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[00:00]
Bobby Burton
Mum, why do they call it Scottish cheese?
[00:03]
Advertisement/Announcer
It's cottage cheese, honey, and I'm not sure.
[00:06]
Bobby Burton
Do dogs in other countries speak different languages?
[00:09]
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Yeah, I think so.
[00:11]
Bobby Burton
When will we get there?
[00:12]
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Well, we've got to fix the car first. But there's someone coming to help us.
[00:15]
Bobby Burton
Is it the man from Geneva?
[00:17]
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[01:26]
Jeff Howe
Welcome back to On Texas Football. I'm Jeff Howe, joined by Bobby Burton. This edition of On Texas Football is brought to you by Prize picks, Bobby, as we push toward toward the start of camp. You wrote about this a little bit over on Texas Football.com on Monday and I just wanted to really dig into it. There's some off the radar position battles that everybody's caught up in, you know, left guard and safety and. But there's a few that could really determine the long term growth, long term arc, the long term success of this team. Maybe people aren't talking about. And Bobby, really what got me down this road is the idea of talented depth. This is something Rod Babers and I've talked about for years. You can have depth, but do you have depth where there's as minimal a drop off as possible from the starters to the backups? The best example, Bobby, you go back and look at that 2005 national championship team, multiple positions where they had talent, depth and there's a lot of those positions on this roster, Bobby, I think that's maybe something we don't talk enough about this Texas team. You can look at the starting 11 on offense and defense. But this is one of the deepest Texas teams we've seen in a while.
[02:33]
Bobby Burton
It is one of the deepest, if not the deepest team we've seen in 20 years or so, Jeff, in my opinion, and that goes across the board at multiple positions. That being said, as Marcus Meyer said this morning on coffee and football, I think there's a 1A and 1B is what you want, ultimately want from your starting lineup. You definitely want somebody that's stands out and is the starter, but if somebody comes in behind them, you want them to be able to essentially fill that role admirably. We talked about the fact that when Kelvin Banks went out against Texas A and M a couple years ago, Trevor Goosby stepped in and now he's you. You. Fast forward two years, he was clearly ready. He's going to be one of the top handful of offensive tackles picked in the NFL draft next year. Then Cameron Williams goes out and all he does is go over to right tackle. That's what Texas is going to need and have that sort of depth of talent. I do think they have it at a number of positions at the same time. Those positions are now creating what I would call a little bit of rotational. I don't know if turmoil is the right idea, but they have to. We have to figure out who's going to play in the next month or so as they go through practice because there are a lot of talented guys, but who is going to actually peek their head through the clouds and be the guy that is the next.
[04:04]
Jeff Howe
So two position groups and really the second one is kind of combining a couple true holes that we'll get to that in a minute. But the first one, Bob, we want to talk about is wide receiver. Look, you know, Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo are factored into this thing. Emmett Mosley probably going to be your wide receiver. 3 There's some competition between he and Jermaine Bishop, but Bobby, we don't need to lose sight of the guy. The fact that, you know, K. Lockett had a lot of momentum coming out of the bowl game was really unfortunate that he got hurt. But Sterling Burkhalter got those snaps in the spring and made a lot of progress from what we heard behind the scenes. Oh, and by the way, we talk about, you know, that slot position, D. McCutchen just kind of sitting there saying, hey, don't forget about me. We know Sark loves keeping the wide receiver rotation type. We talk all the time about the circle of trust, but is this the most talented receiver group he's ever Had I, I don't know if it's the most talented. It's probably the deepest though. When you start looking at there's six, seven, eight guys that can legitimately give you starting caliber reps in this group.
[05:06]
Bobby Burton
I don't know if it's as talented to your point as Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and even Ryan Wingo. Right. As a, as a true freshman back in 24. I think that in 2026, the depth though, to your point, is much, much, much deeper. They could legitimately go six to seven deep. I do think that Emmett Mosley is going to be a starter on this team. I think that the first three are definites. Mosley, Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo. The question I have is how are these guys going to figure it out? Behind them you have a young man and you mentioned your main Bishop out of the gate. He's a true freshman, but he has something that almost is just very rare. He's a touchdown scorer and he's gonna find his way into this group. How? I don't, we don't even know yet. But then you have a guy like Dalen McCutcheon who you mentioned. Day, day McCutcheon. His, his legitimate issue is like he, he came in as the least heralded of a four person wide receiver group and he ended up being the best out of the gate. That hasn't necessarily changed for Steve Sarkeesian, even with Kali Clockett coming on near the end of last year. And then you add in a veteran presence like Sterling Burke Halter, which you just mentioned. And I think that you've got a group right now that they're going to be fighting for rotation pieces. Outside of that, I don't know who's stepping up next and I don't know that they know yet as a team, but that's what they practice for, right? And that's