I'm going Planet Fitness for sure. Justice Terry. Justice Terry hadn't been fully healthy since midway through his junior year of high school. That that's when he first started having some of those shoulder issues. He missed time as a senior. It was, it was the Citrus bowl was kind of crazy But CJ And I were sitting there at practice every day and we're like, oh, Justice Terry's gonna play. He didn't play on game day, and then he had surgery. And so you think about Will Muschamp's defense, you think about the fit in that defense, and you think about what we talked about earlier on Murad Watson, we've talked about on many shows, who's going to be the disruptor for Will Must champ on the interior, because there's a spot for a disruptor, too, right now. And we know it's not going to be an Ian Jaffar. Right. That's not going to be his role. So who's going to be that disruptor? Who's going to be that guy that comes up and has a really big year that we may not be expecting in that regard? It's Justice Terry for me, because when he flashed, he flashed really well, but he still wasn't healthy. And now, knock on wood, this is the first time we're going to get to see Justice Terry healthy. And remember, he came into Texas at 258 pounds. He was listed at 275 to 80 in high school. He wasn't even close. He's now 289, 290, 291, depending on when they weigh the guy. Right. He's physically. He was always been a strong guy, obviously, but now he's physically got the weight in the lead behind him to hold up against the run in the SEC and also be a disruptive player. I think that gives him a chance in this Will Muschamp scheme to kind of come out of nowhere and be a very key member of this Texas defense in this Texas team.
[03:25]
A
One more thing regarding the defensive front. Rod, you've talked about it during your career on the 40 acres. You've mentioned a lot, multiple times that it was a lot easier to cover guys when you had Sean Rodgers and Casey Hampton blowing things up on the interior, making life hell for quarterbacks. Can you quantify what it means to a defense to have a legitimate disruptive force in the middle of the defense?
[03:50]
E
Man, it I. I thought playing corner was pretty easy my first year as a starter because I did have a Casey Hampton and Sean Rogers. But being able to collapse the pocket right from the interior also is something really significant that way. A lot of quarterbacks, they feel comfortable stepping up into the pocket, but when there's nowhere to step up, you kind of panic and chaos ensues. And I that's what's really unique about that Disruptive force in the interior. Having a guy like a Casey at the shutter rods. Last year you only had like 50 something pressures with your D tackle position combined in 2022 and 2023, you were up at triple digits from pressures combined from your whole entire D tackle room. So I think that's what they're trying to get back to. A deep group, but also a deep disruptive group.
[04:32]
A
Yep. I mentioned probably six out of ten Longhorn fans would take Jerry's pick. The other four would probably take Jordan's pick. Jordan, who do you have for the guy you're most excited to see when practice starts next week?
[04:43]
C
I went with Jonah Williams, rising second year safety out of Galveston. Hard to not select him. He was a five star top safety in the country for a long time. Throughout that entire cycle was also viewed a bit of a linebacker safety projection. But he wants to stay at safety. And when you're as freakish athletically as Jonah Williams is, you get to pick where you want to play. So the problem has been injuries. Four consecutive semesters he's had an injury credit to CJ for that stat. He's entering his fourth semester at Texas. High expectations. Not necessarily, you know, has to be a starter, but if Jonah Williams can develop into a starter, that makes the rest of the team, the rest of the program better. Improves their chances at a national championship. So if you can get, you know, full 100% healthy season from Jonah Williams, I think that's the main thing you have to ask for. But if he can really contribute, whether on special teams or at safety, whether with the two deep or as a starter, you're playing with house money. And I think that changes the projection so much of that safety room going forward, whether you look into 2027, 2028 and beyond. So Jonah Williams having a huge year would really benefit the rest of the program. That safety room. And so hard to not select them.
[05:56]
A
I like it, Jerry. I don't want to put like a now or never label on, on a true sophomore, but when you look at Jonah Williams trajectory, I think we need to remember he is draft eligible in baseball next summer. So again, I don't want to say now or never or the clock is ticking, but you're getting to the point where he, he needs to be on the field for this staff to really figure out what they've got.
[06:21]
D
I think it's is kind of now or never because if he has a healthy baseball season, he's got tools. I mean he's going to be if he shows any Power at all, hits the ball over the fence in baseball. He's, he's going to be a top two round pick because the tools he has. So it is kind of now or never from a football standpoint to see if he continues playing football or if his decision is forced in the MLB draft after the baseball season if he has a healthy year on the 40 acres. So I do think, kind of think it's now or never for him in football because look, if he doesn't start to what Jordan's talking about, if he doesn't start to ascend on the football field, it makes a nice seven figure offer potentially in baseball very easy to make. He came to, he came to Texas and he bypassed the MLB draft as a senior in high school against the thoughts of some people in his family because he loved football and he's never got to really see what he could become in football. That's why this season is critical for him because he may be faced with that decision after the baseball season. So if his mind, if in his mind he has a good season and he can see a future in football that could keep him on the 40 acres a couple extra years as a two sport athlete.
