Keep up with the most recent news on the Texas Longhorns and college football.
JAN 17: ‘STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM, NOW WE’RE HERE’ According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, former Texas Longhorns quarterback and assistant coach Major Applewhite will take over as head coach of the South Alabama Jaguars.
Applewhite will take over as Jaguars coach from Kane Wommack, who left to become defensive coordinator at Alabama under Kalen DeBoer.
Applewhite, a 45-year-old Texas-Ex, swiftly decided to abandon his playing career after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots during the 2002 NFL Draft, instead finishing college and becoming a coach.
After two years as a graduate assistant at Texas, working under then-coach Mack Brown in 2003 and 2004, he spent a year each at Syracuse, Rice, and Alabama before returning to Austin for the next five years. Initially as a running backs coach before progressing to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks.
Following a year out from coaching, Applewhite spent three seasons at Houston before returning to Alabama for two seasons as an analyst before taking over as offensive coordinator at South Alabama in 2021.
JAN 11: Thompson commits to OU. Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Casey Thompson committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday, marking his eighth season in collegiate football.
Thompson will be on his fourth team since 2021, having left Texas and transferred to Nebraska before joining Florida Atlantic.
Thompson, who has thrown for 5,338 yards and 52 touchdowns in his career, will most likely be Jackson Arnold’s backup in Norman.
He is a New Castle, Oklahoma native who signed with Texas as a member of the 2018 class.
JAN 10 NO MORE. SABAN The Texas Longhorns will enter the SEC for the 2024 football season, hoping to make an impression in their debut year in the conference.
According to ESPN’s Chris Low, one big impediment may be removed – or at least reduced – as famous Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban prepares to retire.
Saban reportedly informed his team of his decision to retire.
Saban, probably the best coach in college football history, retires after winning seven national championships, 11 SEC crowns, 12 SEC West titles, two Paul Bear Bryant Awards, and numerous other honors during his illustrious career.
The Longhorns were 1-1 versus Saban over the last two years, with a spectacular victory in Tuscaloosa this past September (34-24), which helped cement the Longhorns’ playoff hopes.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, probable successors include Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Penn State’s James Franklin, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.
JAN 8: KROB TO DRAFT Another Texas Longhorns impact player, all-purpose back Keilan Robinson, has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Thank you to everyone who has helped me get where I am today,” Robinson stated in his announcement. “I will be declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.”
Robinson moved to Texas from Alabama before the 2021 season, following Steve Sarkisian to the Longhorns.
Robinson carried for 542 yards on 82 rushes with Texas and had 332 receiving yards on 35 catches, with 11 total touchdowns from scrimmage. Over the last two seasons, he was also one of the most dynamic return specialists in the country, returning punts and kicks for touchdowns.
Robinson might have received a waiver from the NCAA to extend his eligibility for another year. Instead, he will join the draft and be projected as an undrafted free agent.
JAN 2X VS LEON The Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies are poised to restart their rivalry in 2024, but things appear to have already begun.
After the Longhorns’ tight loss to the Washington Huskies on Monday night, former Aggies Leon O’Neal Jr. and Texas star receiver Xavier Worthy traded punches on X.
O’Neal attempted to blame the Horns for their defeat, tossing a jab in their direction.
“Them boys had one good year and stg they dynasty yall went 8-5 last year and 5-7 year before yall act like yall (expletive) don’t stink,” O’Neal said in a statement.
Worthy answered in kind.
“Who tf are u?” Well said.
If nothing else, the atmosphere on the College Station stage next season will be incredible.
JAN 1 MCCONAUGHEY SPEAKS The Texas Longhorns face the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl for a chance to move to the national championship game in Houston next week.
Matthew McConaughey, a longtime Longhorns supporter, delivered a pre-game pep speech to the team via his personal X account.
DEC 3 HORNS TO NOLA. After defeating Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship, the Texas Longhorns have advanced to the College Football Playoff, finishing third in the final rankings.
And when the rankings were published, the Horns watch party may have been the loudest in Texas.
DEC 2: WORTHY HURT With the Texas Longhorns leading 42-14 in the fourth quarter, star wide receiver Xavier Worthy was injured while attempting to reach the first down marker on third and long.
Worthy had a lower-body injury against Texas Tech and appears to have another issue following the tackle.
Worthy was assisted to the locker room shortly after his accident.
At the time of his injury, Worthy had six receptions for 86 yards.