what they put it out there. And then you have two other freshman receivers that we know Texas behind the scenes likes a lot and Cohen Brown and Chris Stewart. Cohen Brown may be the fastest receiver on the actual team itself. I just ran, I think he clocked at a 23.1 at 0.1 point miles per hour this summer. And Chris Stewart, you know, while Jermaine Bishop gets a lot of the press for being a really smooth receiver with a lot of juice, Chris Stewart is not that much different. He's actually a little bit bigger than Jermaine Bishop and so I think it's a loaded receiver room. The question I have is not the first three. It's who's the next three. And if one of those top three get, get injured, say Cam Coleman for whatever reason goes out, how do they reconfigure the lineup for the wide receiver room? When Dalen McCutcheon, you mentioned him as a slot. Well, he play outside too. He's kind of like DeAndre Moore in that way. Like they would, they could line up DeAndre Moore a couple different places. Maybe Dalen McCutcheon is that guy. And you keep Dalen. Mitch, you kept Jermaine Bishop in the slot. I, I don't know. There's a lot of permutations, a lot of ways to look at it, but I think that who, you know, steps up at receiver behind the first three is definitely a major subplot of this training camp.
[08:16]
Jeff Howe
Yeah. This may force Sark to change the circle of trustworthy. Maybe he wants just five guys in there. He may say, look, I gotta find room for 6, 7, 8, however many it is. The, the thing, Bobby, when we talk about talented depth too, in the new age of college football, when you're talking about a season that could be 16, 17 games, I mean, if you're playing for a national championship, you could legitimately be playing like an NFL type schedule this year. You need all hands on deck. You need all the help you can get. And the, the progress that a Sterling Burkhalter makes or Kalique Lockett makes or Dale and McCutcheon makes, like you said with Trevor Goosby situation a couple years ago, that could be the difference between winning or losing a game that could get you in or keep you out of the playoff.
[08:59]
Prize Picks Announcer
Yeah.
[08:59]
Bobby Burton
And here's the question I would have. Do any of these young receivers have the upside that a Trevor Goosby had? And I would say this only of the ones, the only one I would say that with is Jermaine Bishop right now.
[09:14]
Jeff Howe
Yeah.
[09:15]
Bobby Burton
Like Dalon McCutchen doesn't have. And I'm not trying to, you know, I obviously think he's a good player and he wouldn't have played so early, but I don't think he has first round potential like Trevor Goosby did. Right. I think Germaine Bishop is the only one of that group that might be able to step up and be A, A, 1C or 1D, whatever. You want to talk about the others, I think there's a categorical drop now. Maybe not long term, but, you know, Cohen Brown's a true freshman, Chris Stewart's true freshman. There's going to be a little bit of a drop. Sterling Barcalter has never been a number one receiver, even at Wake Forest. Perhaps Klocket is growing enough in that category that he might be able to step into that role alongside Jermaine Bishop. I I just don't know really. We're talking about who, if somebody goes down, who who's going to step up and if they can step up at a level to your point, Jeff, that is meaningful to Text Ever feel there
[10:16]
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[10:56]
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[12:31]
Jeff Howe
Bobby, let's look at defense and we're going to talk about the edge and the defensive line rotation. We'll just kind of, we'll just group it all together. So based on the defensive depth chart, you're looking at the two tackle positions. Nose, we'll throw the jack end in there and the defensive end position. Bobby, the main thing that I'm looking for if, if you can be a disruptor, like a legitimate disruptor, it's, it's funny on, On Monday we're 33 days away from kickoff. Lamar Houston worth 33, but I think a disruptors that we've seen at Texas in the last, I don't know, 20, 25 years. He's one of the first guys that jumps up to the top of my mind. If you're a Justice Terry, a Richard Wesley, one of those type guys, if you can get, if you can be a guy that can be counted on without having to, you know, dial up pressure, if you can just go pin your ears back and get after the quarterback or get up field and create havoc and be a disruptor Bobby, that could jump you up to the top of the rotation where you may not be as seasoned or as well rounded as some other guys, but you may have that one tool that gets you on the field before some other guys.
[13:33]
Bobby Burton
Guys, look, I'm looking at this just the defensive tackles and nose tackles right now. Ian Traf, Hero Canoe, Marad, Watson and Alex January are all going to be in the rotation. Yeah, they, they, they've proven themselves. They were in the rotation last year. With the exception of Jaffrard who's coming in having started at Arkansas for a couple years. Those guys are going to play. Who else is going to push their way into it? Is Justice Terry going to be that disruptor that you're talking about from the interior that, that they really, really need? Because while I like Traffard, I like Watson, I like Canoe and I like January, none of those guys are tackles for lost guys. They're just, that's not their. They're more hold the point of attack now. Canoe and January I think are really good players and, and gonna end up doing well. It's just that to your point, who is the disruptor of that group. Well, that, that could be Justice Terry, but I'm here to tell you there's more to that than, than just this. So I think that Josiah Sharma and Myron Charles, both true sophomores, I guess you don't even call them red shirts anymore. Just in year two, are either of those guys going to be ready to step up and actually get some time in case a draft goes down, in case a Murad Watson had more injury issues this year or Alex January here at I, I look at it and I do agree with you. You circle one guy that wasn't necessarily in the rotation last year that could be a disruptor and you're circling Justice Terry. No, no two ways about it.
