Three Keys to Texas Longhorns’ All-In Push for 2026 National Title

Austin, TX — With 202 days remaining until the Texas Longhorns tee it up for the 2026 season, the clock inside the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center is ticking louder than ever. Steve Sarkisian’s program has come agonizingly close to the College Football Playoff’s top tier in two of the past three years, and fans have labeled 2026 the “all-in” campaign. A 12-team bracket only raises the degree of difficulty, yet inside the Forty Acres the belief is clear: if three boxes are checked, the Longhorns could be hoisting a trophy in Las Vegas 344 days from now.

1. Jump-start the Ground Game Texas finished 2025 averaging 4.2 yards per rush—84th nationally. Move that number to 5.0 and the Longhorns crack the top 30, territory where champions live. Offensive line tweaks designed to keep Arch Manning upright may limit early-season cohesion, but the backfield talent is undeniable. Raleek Brown posted 6.1 yards a carry last fall; Hollywood Smothers checked in at 5.9. The staff does not need a vintage, wear-you-down attack—modern offenses win with chunk plays. If Brown, Smothers and company can rip an explosive gain every five or six hand-offs while hovering around 4.8-5.0 yards per carry, opposing safeties will be forced to cheat up, opening the vertical game Manning is built to exploit.

2. Keep the Linebackers Upright Will Muschamp’s defense already owns elite bookends—Colin Simmons headlines a ferocious pass rush, the interior line is two-deep across four spots, and the secondary features lock-down corners plus All-SEC safety Jelani McDonald. The lone question mark is linebacker health. Ty’Anthony Smith and Rasheem Biles project as one of the SEC’s premier duos, yet an injury to either would press unproven talent—Justin Cryer, Brad Spence, Tyler Atkinson and Markus Boswell—into critical snaps before they’re ready. If the training staff can keep Smith and Biles on the field, the Longhorns possess the schematic versatility and athleticism to throttle spread attacks and physical run games alike.

3. Maintain Special Teams Excellence Mason Shipley and Jack Bouwmeester cured years of kicking calamity in 2025; Ryan Niblett blossomed into one of the nation’s most electric punt returners. The 2026 unit doesn’t need to improve—it merely has to match that standard. Memphis transfer Gianni Spetic brings a bigger leg (4-for-5 from 50-plus last season), and Florida State punter Mac Chuimento’s 44-yard average nearly mirrors Bouwmeester’s 44.5. Niblett is back, with speedsters like Raleek Brown and Jermaine Bishop Jr. eyeing kick-return duties. Net result: hidden yards that flip fields and tighten the margin for error in a 12-team playoff bracket where one bounce can end a title dream.

Sarkisian has recruited, developed and transferred his roster into championship shape. Now it’s about execution. Hit 5.0 a carry, keep the second level healthy, and match last year’s special-teams efficiency—do that, and the Longhorns may finally turn the page from playoff participant to national champion under the bright lights of Las Vegas.