[07:36]
A
Yeah CJ we talked about it a lot this off season but you know maybe I think the kind of the saving grace for Jonah, the thing he's got working for him the most is you've got a wide open spot next to Jelani McDonald in that secondary. I mean that a safety position is far from settled going into camp and
[07:52]
B
I think that's what adds to kind of the excitement right the unknown of Jonah Williams for, for Jordan's pick here. Having two guys that are six, two and a half, six three that can run and range physical that play the football as well as Jelani and Jonah do. That's kind of what you know that's a, a dream tandem in, in most secondary. So that, that's why it's so exciting. At least the thought of what he could do. And again with Derrick Williams walking in as the guy next to to Jelani in this secondary he's going to have to fend off a number of guys especially with Kobe Black moving back there to Ray Davis was a freshman that folks liked coming out of the spring. So a lot of bodies fighting for not many snaps with only two safety seeing the field. It's going to be really interesting if he can carve out even just a little bit of a role this, this fall camp.
[08:41]
A
Yeah Xavier filsome easily. I thought about taking in this spot, too. C.J. to your point, because of the safety position open and the fact that we talked about his versatility, maybe play nickel, maybe the body type must Champ prefers as a nickel. Yeah. A lot to be determined in the secondary going into camp. Hank, who's your pick for this spot? The guy you're most excited to see when camp starts next week?
[09:03]
F
Yeah, mine's kind of a. I don't know. It's not a outlier, really. I'm going with Arch Manning mainly because we haven't seen Arch Manning since the Citrus bowl and, you know, we see Arch Manning all the time. It's just not. We haven't seen Arch Manning in live action. Obviously, he had the, the foot surgery in the off season was limited. You know, he was still participating throughout spring, but not, you know, full speed. And they would do, they would do throwing with Arch when media was not watching. And then obviously during the spring game, spring showcase, whatever you want to call it, it was KJ Lacy and MJ Morris L leading the way there. So I'm really excited to see him. You know, we, we've heard a lot and seen a lot throughout the spring and summer where, you know, he's been really building this bond, this relationship with these riders, this new wide receiver group. They went out to New Orleans, worked out together. I think they were in Arizona recently. They've been going all over, training together, building that chemistry. So I'm excited to see what that looks like on the field. Obviously, you know, I, I think you, you can make an argument that Texas has the, the top starting three wide receivers in the country, depending on which, what, you know, you know, which schools you're looking at. But I'm excited to see him back out on the field, fully healthy, slinging it around, seeing how these wide receivers look in live action. Obviously, I'm excited to see the wide receivers, too, but it all start. This team is, is going to go as far as Arch Manning will take them. And so I'm excited to see him the most.
[10:22]
A
Now, I'm not gonna say that he's the guy I'm most excited to see, but I do think it's worth mentioning. Hank, like you said, it was almost out of sight, out of mind that QB1 was on the shelf for the most part in spring practice. Jerry, I go back to you only because you asked Sark about it at SEC media days. Just file away the work KJ Lacey's gotten in the spring and the work he's gotten in the summer and whatever he'll get in camp, the, the odds of you needing a backup quarterback to come in in a big moment during the 16, 17 game season are pretty high. So let's not lose track of the progress K.J. lacey's making.
[10:57]
D
No, I mean, look, I, I, when I asked that question, I didn't expect that long of an answer from Sark. Honestly. I thought he was just, hey, he's progressing like we thought and he had a really good spring. I mean that was pretty detailed. Bryce Young came up and he actually said, we're seeing the best of K.J. lacy this summer. I, he gave him a lot of praise and I thought that was very interesting. And that was interesting because they absolutely, that tells you they absolutely feel comfortable with K.J. lacy as the two. Yeah, there's no competition for the two quarterback. He is the number two quarterback and that there's some confidence in Sark that if they had to go to him, he said the fans would like what they see.
[11:37]
A
Rod, who's your pick?
[11:40]
E
I'm kind of piggybacking on what Hank picked there. With Arch Manning. I went with Cam Coleman. I know it's an obvious choice, but seeing Cam Coleman in this Sark offense. Right. Cam Coleman was basically one of the best players in, in the country, essentially upside wise on one of the worst offenses. So now you're going to put him with Arch Manning, number one, who's. Arch Manning has a really great deep ball. He may be the best deep contested target in all of college football. He had 81% catch rate on deep contested targets. By the way, that is the highest for any player in the Pro Football Focus era who has double digitized by Google the deep contested target. So no player was better. In the history of college football focus.
[12:26]
D
Sorry.