[15:16]
Jeff Howe
It's, it's interesting when you look at as, as deep as Texas is on the interior defensively and Marad Watson, he's. I think he's one of the ceiling raisers for this team because he's a big tackle that can play multiple shades. You can do different things with him, especially if he's healthy. But Bobby, I look at those two edge positions and you've got, not only do you have an embarrassment of riches, I think with some really talented guys, you've got some chip on the shoulder guys too, like Xeno Moslo could have easily gone into the portal and Texas fought to get him back. Colton Vosset could have gone somewhere else where he could probably be starting right now. He's not. He, he's at Texas. He's going to try to crack this rotation. Smith, the robo was a guy that I didn't expect to see at all last year coming off the knee injury. And he flashed a little bit when we saw him on the field. And then Bobby, you go back to spring and I think that was one thing. When we were watching the spring showcase, we kept talking about it as a staff saying I don't know how they're going to keep Richard Wesley and Jamari Carlton off the field. Like these guys are really talented competing for reps. It really reminds me, Bobby, that 2022 defensive tackle rotation. I remember Keandre Coburn telling me that spring and to look, the mentality is you need to make the most of your reps because if you have a bad couple reps, somebody may take your spot on the field, you may not get those snaps back. So the internal competition driving the edge room right now, it's one of the most fascinating things about this team because you've got a lot of talent in that room.
[16:36]
Bobby Burton
You do have a lot of talent and the way I looked at it, you know, beyond Colin Simmons, Lance Jackson, I think Zena have all earned their way into the rotation. Who's behind them? Is it Colton Vosik or is it Richie Wesley who had a tremendous spring being a transfer, all right, being an early enrollee ahead a year ahead, basically a reclassification. Is it Smith Arogbo who we've heard has looked terrific in off season workouts and is only now just getting over a knee injury he suffered in high school. Texas does have an embarrassment of riches. The question you have is say one of these guys goes down who steps into that role? Vosick I think out of of the outset because of his age and his experience is the first one off the bench. But then who else steps up and can they provide a punch opposite either Simmons or Jackson, whichever ways is for them. I, I think that this defensive front and we talked about the nose tackles, the defensive tackles and the edges as a collective group, it is as talented as Texas has had since 0809. Probably it is that talented. Even as talented as Byron Murphy, Tavandre Sweat and Alfred Collins. That group, Vernon Broughton now will they all go that high in the draft? I don't know. But the depth is certainly more prolific. Instead of five or six guys or six or seven guys with, with Baron Sorrell added to that and then a young Ethan Burke, I still would go with this group over that from a just a sheer volume they're gonna have the rotational pieces and not lose a lot at end. I, I look for Richie Wesley and Smith Robo. Those are the two that I circle and say what is your upside really? I think that Wesley is a potential future first round pick. That's, that's kind of what I've seen thus far. But he is so young. Smith or Roguebow I think is going to surprise people, period. I think Xena is going to surprise people. I, I like, I like where they're at at defensive end yet is are they going to be good enough to out seat a Colton Vosick or push him down or are they going to be so good that Jamari and Carlton, the other true freshmen can even get on the field?
[19:19]
Jeff Howe
Let's not Brad Spence could factor into that mix at edge situationally. And Bobby, I had already bought Smith the Robo stock in the spring and then I heard him say hey, one of the guys that he studies as a pass rusher studies Javon Curse Bobby. I don't know. College kids in 2026 weren't even alive when Javon Curse was in his prime, so I love the fact that he studies Javon Curse. So I'm a Smith the Robo fan. Still some of that stock left out there if anybody wants to get it, but I've bought a healthy amount of Smith the Robo stock. We'll see how it all plays out when the Longhorns get on the practice field starting on Wednesday and make that March toward the Sept. 5 season opener against Texas State. Bobby, thanks for the time, the knowledge, the intel and the expertise. As always, huge thank you to Matthew behind the scenes for producing it, doing the great job that he does for us at On Texas Football. Big thank you to Prize Picks for sponsoring this edition of On Texas Football. If you're not a member over@ontexasfootball.com now is the time to get over to the site and sign up. $3 for your first three months of access with the start of camp, we're giving this offer out to you. It's a limited time offer, so do not wait, do not hesitate. Make sure you get over to On Texas Football. Check out all the great things we've got going on over there. Again, $3 for your first three months of access. Go check it out. Make sure that you like this video. Make sure that you're subscribed to the on Texas Football YouTube channel and make sure you've got your notification set. That way, anytime we go live or drop a new video, you're not missing any of our Longhorn coverage or breaking news. Bobby from Matthew for the entire On Texas Football staff, I'm Jeff Howe. Thank you so much for watching and listening and until next time, ever feel
[20:45]
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Summary6 min read