Worthy has been ruled out for the rest of the game after returning to the sidelines on crutches and with an ankle boot.
DEC 2 RYAN: WATTS OUT? Texas Longhorns cornerback Ryan Watts is not dressed for today’s Big 12 Championship game versus Oklahoma State at AT&T Stadium, and he is expected to miss the game. He’s wearing However, the team has not released an official statement regarding his status.
Texas defensive back Austin Jordan has already been declared out of Saturday’s game.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian announced on Monday that Watts would be tagged as questionable heading into the Big 12 championship game. He injured his back on the first play of the 57-7 victory over Texas Tech on November 24. He left for the locker room and did not return.
In his likely absence, the Longhorns will rely on Malik Muhammad and Terrence Brooks at cornerback.
DECEMBER 1 TOO FAR – On Saturday, one of the greatest games of the college football weekend will be the Big 12 Championship between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
While there is no animosity between the two programs, someone in Stillwater has now gone too far with “Texas Hate Week”.
According to the Oklahoma State student newspaper, The O’Colly, a dead longhorn steer was found in the front yard of the FarmHouse fraternity home. According to images from the incident, the steer’s guts had been cut open, with the message “(expletive) FH” painted on its side.
The Oklahoman newspaper also reported that the carcass has been removed, and the Stillwater Police Department is aggressively investigating the incident.
NOV 30 JORDAN OUT Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian presented an injury report to the media on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s Big 12 championship game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Arlington.
Sarkisian mentioned that cornerback Austin Jordan will be out for the game, but it appears that Xavier Worthy will be able to go.
Ryan Watts, who was listed as questionable on Monday, remained so on Thursday.
“Everybody else is pretty status quo from what I touched on on Monday.”
Watts was injured on the opening play from scrimmage in Friday’s 57-7 victory over Texas Tech. Worthy had to be assisted to the sideline twice, and Murphy was hurt as a result of friendly fire on the sidelines.
NOV 29: Say what, Paul? This weekend, the Texas Longhorns will fight for their College Football Playoff lives against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
To remain in contention, the Horns will need not just a win over Oklahoma State, but also a loss by Florida State.
If that happens, Texas should be involved. However, if Alabama defeats Georgia in the SEC Championship game, Paul Finebaum believes otherwise.
“To me, Alabama and Texas are razor close,” Finebaum stated on ESPN’s Get Up. “I’ll give Alabama the edge for one reason: they’d have beaten the biggest bully in the land, which should count for something. That game on September 9 is important, but it is not very essential to me because, when it comes to college football, I believe Alabama has a better squad.”
Despite Finebaum’s attempts to dismiss the battle in Tuscaloosa, the Horns defeated Alabama by double digits. And this cannot be disregarded.
Not only that, but ESPN’s FPI rankings, which consider all aspects of a team’s resume, show that Texas outperforms Alabama in practically every category.
All that being said, none of this matters if Texas or Alabama lose on Saturday.
NOV 27: RIVALRY RENEWED According to ESPN’s Chris Low, the date for the rekindled rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies has been announced.
According to Low, the Aggies and Longhorns will meet in College Station on Saturday, November 30, in what will be both teams’ final regular-season game.
Said low:
“Texas and Texas A&M will resume their rivalry next season after a 12-year hiatus.” According to sources, the regular season will conclude with a game on Saturday, November 30, at College Station. Traditionally, Texas and Texas A&M have played on either Thanksgiving Day or the Friday following Thanksgiving.”
The Aggies and Longhorns have not met on the gridiron since 2011, when the Longhorns triumphed 27-25 on a walk-off field goal.
Texas will also allegedly face Georgia on October 19 and Arkansas on November 16.
November 27 Texas Injury Report Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian presented an injury report to the media on Monday, ahead of Saturday’s Big 12 championship game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Arlington.
Sarkisian believes defensive backs Ryan Watts and Austin Jordan are also questionable. He also stated that quarterback Maalik Murphy practiced on Monday, and receiver Xavier Worthy will be “good to go.”
Watts was injured on the opening play from scrimmage in Friday’s 57-7 victory over Texas Tech. Worthy had to be assisted to the sideline twice, and Murphy was hurt as a result of friendly fire on the sidelines.
NOV 25: BIG 12 TITLE SET After dominating the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Texas Longhorns have secured a Big 12 Championship berth.
