Texas Longhorns football should have one of the most explosive offenses in college football entering the 2026 season.

Quarterback Arch Manning returns with a year of starting experience, and the wide receiver room got a significant boost with the addition of Cam Coleman to an already talented group that includes Ryan Wingo. The passing attack figures to take a massive step forward. The running game, however, remains a real question mark for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff.

Texas had a below-average ground game a season ago, and the Longhorns were aggressive in the transfer portal this offseason to address it. They acquired Hollywood Smothers from NC State and Raleek Brown from Arizona State, who initially toyed with the idea of entering the 2026 NFL Draft before opting to transfer. Both Smothers and Brown are talented space players with legitimate passing game upside and explosive athletic traits.

The concern with that duo, though, is what happens when the game gets physical. Neither Smothers nor Brown has shown the ability to play the dirty game in the run game. Creating hidden yardage, converting short yardage opportunities, punching it in at the goal line: those are the moments that separate good offenses from great ones.

There is a small part of the conversation about whether this running back pairing is a bit redundant, given that both players profile as fleet-of-foot, finesse-style backs rather than physical grinders.

True freshman Derrek Cooper brings the physicality Texas needs

That’s where two younger backs come into play. The first is true freshman Derrek Cooper, who is listed at 6-1, 205 pounds but looks a lot denser than that when you see him in person. Some college programs even toyed with the idea of recruiting him as a linebacker, which tells you everything about the kind of physicality he brings to the position.

That strength and power popped on his high school film, and Cooper has already been impressing folks around Austin this offseason. I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Cooper play a meaningful role in 2026. The Longhorns might need him for this to be a complete offense that can win with both finesse and power, something that has plagued them in recent years.

Michael Terry III’s position switch creates tremendous upside

The other player I’m keeping a close eye on is redshirt freshman Michael Terry III. Originally from Alamo Heights in San Antonio, Texas, Terry came to Austin as a five-star athlete in the 2025 recruiting class and was initially a wide receiver for the program. During his freshman year, the staff made the switch to running back, and he now stands at 6-3 and 227 pounds.

With his receiving background, Terry could be a very unique and dynamic weapon for Texas in both the run and pass game next season. Whether he becomes a reliable short-yardage back remains to be seen, but the intrigue of his size profile combined with his athletic gifts creates quite a ceiling. It is a crowded room when you include James Simon, a redshirt freshman with some interesting traits of his own, into the conversation. How much Terry will play in 2026 is an open question.

That said, the move to running back several months ago does leave the door open for finding a role for a 6-3, 227-pound athlete who can do a little bit of everything. Running the football, catching the football, creating mismatches in space: Terry has the tools to contribute in multiple ways.

Looking ahead

If you ask me, Terry and Cooper could end up being much more important players for the Texas offense than most people are anticipating right now. The Longhorns have the explosive skill players to light up a scoreboard, but without a physical presence in the backfield, Sarkisian’s offense risks being one-dimensional when it matters most. These two younger backs have the size and toughness to fill that gap, and whether they earn those roles in fall camp will be one of the more compelling storylines to follow in Austin this summer.