On Texas Football: DEEPEST Team in 20 Years — Hidden Battles That Could Decide the Season

Podcast: On Texas Football
Host: Bobby Burton
Guest: Jeff Howe
Date: August 3, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Bobby Burton and Jeff Howe dive deep into what might be the deepest Texas Longhorns football team in two decades. The duo focuses not just on the stars but the quality of depth across key position groups—a critical factor in a modern college football landscape where championship runs require more than just a solid starting 11. They dissect hidden battles that will shape the Longhorns’ rotation on offense and defense, particularly at wide receiver, defensive tackle, and edge rusher. Throughout, both host and guest stress the importance of versatile, high-upside depth that can withstand the rigors of an extended season.

Thematic Summary

Main Theme: The remarkable depth of the 2026 Texas Longhorns football roster and how off-the-radar position battles could ultimately decide the trajectory of the season.
Purpose: To illuminate the significance of talented depth and how internal competition in fall camp will determine not only starters but also key rotational players for critical situational snaps.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Texas' Unprecedented Depth (01:26–04:04)

Contextualizing Depth:
- Jeff Howe and Bobby Burton discuss what sets this roster apart: not just the starters, but the capability to go "six, seven, eight guys deep" at various spots.
- Talent vs. Depth: The duo distinguishes between having depth and having "talented depth," emphasizing that this year’s roster minimizes the drop-off between starter and backup.
Historical Perspective:
- Bobby compares the current team’s depth favorably to the 2005 national championship squad and previous strong defensive lines from 2008 and 2009.
"It is one of the deepest, if not the deepest team we’ve seen in 20 years or so, Jeff, in my opinion, and that goes across the board at multiple positions."
— Bobby Burton (02:33)
Depth as a Competitive Driver:
- Rotational battles are a byproduct of this depth, making fall camp instrumental in surfacing who becomes ‘the next man up’.

2. Wide Receiver: Depth, Upside, and "Circle of Trust" (04:04–10:15)

The Primary Trio:
- Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, and Emmett Mosley are projected starters—high-caliber talents anchoring the WR corps.
The Battle for Rotation Spots:
- Behind the first three, players like Jermaine Bishop (a true freshman and "touchdown scorer"), Dalen McCutcheon, Kaliq Lockett, and Sterling Burkhalter are all in contention.
- The room also features exciting freshmen Cohen Brown (possibly the fastest on the team) and Chris Stewart (bigger than Bishop, similar skillset).
"The question I have is not the first three. It's who's the next three. And if one of those top three get injured... how do they reconfigure the lineup for the wide receiver room?"
— Bobby Burton (05:55)
Depth’s Role Across a Long Season:
- Jeff stresses that with the longer playoff format, wide receiver depth is "mission critical" for lasting through "16, 17 games, like an NFL schedule." (08:16)
Potential Game-Changers:
- Of the young receivers, Bobby points to Jermaine Bishop as the lone candidate who might possess first-round NFL upside, likening his trajectory to past breakout stars.
"Do any of these young receivers have the upside that a Trevor Goosby had? ...The only one I would say that with is Jermaine Bishop right now."
— Bobby Burton (08:58)

3. Defensive Interior and Edge: Battles that Shape the Defense (12:31–19:19)

Defensive Tackle and Nose (12:31–15:16)

Key Names in Rotation:
- Ian Traf, Hero Canoe, Murad Watson, and Alex January are penciled in for significant reps; Jaffrard (Arkansas transfer) joins them.
Disruptor Needed:
- The group is solid but lacks a proven havoc-wreaker; Justice Terry is singled out as a potential interior disruptor, with Josiah Sharma and Myron Charles as high-upside second-years pushing the depth chart.
"None of those guys are tackles for loss guys. They're more hold the point of attack...who is the disruptor of that group...that could be Justice Terry."
— Bobby Burton (13:33)

Edge/Defensive End Battles (15:16–19:19)