And now they know who they will face: the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
With their Saturday victory over the BYU Cougars, the Cowboys clinched a spot in Arlington thanks to a tiebreaker over the Oklahoma Sooners, whom they defeated earlier this season.
This Big 12 title game will be Texas and Oklahoma State’s first meeting of the season and their final as conference opponents.
CJ Baxter had an injury on November 24. The Texas Longhorns suffered another possibly significant injury against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This time, on the offensive end of the ball.
CJ Baxter, a freshman running back, left the game early in the third quarter due to an unexplained injury. Baxter was able to walk off the field on his own, albeit gingerly.
Baxter was starting in lieu of standout running back Jonathon Brooks, who is out for the season due to a ruptured ACL.
Jaydon Blue has replaced Baxter in the lineup during the last two drives.
NOV 24 WATTS INJURED. The Texas Longhorns may have sustained a severe early injury against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in their regular-season finale.
On the opening play from scrimmage, senior defensive back Ryan Watts was hurt while attempting to tackle running back Tahj Brooks. Following the tackle, Watts remained down for an extended amount of time while being treated by the training team.
Watts was led directly to the locker room for additional evaluation after being assisted to his feet by the training personnel.
Watts, a senior, was in the midst of his final game for DKR.
November 24 Senior Night at DKR On Saturday night in Austin, the Texas Longhorns will play the Texas Tech Red Raiders to cap off their greatest regular season since 2009.
Before the game, the Horns will commemorate 23 seniors, each of whom will make their final appearance on the field at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
NOV 22: CASE FOR THE HORNS The Texas Longhorns have perhaps the biggest win in college football right now, having marched into Bryant Denny Stadium and defeated the then-No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide by two scores, 34-24.
In that game, the Longhorns certainly looked like the better team, overpowering the Tide in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
After the College Football Playoff rankings were published on Tuesday, ESPN panelists attempted to make the case for Alabama to advance over Texas.
However, former Alabama quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy was having none of it, making a strong argument for Texas over his own mater.
“Texas defeated Alabama. Results must be important. We must respect the results. If the committee set a precedent by choosing Alabama ahead of Texas, it would be a disservice to the college football world. It would. You have to respect the regular season, and putting Alabama ahead of Texas would imply that the regular season does not matter, which is not a precedent you want to set.”
The Horns will have two more chances to make their case to the committee: in their regular-season finale on Friday against Texas Tech, and if they win, in the Big 12 Championship game.
NOV 20 MAKE THEM SWEAT According to power rankings given by On3, the Texas Longhorns have a top-10 Heisman challenger. Although it is not who you may expect.
In their Week 13 rankings, On3 has named defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat as a top-10 contender for the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded to the’most outstanding player in college football.’
Sweat is presently ranked ninth, behind (in order) LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, Washington receiver Rome Odunze, and LSU receiver Malik Nabers.
Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant is ranked one spot below Sweat at No. 10.
NOV 18: WORTHY INJURED According to FOX’s broadcast, Texas Longhorns receiver Xavier Worthy limped back into the locker room at the opening of the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against Iowa State in Ames.
He was later ruled out and was allegedly unable to bear weight on his left leg.
It’s unclear when Worthy was injured, but Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington, who caught Texas’ first touchdown of the game in the third quarter, took on additional receiving responsibilities.
Worthy finished with four receptions for 77 yards.
Texas Senior Bowl Invitations, November 16 The Texas Longhorns announced that six members of this year’s squad have been invited to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday, February 3 in Mobile, Alabama.
Defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy, and Alfred Collins, linebacker Jaylan Ford, defensive back Jahdae Barron, and offensive tackle Christian Jones were all invited. This group will now attempt to improve their individual draft stock in front of a slew of NFL scouts.
No. 7 Texas (9-1) faces the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames on Saturday.
November 12: Texas Stays Put Following their close win over the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday night, the Texas Longhorns remained at No. 7 in the AP poll on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the Big 12, Oklahoma climbed three spots to No. 14, Kansas State remained at No. 23, while the Oklahoma State Cowboys fell nine spots to No. 24.
Kansas also slid out of the rankings after losing to Texas Tech.
NOV 11 HORNS ARE ‘FEARING THE WORST’ FOR BROOKS Texas Longhorns standout running back Jonathon Brooks appeared to suffer a terrible injury against the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday night.
The injury forced Brooks to exit the game for the rest of the game, and he required help to return to the locker room for additional evaluation.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Longhorns look to be ‘dreading the worst’ and are not optimistic about the star running back’s injuries.
