Longhorns miss top running back targets, facing portal turbulence and a crucial 2026 season hinging on Plan C.
Texas football entered the transfer portal with a clear priority and little margin for error ... fix the running game. Four days into portal season, that mission has already hit turbulence.
On the latest episode of The Texas Longhorns Daily Blitz Podcast, host Timm "IndyCarTim" Hamm didn’t sugarcoat where things stand for the Longhorns after missing on their top two running back targets.
"Texas had its worst rushing offense in 8-plus years during the 2025 season," Hamm said. "And the run-game struggles were a big part of why the Horns failed to reach the College Football Playoff."
The first name circled in red was Florida running back Jadan Baugh, a second-team All-SEC performer whose connection to Texas seemed obvious after the Longhorns hired his position coach, Jabar Jaluke. But Baugh has yet to enter the portal, and that silence is getting louder by the hour.
"There's only so much you can do if a guy never enters the portal," Hamm said. "Until he does, Florida has to be viewed as the favorite."
Plan B looked even more promising until it vanished.
Louisville running back Isaac Brown was widely projected to land in Austin after reports surfaced that he would enter the portal with a do-not-contact tag. Instead, Louisville countered with a stronger NIL offer, convincing Brown to stay put.
"People weren't penciling Isaac Brown to Texas," Hamm said. "They were Sharpie-ing him."
With both top options gone or fading, Texas now finds itself staring at Plan C, Arizona State transfer Relique Brown. Brown is a proven Power Four producer, rushing for over 1,000 yards at 6.1 yards per carry in 2025 while adding value as a receiver. Hamm acknowledged the appeal.
"Relique Brown is an upgrade over anybody that Texas had at running back in 2025," he said. "He’s incredibly fast and has real home-run ability."
But the concerns are real. Brown is undersized at 5-9, 195 pounds, and two of his four college seasons were derailed by injuries. There's also the financial element, with NIL expectations reportedly north of $1 million.
"That’s a lot for a guy who doesn't have the cleanest job application," Hamm said. "I'm not sure he can be a bellcow in a nine-game SEC schedule."
Texas could still explore other portal options or lean on internal development from backs like Christian Clark. But with 2026 shaping up as a win-now season - and likely Arch Manning's final year - the margin for error is thin.
"For a lot of folks, 2026 is championship or bust," Hamm said. "Having to resort to Plan C at running back is not where anyone wanted to be."
The portal remains open, but the pressure is already on. For Texas, the next move at running back could define whether 2026 becomes a title run ... or another year of what-ifs.