Ranking Every Texas Offensive Position Group by Confidence Rating

The Texas Longhorns will once again be heading into a season with lofty expectations, and the upcoming 2026 season might have the highest of those expectations.

The Longhorns will obviously rank as one of the top teams headed into the season and will have a legitimate shot at being ranked the preseason No. 1 team in the country for the second season in a row.

And a lot of the expectations for Texas in 2026 rests on the back of one of the most talented rosters in the country. The Longhorns' roster features some of the top players in the country at their positions, with some position groups more trusted than others. Here's a ranking of the Longhorns' offensive position groups by confidence level.

Quarterback

The position group with the highest level of confidence is obviously the quarterback spot with returning starter Arch Manning. It was a rocky start to Manning's tenure as the Longhorns' starting quarterback in the first few games of the 2025 season, but towards the backend of the season, there were not many quarterbacks playing better than Manning.

Manning already possessed the skillset to be a high-end college quarterback. And now, pairing his talent with the vital experience of being a starting signal caller in the SEC, the quarterback is more than set up for success in his second year as the starter.

Wide Receiver

The Longhorns' wide receiver corps might be heading into the season as one of the top units in the country. The confidence in the Longhorns' wide receiver room obviously starts with Cam Coleman, the star transfer, who joins the Texas offense as a legitimate game-changer.

However, the conversation about the Longhorns' talented wide receiver room doesn't end with just Coleman, with key returners in Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley making up the rest of the starting wideout trio.

Texas has a deep, wide receiver room, which also features a few young wide receivers who will look to carve out roles in 2026, in second-year players Kaliq Lockett and Daylan McCutcheon, and uber-talented freshmen Jermaine Bishop Jr.

Running Back

The Longhorns' backfield had a rough year in 2025, as Steve Sarkisian had the worst rushing offense in his tenure in Austin. And with the struggles, the Longhorns knew they had to rebuild that room and did just that throughout the offseason.

The new-look Texas running back room is headlined by two All-Conference running backs in Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers, who will be the featured backs in the offense. The two newcomers join returning faces in James Simon and Michael Terry III, as well as talented freshman Derrek Cooper.

The new look running back room has plenty of talent, but with the number of changes that talent will have to translate onto the field before the Longhorns' running game is fully restored.

Offensive Line

Another season and it's another reshuffling for the Longhorns' offensive line headed into the 2026 season. Texas will once again have some changes to its offensive line with the losses of DJ Campbell and Cole Hutson.

The Longhorns have a solid foundation in left tackle Trevor Goosby, center Connor Robertson, and Brandon Baker, who moved to right guard. The right tackle spot appears to be locked down with Wake Forest transfer Melvin Siani; however, how he will fare against SEC pass rushers is obviously still in question.

The biggest concern remaining on the offensive line is at left guard, which presumably will be filled in by Western Kentucky transfer Laurence Seymore; however, he won't join the team until the summer, after missing out on the spring. And as Texas learned the hard way last year, it's not about having talent, but whether the offensive line can play collectively as a unit.

Tight End

The biggest question lingering around the Longhorns offense is who will separate themselves as the leading tight end. Texas saw minimal contributions out of its tight ends in 2025, but heading into 2026, it has plenty of talented options. However, as of right now, there is no proven option in the tight end room.

The Longhorns will take a look at Nick Townsend to take over the starting role, with the young tight end having the skills to be both a pass catcher and blocker. Texas plucked a veteran option out of the transfer portal in Michael Masunas, whose strength lies as a blocker, but getting anything out of him as a pass catcher could be key to unlocking the tight end position for the offense.

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