[12:26]
E
In the history of pro football Focus, which goes back to about 20, 2014. Also Arch Manning had 13 deep passing touchdowns. I think with Cam Coleman's verticality in this game, that's also going to help him as well. That combination Sark's going to put him in the slot more. He was only in the slot about 6% of the time in his career at Auburn. That's also a cheat code for wide receivers. Matthew Golden, Xavier Worthy, what are you talking. Ryan Wingo, those guys are in the slot usually around 25% of the time or more. You also look at the amount of Yak yards that Sark can produce and generate in an offense. His run to daylight philosophy. You look at Cam Coleman is under three yards after the catch per reception in his career. I mean, Matthew golden was over 5. Ryan Wingo is over, I believe over 8, 8.6 yards after the catch per reception. Xavier Worthy was over seven. So you're going to get more Yak opportunities for him as well. He only had one target behind the line of scrimmage last season. Captain Coleman Sark's emphasis on the screen game and easy completions are also going to be something that I think Cam Coleman's going to enjoy in this offense. So, so many ways that he's going to weaponize Cam Coleman that they just didn't do at Auburn, right? They just didn't get a chance to utilize him in the right way. I believe it was, you know, Texas who threw out there, Chris, Chris Jackson who threw out there that he's not, you're not going to have any flaws in Cam Coleman's game by the time he's done with 2026. Based on evaluations, he's saying that all these different areas of his game that we've talked about, that we've critiqued and said that, you know, he hasn't really showcased his jack ability. He hasn't showcased that he can use the entire route tree. At Texas they're going to showcase that he can be the all around receiver and they're going to try to close that gap between he and Jeremiah Smith. He's considered the second best wide receiver coming out next year. A lot of people know that Jeremiah Smith's going to be number one, but there are some people that believe that that the gap between number one, number two, significantly, if Cam Coleman can really be utilized correctly.
[14:26]
A
Texas does have that track record recently of taking portal wide receivers and kind of giving them those that finishing touch, that last bit of polish before they go on to the league. Cam Coleman should be next in line for that. Hey Jordan, I only bring this up because you saw Jermaine Bishop a lot in high school. Any concerns or excitement wanting to see what he looks like moving back to the receiver after working at DB all summer.
[14:50]
C
The main thing I'm looking forward to seeing is just on the hoof, how does he look because I believe he's listed at 160 or 165 pounds. He never played a game of high school football over 154 pounds. He's always been a small guy. So curious if That's a real 160 or real 165. We'll see. I've covered him since he was a 14 year old freshman. So he's kind of resembled the same look physically for a long time now. So Excited to see what SEC strength and conditioning program can do for him. As far as the player goes, I mean, I've always loved watching Jermaine Bishop. I think the, you know, he's obviously a statute stuffer, but the thing that is so unique and interesting about him, even back in Texas spring ball this spring, we're watching Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, Emma Mosley, all these guys who are going to play in the NFL, very high chance of doing it and none of them move like Jermaine Bishop. And I'm not saying they're more athletic than him or whatnot, but like he is exactly what you want a slot receiver to look like. He's twitcher than anyone on the roster, is 0 to 60 speed or his top end speed is probably not even close to the fastest on the roster, but 0 to 60, the acceleration is world class. So there's so many things he does that stand out with and he makes it look easy. So really just excited to see him out there and especially on the hoof, excited to see some weight gain.
[16:16]
A
Hank, real quick, you, you talk about it before we started recording. There's a case to be made if you're going to take a wide receiver to pay attention to. There's a case to be made that Emmett Mosley is that guy. Just because again, coming off the injury, we just didn't see much of him this spring.
[16:30]
F
Yeah, absolutely. And you know, it was kind of an interesting situation last year. He came in late in the spring transfer portal window from Stanford. He was hurt for most of, I think he got hurt in camp last year and, and missed, you know, the first quarter of the season. So you know, we kept kind of asking like, you know, when, when is Emmett Mosley come back? When are we going to see him? We saw that first glimpse of him in the Florida game, had the big catch and then obviously had the game winning catch against Mississippi State. But all the returns, I know Jerry wrote about it today on, on Texas football have been really positive about Emmett Mosley. And you know, talking to people at Texas, they're always saying, hey, keep an eye on Emmy Mosley. Like this, this guy is, is for real. And you know, he's, he's a sure handed, he run, you know, he, he, he runs with great routes. You know, he obviously has, you know, the track record. He broke the Stanford freshman receiving record before he came to Texas. Then once he got healthy at Texas, he, he really kind of shined down the stretch, you know, when called upon. Didn't have a, you know, huge stat line, but did what he needed to do last season for the Longhorns. So I'm excited to see him fully healthy. Hopefully he can stay healthy throughout fall camp and contribute from week one because I think he could. He could really turn some heads in his second year at Texas.
