Texas Fall Camp Could Blow Up Five Key Position Battles

Texas football enters 2026 fall camp carrying national championship expectations, but Steve Sarkisian’s roster isn’t nearly as settled as the preseason hype might suggest.

As LonghornsWire pointed out, the team has elite talent, serious depth and little patience for growing pains. Before Texas can chase an SEC title, five position battles must produce real answers.

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The running back room may deliver the most entertaining fight of camp. Transfers Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown appear positioned to share the workload, but Texas didn’t bring them to Austin for a polite rotation. Both want to become the unquestioned RB1.

Freshman Derrek Cooper makes the competition even more dangerous. Cooper’s combination of size and upside could force Sarkisian to carve out a meaningful role immediately, potentially shrinking the available touches for Brown and Smothers.

At tight end, Nick Townsend may enter August with a slight advantage, but nobody has secured the job. Michael Masunas, Spencer Shannon and Emaree Winston all bring different skills to an offense that won’t hesitate to use multiple tight ends.

Sarkisian doesn’t necessarily need one player to dominate every snap. He does need someone to emerge as Arch Manning’s most dependable option over the middle.

The biggest concern sits at left guard.

Laurence Seymore arrived during the summer and may have the clearest path to the starting lineup, but he’ll have to earn it quickly.

Jaydon Chatman and Devin Coleman won’t surrender the position without a fight. Texas can survive a committee at running back or tight end. It can’t afford confusion along the offensive line once the schedule turns brutal.

Safety brings another high-stakes decision. Jelani McDonald is established, but the spot beside him remains open after Xavier Filsaime shifted to nickel and Kobe Black returned to safety.

Derek Williams Jr. looks like the favorite, yet Black and Jordon Johnson-Rubell have enough talent to flip the competition.

Black may be the wild card. A strong August could force Texas to rethink its expected defensive backfield.

Then there’s linebacker, where Rasheem Biles is the only obvious starter.

Ty’Anthony Smith and Justin Cryer enter camp battling for the middle linebacker role, while Rocky Cummings and talented freshman Tyler Atkinson could complicate the picture.

Texas needs more than potential here. The defense needs communication, consistency and someone capable of surviving SEC traffic.

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The Longhorns have enough stars to win a championship. Fall camp will reveal whether they have enough answers.

Texas doesn’t need every competition to produce a superstar. It just can’t afford to leave August with the same questions.