Crowded, Competitive Room:
- Jeff and Bobby discuss the "embarrassment of riches" at edge with talent and “chip on the shoulder” guys.
- Key names: Xena Moslo, Colton Vosik, Smith “the robo” Arogbo, Colin Simmons, Lance Jackson, Richie Wesley, Jamari Carlton, and Brad Spence (situationally).
Internal Competition:
- Competition is so fierce that performances in a couple reps could permanently alter a player’s standing.
- Richie Wesley (true freshman with "potential first-round" upside) and Smith Arogbo (coming off injury, likening his pass rush study to Javon Kearse) are marked as breakout candidates.
"This defensive front...is as talented as Texas has had since 08–09. Probably it is that talented...the depth is certainly more prolific."
— Bobby Burton (17:35)

"I think Richie Wesley is a potential future first-round pick... Smith Arogbo I think is going to surprise people, period. I think Xena is going to surprise people."
— Bobby Burton (18:00)
Competition Culture:
- Jeff recounts Keandre Coburn’s advice from 2022 about maximizing reps because the depth chart is so competitive.
"If you have a bad couple reps, somebody may take your spot on the field, you may not get those snaps back."
— Jeff Howe (15:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Impact of Talented Depth:

"You need all hands on deck...that could be the difference between winning or losing a game that could get you in or keep you out of the playoff."
— Jeff Howe (08:16)
On the Mentality Required:

"We talked about the fact that when Kelvin Banks went out...Trevor Goosby stepped in and now he's going to be one of the top handful of offensive tackles picked in the NFL draft next year."
— Bobby Burton (02:58)
Generational Differences in Study Habits:

"I love the fact that [Smith Arogbo] studies Javon Kearse. College kids in 2026 weren’t even alive when Javon Kearse was in his prime."
— Jeff Howe (19:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

01:26 — Episode’s main topic: Texas’ depth and hidden position battles
02:33 — Bobby on 20-year depth comparison
04:04 — Deep dive into wide receiver rotation and upside
05:55 — Speculating how WR depth will respond to injury
08:16 — Discussion of 16–17 game season and need for depth
08:58 — Jermaine Bishop’s breakout potential
12:31 — Shifting to defense: tackles, nose, disruptors
13:33 — Justice Terry as the possible DT difference-maker
15:16 — Edge rusher competition; comparison to 2022 mindset
17:35 — Historic context for current defensive front’s talent
18:00 — Projecting Wesley and Arogbo as future stars
19:19 — Smith Arogbo’s unique approach and Jeff’s endorsement

Conclusion

Burton and Howe’s candid, detailed breakdown demonstrates just how deep and competitive this Texas roster is, especially at positions that don’t always get the spotlight. The outcome of these battles will dictate not just who plays, but how far Texas can go in a grueling, playoff-driven 2026 season. The discussion sets the stage for a fascinating fall camp and underscores why this might truly be the deepest Longhorns team in two decades.

