Texas tackle Brandon Baker enters 2026 with Outland Trophy and Polynesian Player of the Year buzz after becoming one of the Longhorns’ most reliable linemen.
Brandon Baker isn’t sneaking up on anybody anymore.
The Texas Longhorns offensive tackle has landed on the preseason watch list for the 2026 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, adding another national honor to what’s becoming a seriously impressive offseason resume.
And frankly, it makes sense.
Baker started all 13 games for Texas in 2025, giving the Longhorns stability at right tackle while the offense piled up explosive performances throughout the season. One of the clearest examples came against San Jose State, when Texas rolled up 472 yards of total offense.
For an offensive lineman, individual stats rarely tell the whole story.
Consistency does.
Baker became the kind of player Texas could count on every week, even when injuries forced adjustments elsewhere up front.
That reliability is a huge reason he enters 2026 as one of the most important pieces on Steve Sarkisian’s roster.
The Polynesian Player of the Year recognition is just the latest honor.
Baker has also been named to the Outland Trophy watch list, which recognizes the nation’s top interior lineman, and he earned Preseason All-SEC Third Team honors earlier this month.
That’s a lot of attention for a junior tackle.
It also shows how much expectations have changed.
Baker came to Texas with a strong recruiting profile, but there’s a major difference between arriving with hype and proving you can handle SEC football. He did that last season.
Now the challenge is taking another step.
Texas has national championship expectations in 2026, and that means the offensive line can’t just be good. It has to hold up against elite defensive fronts in the biggest games on the schedule.
Baker will be a huge part of that equation.
If he continues developing as a pass protector while maintaining the physicality he showed last year, he could end up playing himself into much more than postseason award consideration.
He could become one of the premier offensive tackles in college football.
The Polynesian Player of the Year finalists will be announced Dec. 8, with the winner revealed Dec. 15.
By then, Baker may have more than individual hardware on his mind.
If Texas is still playing for a championship, his work up front will be one of the reasons why.
