Texas Longhorns LIVE 113 Episode Notes Hosts: Matthew Miller & Thomas “Tommy” Bresee Show: TexasVOCFB / Voice of College Football Sponsored by: FanDuel Focus: Is Steve Sarkisian actually on the hot seat? + Fall camp breakout candidates, X-factors, and Coaches Poll reaction 0:00 – Intro & Ohio State Betting Talk Welcome to another edition of Texas Longhorns Live. Testing 7 p.m. ET slot on Tuesdays. Brought to you by FanDuel. Quick look at the Week 2 Ohio State game: Texas favored by 1.5. Over/under is 47.5. Tommy: Leans under. Early-season games + two defenses that lost a lot of production often stay lower-scoring. Matthew: Leans over. Both quarterbacks have a year under their belts and Texas has more offensive weapons. Last year’s 14-7 was an offensive stinker; expects a higher-scoring affair. 1:18 – Is Steve Sarkisian on the Hot Seat? Core question raised around SEC Media Days. Tommy’s take (firm no): People pushing the narrative largely don’t want Texas to succeed and are planting the “hot seat” seed early so they can claim foresight later. Context is critical: Texas was stuck around .500 and mediocre for over a decade (2010–2021 era under previous coaches). Sarkisian has the program closer to a title than it has been in a long time. High expectations are fair (Texas should have them), but Sark has more runway/slack than critics admit. Even a 9-3 year that barely makes (or misses) the playoff would not get him fired. Something closer to 7-5 or worse with a healthy roster would be required. Longer-term view matters: firing him after a short-term disappointment risks tanking the recruiting pipeline and setting the program back for 2028–29 when the roster should again be elite. More likely outcome than a mid-season or end-of-year firing: Sark goes on a deep run / wins a title and then leaves for the NFL (possible package deal involving Arch Manning or similar). Matthew’s take (also no, with conditions): Not on the hot seat unless the season completely bottoms out — which the talent level makes very unlikely short of catastrophic injuries. This is the year before true hot-seat territory. Minimum bar for 2026: make the playoff and win at least one game. Anything less and 2027 becomes much more pressurized (possible need for SEC title or national title appearance). Sark has set the standard by reaching the Final Four twice. Dropping significantly below that will invite questions, but Texas is not firing him over a solid-but-not-championship year. If results disappoint, the more realistic short-term moves are staff changes (Kyle Flood is the name most often mentioned first; possible OC hire is the next step). Chris Del Conte (CDC) likes Sark and would only move if he already had a strong replacement lined up. Possible future names floated hypothetically (distant): Kenny Dillingham (if Arizona State has a big year), Will Stein (Kentucky), Eric Morris later. Additional context discussed: Best skill players under Sark have largely been Tom Herman holdovers or transfers (Xavier Worthy the clearest pure Sark recruit who became a star). Newer classes (Ryan Wingo, Kalik Lockett, Daylon McCutcheon, etc.) will answer whether the developmental pipeline is fully online over the next 2–3 years. Overall consensus of both hosts: Hot-seat talk is overblown. Sark has proven he can put a team in national title contention; the remaining step is finishing the job (or getting a couple of breaks). 10:48 – Fall Camp Breakout Candidates Tommy’s #1: Justice Terry (DT) Up to 290 lbs while still moving extremely well. Can play multiple techniques (3-tech, 4i, etc.). Expects him to be a major contributor this year and, alongside Elijah Griffin, form one of the best DT tandems in the SEC (or country) by 2027. Could push/work into the rotation behind (or with) the current starters and eventually take more snaps from Alex January. Matthew’s picks: Kalik Lockett (WR) – Make-or-break year. Has the talent to post 300–400 yards + 4–5 TDs as the WR4/rotation piece. Needs to stay healthy and force his way into a crowded group. Similarities noted with Cam Coleman (especially ball skills). Jermaine Bishop Jr. (WR) – Extremely versatile (took DB reps this summer). Can play multiple spots; hard to keep off the field. Strong candidate to work into the rotation and potentially settle as a key depth/special-teams contributor who earns more offensive snaps. Kobe Black (CB/S) – Needs a big year after a brief portal flirtation. Versatile enough to play boundary or nickel/safety. One of the primary candidates for the third corner/outside spot alongside Bo Mascoe and Grayson Littleton. Long, physical, good hip-flip traits. Additional names discussed: Jonah Williams (S) – Fully healthy after baseball-related