Loading summary

Transcript25 lines

[00:00]
Bobby Burton
Mum, why do they call it Scottish cheese?
[00:03]
Advertisement/Announcer
It's cottage cheese, honey, and I'm not sure.
[00:06]
Bobby Burton
Do dogs in other countries speak different languages?
[00:09]
Advertisement/Announcer
Yeah, I think so.
[00:11]
Bobby Burton
When will we get there?
[00:12]
Advertisement/Announcer
Well, we've got to fix the car first. But there's someone coming to help us.
[00:15]
Bobby Burton
Is it the man from Geneva?
[00:17]
Advertisement/Announcer
Not Geneva. He's from Aviva. Oh, there's the van. Now for car insurance with breakdown rescue, it takes Aviva visit Aviva ie to save 15% acceptance criteria terms and conditions apply. Minimum premium of 310 Euro. 15% applies to new policies bought online. See Aviva Ie for details. Car insurance is underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC. Aviva Direct Ireland Limited is regulated by the Central bank of Ireland. AI is everywhere but ROI isn't. At PwC, we turn AI into advantage so you can see results, not hype turn potential into performance. At PwC, ie, sustainability isn't simply good business. It's good for all kinds of business. And in today's climate, it's not just what you achieve achieve that matters, it's how you achieve it. That's why AIB is driving positive change with practical knowledge supports and our Business Sustainability Loan designed to help businesses achieve more sustainable growth. Search AIB Business Sustainability Loan today. AIB for the life you're after. Allied Irish Banks PLC is regulated by the Central bank of Ireland.
[01:26]
Jeff Howe
Welcome back to On Texas Football. I'm Jeff Howe, joined by Bobby Burton. This edition of On Texas Football is brought to you by Prize picks, Bobby, as we push toward toward the start of camp. You wrote about this a little bit over on Texas Football.com on Monday and I just wanted to really dig into it. There's some off the radar position battles that everybody's caught up in, you know, left guard and safety and. But there's a few that could really determine the long term growth, long term arc, the long term success of this team. Maybe people aren't talking about. And Bobby, really what got me down this road is the idea of talented depth. This is something Rod Babers and I've talked about for years. You can have depth, but do you have depth where there's as minimal a drop off as possible from the starters to the backups? The best example, Bobby, you go back and look at that 2005 national championship team, multiple positions where they had talent, depth and there's a lot of those positions on this roster, Bobby, I think that's maybe something we don't talk enough about this Texas team. You can look at the starting 11 on offense and defense. But this is one of the deepest Texas teams we've seen in a while.
[02:33]
Bobby Burton
It is one of the deepest, if not the deepest team we've seen in 20 years or so, Jeff, in my opinion, and that goes across the board at multiple positions. That being said, as Marcus Meyer said this morning on coffee and football, I think there's a 1A and 1B is what you want, ultimately want from your starting lineup. You definitely want somebody that's stands out and is the starter, but if somebody comes in behind them, you want them to be able to essentially fill that role admirably. We talked about the fact that when Kelvin Banks went out against Texas A and M a couple years ago, Trevor Goosby stepped in and now he's you. You. Fast forward two years, he was clearly ready. He's going to be one of the top handful of offensive tackles picked in the NFL draft next year. Then Cameron Williams goes out and all he does is go over to right tackle. That's what Texas is going to need and have that sort of depth of talent. I do think they have it at a number of positions at the same time. Those positions are now creating what I would call a little bit of rotational. I don't know if turmoil is the right idea, but they have to. We have to figure out who's going to play in the next month or so as they go through practice because there are a lot of talented guys, but who is going to actually peek their head through the clouds and be the guy that is the next.
[04:04]
Jeff Howe
So two position groups and really the second one is kind of combining a couple true holes that we'll get to that in a minute. But the first one, Bob, we want to talk about is wide receiver. Look, you know, Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo are factored into this thing. Emmett Mosley probably going to be your wide receiver. 3 There's some competition between he and Jermaine Bishop, but Bobby, we don't need to lose sight of the guy. The fact that, you know, K. Lockett had a lot of momentum coming out of the bowl game was really unfortunate that he got hurt. But Sterling Burkhalter got those snaps in the spring and made a lot of progress from what we heard behind the scenes. Oh, and by the way, we talk about, you know, that slot position, D. McCutchen just kind of sitting there saying, hey, don't forget about me. We know Sark loves keeping the wide receiver rotation type. We talk all the time about the circle of trust, but is this the most talented receiver group he's ever Had I, I don't know if it's the most talented. It's probably the deepest though. When you start looking at there's six, seven, eight guys that can legitimately give you starting caliber reps in this group.
[05:06]
Bobby Burton