[17:39]
A
Yep. If he stays healthy, I don't need to have producer Matt pull the tape. Last year. CJ's hat throws with the frustration with Emmett Mosley's health situation. So hopefully we don't have to do that again. My pick is Lawrence Seymour. There were several offensive linemen he could have gone with. You know, Jerry, it's interesting. You, you and Rod talked about this on the Friday live stream and you recently wrote about some offensive line stuff over it on texas football.com it was depth on the offensive line. There's still positions in a pecking order to sort out, you know, Jackson Christian because he's got the center flexibility. If left guard doesn't go the way they hope it does, does Jordan Coleman slide inside? But to me, that all depends on Lawrence Seymour. I just want to eyeball him just for proof of life, proof that he exists, that he actually is a real player that we've been talking about all summer. But Jerry, there's depending on where left guard goes, there are three or four guys in that old line room that suddenly become next most important, important guy.
[18:36]
D
Yeah. And you look for the square. When he walks off the bus, you look for the square. That's him. I mean, you're talking like 6 foot and a half, 3 10, 315. I mean, he's that. You'll know him. He'll turn sideways to go in the gate. But I think it's a huge, huge competition at left guard. And I wrote that, I was like, I think people are just assuming they're gonna hand Lawrence Seymour to starting left guard job. It's not going that way. He's got to earn it. I mean, look, there's a difference between a guy who comes in, that's Cam Coleman, okay. And other guys. Cam Coleman was going to be your. Absolutely. Your starting outside receiver. Lawrence Seymour is not that first round guy. He's a really good player, but he missed spring practice and he's got to go compete with other guys who are quality players themselves. And we don't know what's going to happen with a Jordan Coleman. So you don't know if Texas is going to rep him a little bit on the in inside at left guard. We don't know any of that yet. But I, I love that you, you brought him up, Jeff, because he. This is the biggest position battle that Texas fans care about. And I don't even know if there's a close second. I mean, on our shows, on message boards, it's left guard. It's left guard. It's left guard nine out of 10 times and talking about a position. So it's going to be a lot of intrigue with that. And I, I think the key with Seymour is there's two things for me. How quickly does he take learning the scheme to the field without hesitation, like any player that transfers? And two, how does he fit the wide zone run scheme as more of a Mauler left guard? I think if he proves those two things out, I, I like his chances to win the starting job, but he's still got to go get it done.
[20:19]
A
And Rod, you and I talked about this on football Theory and elsewhere on the channel. Like getting your personnel figured out at guard, center guard, your interior line personnel, that could be the biggest thing Sark needs to get figured out to determine what direction he goes in on offense when he's building the identity of this thing.
[20:35]
E
Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, if you look at. Pff. Left guard position in terms of pressure rate allowed, Texas had the highest pressure rate allowed at the left guard position in all of college football. So that's where your issue started. And then I'm with you. You wanted to try to solidify that interior of that offensive line, and moving Brandon Baker inside, I think is a big part of that. Now you got a returning starting center is a big part of that. But who you gonna. Who you're gonna get at? That left guard position is going to be critical. And yeah, what are their strengths? Right? Are they good at pass blocking? You got somebody that can be an asset in the run game. It's also going to be a big part of determining your identity as an offense because everybody knows that's a clear weakness on the. The O line. And late in the season you figured out some things that worked. But early on in the season, everybody attacked that weakness and they did it early and often. And it really did. Just, just, in my opinion, it kind of debilitated. It was a debilitating situation for Texas all throughout the early part of the
[21:33]
A
season for Archman, to Jerry's point. I mean, not just the athleticism for the wide zone scheme. Texas pulls their guards a lot in the run game and pass protection. So definitely something we'll be watching to see if Lawrence Seymour can nail down that left guard spot, which is going to be a competition. We'll find out, gentlemen, in a matter of days when Texas gets back on the practice field and starts camp. All right, that's going to do it. For this edition of the sideline debate, C.J. hank, Jerry, Rod, Jordan, thank you guys for the time, the knowledge, intel and expertise. As always, big thank you to Matthew behind the scenes for producing it, doing the great job that he does for us here at On Texas Football. Thank you to Prize Picks for sponsoring this edition of On Texas Football. We've mentioned several articles over at on texas football.com if you're not a member over on the site, make sure you get over there, check out everything we've got going on, make sure that you like this video. Make sure you're subscribed to the on Texas Football YouTube channel and and make sure you got your notifications set. That way, anytime we go live or drop a new video, you're not missing any of our Longhorn coverage or breaking news for C.J. for Hank, for Jerry, for Rod, for Jordan, for Matthew, for the entire On Texas Football staff, I'm Jeff Howe. Thank you so much for watching and listening. And until next time, welcome.