issues. Has drawn consistent rave reviews whenever healthy. Safety room is fluid; he is one of several candidates (alongside Kobe Black, Derek Williams, etc.) who could solidify the back end next to Jelani McDonald. Colton Vossick (Edge) – Pure health question. Elite length and high-end ability; needs to stay healthy enough to carve out edge rotation snaps behind Lance Jackson and Colin Simmons. Behind him sit several athletic pieces (Richard Wesley, Jamarian Carlton, etc.). Tyler Atkinson (LB) – Freshman who has reportedly found his groove. Linebacker room has competition (Ty Anthony Smith, Rasheen Biles, Justin Cryer, Darius Snow, Rocky Cummings, Marcus Boswell). Could work into the LB3/LB4 role and potentially higher by season’s end. Nick Townsend (TE) – Tight end room has seen a lot of positive buzz (Michael Masunis, Spencer Shannon also mentioned). Townsend viewed as the most well-rounded and the one most likely to earn consistent snaps, especially in 11 personnel. Athletic upside (11-second 100m at his size) is unique. 24:00-ish – Fall Camp X-Factors Matthew’s primary X-factor: Nick Townsend Freak athlete at tight end who can also block. Ceiling to be a B+ SEC tight end and unlock more of the offense (similar impact Gunnar Helm had in 2024). Offense will be good either way; a true difference-maker at TE elevates it to elite. Broader X-factors: Freshman class as a whole — Especially Tyler Atkinson, Derek Cooper, and Jermaine Bishop Jr. Meaningful contributions from a few of these players are viewed as important for the team to reach its ceiling (not necessarily All-Stars, but impactful snaps, special teams, short-yardage, etc.). Will Muschamp’s adaptation — How he mixes coverages, pressures, and personnel against modern offenses (particularly versus Ohio State and Jeremiah Smith). Personnel allows multiple looks; the scheme/adjustment period will be telling early. Leadership & connectivity — Key returning leaders identified: Arch Manning, Trevor Goosby, Ryan Wingo, Colin Simmons, Jelani McDonald. Need them to fully integrate transfers and new pieces so the team stays cohesive through a long, tough schedule. Hosts feel leadership is better than last year, with Arch taking a bigger step. Red-zone efficiency — Persistent issue since Bijan Robinson’s era. Team will create explosives, but must convert longer drives against elite defenses (Ohio State, Georgia, playoff opponents) to win a title. Derek Cooper, Michael Terry, Amari Winston, and better O-line play are potential solutions. Staying healthy into Week 1 — Balance of preparation vs. avoiding soft-tissue or other injuries to key pieces (Rasheen Biles, Trevor Goosby, etc.). Roster is special; needs to stay intact. Other notes: Cole Hudson (if available) viewed as a valuable non-starter leader who can help the O-line room. Michael Terry could see creative usage (RB/TE/X) as they evaluate best long-term fit. 38:30 – Coaches Poll Reaction Top 5 released: 1. Ohio State, 2. Oregon, 3. Georgia, 4. Texas, 5. Notre Dame. Hosts’ consensus: Texas at No. 4 is acceptable. Both group Oregon / Texas / Notre Dame as the three most talented rosters. Georgia’s placement is understandable given Kirby Smart’s track record and recent results vs. Texas. Strong disagreement with Ohio State at No. 1. Viewed as similar to last year’s Texas team (heavy losses on defense, high expectations, questions about fully replacing generational talent). Matthew feels good about a 9-3 prediction for the Buckeyes. Top 7 is a tight cluster that can be ordered almost any way. A&M (8), Oklahoma (9), and Ole Miss (10) are viewed as more vulnerable — especially A&M and Ole Miss, which both hosts expect to take steps back relative to preseason ranking. Notable other rankings mentioned: Alabama 11, Texas Tech 12, LSU 13, USC 14, BYU 15, Michigan 16, Penn State 17, Tennessee 18, Washington 19, SMU 20, Utah 21, Iowa 22, Clemson 23, Houston 24, Missouri 25. Surprises / teams that could move: Louisville belongs in the top 25 conversation. Michigan under Kyle Whittingham (with a strong run game) could be dangerous, especially if they beat Oklahoma. Clemson and Missouri were the two ranked teams the hosts were least convinced by. Closing Episode 113 of Texas Longhorns Live. New permanent time: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET. Call to action: Like, subscribe, drop hot-seat opinions, breakout candidates, X-factors, and ranking takes in the comments. Hook ’em. Overall tone of the episode: Measured and optimistic on Sarkisian’s job security and the roster’s upside, with clear eyes on the remaining developmental and scheme questions that will be answered in fall camp and early in the season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