I don't know if it's as talented to your point as Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and even Ryan Wingo. Right. As a, as a true freshman back in 24. I think that in 2026, the depth though, to your point, is much, much, much deeper. They could legitimately go six to seven deep. I do think that Emmett Mosley is going to be a starter on this team. I think that the first three are definites. Mosley, Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo. The question I have is how are these guys going to figure it out? Behind them you have a young man and you mentioned your main Bishop out of the gate. He's a true freshman, but he has something that almost is just very rare. He's a touchdown scorer and he's gonna find his way into this group. How? I don't, we don't even know yet. But then you have a guy like Dalen McCutcheon who you mentioned. Day, day McCutcheon. His, his legitimate issue is like he, he came in as the least heralded of a four person wide receiver group and he ended up being the best out of the gate. That hasn't necessarily changed for Steve Sarkeesian, even with Kali Clockett coming on near the end of last year. And then you add in a veteran presence like Sterling Burke Halter, which you just mentioned. And I think that you've got a group right now that they're going to be fighting for rotation pieces. Outside of that, I don't know who's stepping up next and I don't know that they know yet as a team, but that's what they practice for, right? And that's what they put it out there. And then you have two other freshman receivers that we know Texas behind the scenes likes a lot and Cohen Brown and Chris Stewart. Cohen Brown may be the fastest receiver on the actual team itself. I just ran, I think he clocked at a 23.1 at 0.1 point miles per hour this summer. And Chris Stewart, you know, while Jermaine Bishop gets a lot of the press for being a really smooth receiver with a lot of juice, Chris Stewart is not that much different. He's actually a little bit bigger than Jermaine Bishop and so I think it's a loaded receiver room. The question I have is not the first three. It's who's the next three. And if one of those top three get, get injured, say Cam Coleman for whatever reason goes out, how do they reconfigure the lineup for the wide receiver room? When Dalen McCutcheon, you mentioned him as a slot. Well, he play outside too. He's kind of like DeAndre Moore in that way. Like they would, they could line up DeAndre Moore a couple different places. Maybe Dalen McCutcheon is that guy. And you keep Dalen. Mitch, you kept Jermaine Bishop in the slot. I, I don't know. There's a lot of permutations, a lot of ways to look at it, but I think that who, you know, steps up at receiver behind the first three is definitely a major subplot of this training camp.
[08:16]
Jeff Howe
Yeah. This may force Sark to change the circle of trustworthy. Maybe he wants just five guys in there. He may say, look, I gotta find room for 6, 7, 8, however many it is. The, the thing, Bobby, when we talk about talented depth too, in the new age of college football, when you're talking about a season that could be 16, 17 games, I mean, if you're playing for a national championship, you could legitimately be playing like an NFL type schedule this year. You need all hands on deck. You need all the help you can get. And the, the progress that a Sterling Burkhalter makes or Kalique Lockett makes or Dale and McCutcheon makes, like you said with Trevor Goosby situation a couple years ago, that could be the difference between winning or losing a game that could get you in or keep you out of the playoff.
[08:59]
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[08:59]
Bobby Burton
And here's the question I would have. Do any of these young receivers have the upside that a Trevor Goosby had? And I would say this only of the ones, the only one I would say that with is Jermaine Bishop right now.
[09:14]
Jeff Howe
Yeah.
[09:15]
Bobby Burton
Like Dalon McCutchen doesn't have. And I'm not trying to, you know, I obviously think he's a good player and he wouldn't have played so early, but I don't think he has first round potential like Trevor Goosby did. Right. I think Germaine Bishop is the only one of that group that might be able to step up and be A, A, 1C or 1D, whatever. You want to talk about the others, I think there's a categorical drop now. Maybe not long term, but, you know, Cohen Brown's a true freshman, Chris Stewart's true freshman. There's going to be a little bit of a drop. Sterling Barcalter has never been a number one receiver, even at Wake Forest. Perhaps Klocket is growing enough in that category that he might be able to step into that role alongside Jermaine Bishop. I I just don't know really. We're talking about who, if somebody goes down, who who's going to step up and if they can step up at a level to your point, Jeff, that is meaningful to Text Ever feel there
[10:16]
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[12:31]
Jeff Howe
Bobby, let's look at defense and we're going to talk about the edge and the defensive line rotation. We'll just kind of, we'll just group it all together. So based on the defensive depth chart, you're looking at the two tackle positions. Nose, we'll throw the jack end in there and the defensive end position. Bobby, the main thing that I'm looking for if, if you can be a disruptor, like a legitimate disruptor, it's, it's funny on, On Monday we're 33 days away from kickoff. Lamar Houston worth 33, but I think a disruptors that we've seen at Texas in the last, I don't know, 20, 25 years. He's one of the first guys that jumps up to the top of my mind. If you're a Justice Terry, a Richard Wesley, one of those type guys, if you can get, if you can be a guy that can be counted on without having to, you know, dial up pressure, if you can just go pin your ears back and get after the quarterback or get up field and create havoc and be a disruptor Bobby, that could jump you up to the top of the rotation where you may not be as seasoned or as well rounded as some other guys, but you may have that one tool that gets you on the field before some other guys.
[13:33]
Bobby Burton
Guys, look, I'm looking at this just the defensive tackles and nose tackles right now. Ian Traf, Hero Canoe, Marad, Watson and Alex January are all going to be in the rotation. Yeah, they, they, they've proven themselves. They were in the rotation last year. With the exception of Jaffrard who's coming in having started at Arkansas for a couple years. Those guys are going to play. Who else is going to push their way into it? Is Justice Terry going to be that disruptor that you're talking about from the interior that, that they really, really need? Because while I like Traffard, I like Watson, I like Canoe and I like January, none of those guys are tackles for lost guys. They're just, that's not their. They're more hold the point of attack now. Canoe and January I think are really good players and, and gonna end up doing well. It's just that to your point, who is the disruptor of that group. Well, that, that could be Justice Terry, but I'm here to tell you there's more to that than, than just this. So I think that Josiah Sharma and Myron Charles, both true sophomores, I guess you don't even call them red shirts anymore. Just in year two, are either of those guys going to be ready to step up and actually get some time in case a draft goes down, in case a Murad Watson had more injury issues this year or Alex January here at I, I look at it and I do agree with you. You circle one guy that wasn't necessarily in the rotation last year that could be a disruptor and you're circling Justice Terry. No, no two ways about it.