“Texas is not optimistic about RB Johnathan Brooks’ injury, which could jeopardize his status for the rest of the season as well as his draft status,” Star-Telegram reporter Clarence Hill tweeted. “It is assumed to be a knee, not an ankle. He departed the stadium on crutches and was unable to put any weight on them. They hope for the best but fear the worse.”
If Brooks’ season ends now, he will have 166 carries for 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per rush.
NOV 11: JONATHON BROOKS INJURED VS TCU Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks suffered a lower-body injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the TCU Horned Frogs.
After making a catch, Brooks was tackled by his ankles and appeared to have injured his right ankle. He was spotted lying down on his back on the sidelines in obvious pain. He was unable to put any weight on his right leg and required assistance walking from two Texas trainers. Later camera angles showed Brooks returning to the Texas locker room with a trainer, limping gingerly.
The Longhorns led 26-13 at the time. Brooks finished with 21 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns, with three catches for 74 yards.
In Brooks’ likely absence, the Longhorns will rely on CJ Baxter, Savion Red, and Jaydon Blue in the backfield.
NOV 9: CATALON, CRAWFORD, AND CHRISTIAN BACK On Thursday morning, Texas Longhorns fans continued to receive excellent news.
According to head coach Steve Sarkisian, safeties Jalen Catalon and Kitan Crawford will be available against the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday night.
Not only that, but offensive lineman Kelvin Banks and Christian Jones, the latter of whom missed Saturday’s game against Kansas State, will be available.
Oh, and starting quarterback Quinn Ewers will return on Saturday, too.
Catalon, who started the season as a starter, has not played since the Horns’ loss at Oklahoma in early October.
Crawford, meanwhile, missed last week’s game against Kansas State.
In Catalon’s absence, former walk-on Michael Taaffe performed brilliantly, recording three interceptions in three consecutive games against Houston, BYU, and Kansas State.
Is November 8 PK in play? According to USC On3 affiliate WeAreSC, the Trojans have contacted Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski to determine his interest in replacing Alex Grinch.
Grinch was recently fired by the Trojans after leading a unit that finished 123rd in total defense and 124th in scoring defense.
Kwiatkowski, who comes from the Pac-12, has the Longhorns ranked 17th in the nation in scoring defense and 31st in overall defense.
Kwiatkowski also has a pre-existing relationship with USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen, who was the AD at Washington when Kwiatkowski was there.
NOV 8: Hoover in, Morris out. TCU’s freshman quarterback Josh Hoover will start against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, coach Sonny Dykes revealed during his weekly press conference.
Hoover has started the last several games for the Frogs after starter Chandler Morris suffered a knee injury.
In those three games, Hoover has passed for almost 1,000 yards and five touchdowns.
Dykes also provided an update on Morris’s status, stating that he is getting healthier and is anxious to return to the lineup.
“I think Chandler is healthier,” Dykes told reporters. “I believe the main thing we’re trying to do this week is get an evaluation on him. He obviously wants to play. He’s delighted to return and help the team win.”
On November 6, the Texas Longhorns and Iowa State Cyclones will face off in primetime.
According to a Big 12 press release, Texas and Iowa State will play at 7 p.m. CT on November 18, with the game aired on FOX.
The Longhorns have a 15-5 all-time series record against the Cyclones, dating back to 1979. However, the Cyclones have had the Horns number recently, winning three in a row prior to last year’s Texas victory in Austin.
Texas has also lost on its last two trips to Ames, in 2021 and 2019.
NOV 6 TEXAS FAVORITE The Texas Longhorns have opened as heavy favorites over the TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth next week.
According to Circa Sports, the No. 7 Longhorns will enter Amon G. Carter Stadium as nine-point favorites.
Texas has lost seven of its last ten games against the Horned Frogs, including a 17-10 setback in Austin last season.
The Horns’ last win in the series came at Fort Worth, where Bijan Robinson led the squad to a 32-27 victory.
Texas vs. TCU kickoff time: November 5 According to a Big 12 Conference statement on Sunday, the Texas Longhorns and TCU Horned Frogs will face off on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT in Fort Worth.
The Longhorns (8-1) defeated the Kansas State Wildcats, 33-30, in overtime on Saturday. TCU (4-5) is on a two-game losing run after falling 35-28 to the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Thursday.
