Texas’ offseason is shaping up like a high-stakes chess match — and losing ground early could cost the Longhorns a shot at a College Football Playoff berth in 2026. After a season marked by multiple running back departures, including Quintrevion Wisner entering the transfer portal and leaving a massive hole in the backfield, Texas’ offense needs an injection of true playmaking talent more than ever.

Enter Caleb Hawkins, the breakout North Texas phenom who has already entered the transfer portal and immediately become one of the most coveted offensive weapons in college football.

Here are five reasons Texas should prioritize him — starting now.

1. Hawkins was literally the most productive freshman in the country

Caleb Hawkins didn’t just have a good season — he put up historic numbers.

In his true freshman year at North Texas, Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns, added 370 receiving yards and four receiving scores, and shattered freshman scoring marks that stood for over a decade.

Against San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl, he carried that dominance into the postseason with 197 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, earning game MVP honors.

That level of production isn’t college football good — it’s game-changing good.

2. Hawkins fills all of Texas’ backfield needs

Texas left 2025 without a clear lead back.

Wisner’s exit — following a season in which he led the team in rushing despite injury issues — left redshirt freshman Christian Clark and true freshman James Simon as the primary returners with any carries.

Hawkins brings the kind of physicality and finishing ability that changes defensive game plans. He doesn’t need a perfect front to be effective, and he’s demonstrated an uncanny knack for finding space even in late downs and short-yardage situations.

Texas doesn’t just need carries filled. It needs stress on defenses — and Hawkins imposes that stress by design.

3. Hawkins transforms Arch Manning’s offense

Arch Manning is a future NFL starter who carried Texas back into contention after early turbulence. But for Texas to expand its ceiling — not just stabilize — it needs an offense that threatens with a balanced attack.

With Hawkins, Manning doesn’t operate in isolation. The threat of Hawkins running downhill forces safeties and linebackers into box reckoning, opening lanes for intermediate and deep strikes that otherwise get clogged in two-deep defenses.

4. The portal race has already begun — and rivals are circling

Oklahoma, LSU, and Notre Dame have already been linked to Hawkins as soon as the portal opens Jan. 2. Oklahoma — with its own recent success retooling its roster through the portal — has reportedly begun pushing early, seeking to strike before Texas and other suitors have fully assembled their boards.

Texas can’t wait until late January, or risk Hawkins becoming yesterday’s news on signing day. If the Longhorns want him, they need to act decisively — and immediately.

5. Hawkins is young — and has room to grow into a Longhorn star

Hawkins isn’t a one-year wonder trading on a hot finish. His full 2025 body of work — including multiple four-and five-touchdown outings, huge all-purpose games, and school record performances — came across the entire season, not just flashes.

He’s been recognized nationally with conference honors and All-American freshman accolades. SI And unlike some transfer talents whose best years are behind them, Hawkins still has three years of eligibility remaining, giving Texas not just a plug-and-play weapon, but a foundational piece.

Program builders understand the value of locking in multi-year impact. Hawkins gives Texas exactly that.

Bonus reason: recruiting and momentum

Landing a four-star portal star who dominated at the FBS level sends a ripple across recruiting circles. It tells future Texas targets — defensive players, offensive skill players, linemen — that the program isn’t waiting on the sidelines. It moves in critical pursuit of difference-makers.

A commitment from Hawkins would reverberate not just on the field in ’26, but in the recruiting class that follows.

Final word

Texas needs more than production. It needs certainty — a proven game-changer who can relieve pressure on its young talent and elevate the offense into true championship contention.

Caleb Hawkins isn’t merely a portal target. He’s the kind of transformational addition that separates playoff hopefuls from title contenders.

And if the Longhorns want 2026 to be remembered for what could have been, rather than what should have been, chasing Hawkins is exactly the kind of bold pursuit that turns possibility into reality.

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