[15:16]
Jeff Howe
It's, it's interesting when you look at as, as deep as Texas is on the interior defensively and Marad Watson, he's. I think he's one of the ceiling raisers for this team because he's a big tackle that can play multiple shades. You can do different things with him, especially if he's healthy. But Bobby, I look at those two edge positions and you've got, not only do you have an embarrassment of riches, I think with some really talented guys, you've got some chip on the shoulder guys too, like Xeno Moslo could have easily gone into the portal and Texas fought to get him back. Colton Vosset could have gone somewhere else where he could probably be starting right now. He's not. He, he's at Texas. He's going to try to crack this rotation. Smith, the robo was a guy that I didn't expect to see at all last year coming off the knee injury. And he flashed a little bit when we saw him on the field. And then Bobby, you go back to spring and I think that was one thing. When we were watching the spring showcase, we kept talking about it as a staff saying I don't know how they're going to keep Richard Wesley and Jamari Carlton off the field. Like these guys are really talented competing for reps. It really reminds me, Bobby, that 2022 defensive tackle rotation. I remember Keandre Coburn telling me that spring and to look, the mentality is you need to make the most of your reps because if you have a bad couple reps, somebody may take your spot on the field, you may not get those snaps back. So the internal competition driving the edge room right now, it's one of the most fascinating things about this team because you've got a lot of talent in that room.
[16:36]
Bobby Burton
You do have a lot of talent and the way I looked at it, you know, beyond Colin Simmons, Lance Jackson, I think Zena have all earned their way into the rotation. Who's behind them? Is it Colton Vosik or is it Richie Wesley who had a tremendous spring being a transfer, all right, being an early enrollee ahead a year ahead, basically a reclassification. Is it Smith Arogbo who we've heard has looked terrific in off season workouts and is only now just getting over a knee injury he suffered in high school. Texas does have an embarrassment of riches. The question you have is say one of these guys goes down who steps into that role? Vosick I think out of of the outset because of his age and his experience is the first one off the bench. But then who else steps up and can they provide a punch opposite either Simmons or Jackson, whichever ways is for them. I, I think that this defensive front and we talked about the nose tackles, the defensive tackles and the edges as a collective group, it is as talented as Texas has had since 0809. Probably it is that talented. Even as talented as Byron Murphy, Tavandre Sweat and Alfred Collins. That group, Vernon Broughton now will they all go that high in the draft? I don't know. But the depth is certainly more prolific. Instead of five or six guys or six or seven guys with, with Baron Sorrell added to that and then a young Ethan Burke, I still would go with this group over that from a just a sheer volume they're gonna have the rotational pieces and not lose a lot at end. I, I look for Richie Wesley and Smith Robo. Those are the two that I circle and say what is your upside really? I think that Wesley is a potential future first round pick. That's, that's kind of what I've seen thus far. But he is so young. Smith or Roguebow I think is going to surprise people, period. I think Xena is going to surprise people. I, I like, I like where they're at at defensive end yet is are they going to be good enough to out seat a Colton Vosick or push him down or are they going to be so good that Jamari and Carlton, the other true freshmen can even get on the field?
[19:19]
Jeff Howe
Let's not Brad Spence could factor into that mix at edge situationally. And Bobby, I had already bought Smith the Robo stock in the spring and then I heard him say hey, one of the guys that he studies as a pass rusher studies Javon Curse Bobby. I don't know. College kids in 2026 weren't even alive when Javon Curse was in his prime, so I love the fact that he studies Javon Curse. So I'm a Smith the Robo fan. Still some of that stock left out there if anybody wants to get it, but I've bought a healthy amount of Smith the Robo stock. We'll see how it all plays out when the Longhorns get on the practice field starting on Wednesday and make that March toward the Sept. 5 season opener against Texas State. Bobby, thanks for the time, the knowledge, the intel and the expertise. As always, huge thank you to Matthew behind the scenes for producing it, doing the great job that he does for us at On Texas Football. Big thank you to Prize Picks for sponsoring this edition of On Texas Football. If you're not a member over@ontexasfootball.com now is the time to get over to the site and sign up. $3 for your first three months of access with the start of camp, we're giving this offer out to you. It's a limited time offer, so do not wait, do not hesitate. Make sure you get over to On Texas Football. Check out all the great things we've got going on over there. Again, $3 for your first three months of access. Go check it out. Make sure that you like this video. Make sure that you're subscribed to the on Texas Football YouTube channel and make sure you've got your notification set. That way, anytime we go live or drop a new video, you're not missing any of our Longhorn coverage or breaking news. Bobby from Matthew for the entire On Texas Football staff, I'm Jeff Howe. Thank you so much for watching and listening and until next time, ever feel
[20:45]
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