Texas football will hold its first scrimmage of the Fall today at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin today. The controlled team scrimmage will be closed to the public and media. But we should have a better idea of who is ahead in some key position battles by day's end.
The return of offensive lineman Cole Hutson for another season is welcome news for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. But it does complicate the left guard position battle, which on paper, is one of the weakest position groups on the team.
The emergence of Justus Terry at defensive tackle has put the spot more in play than it was after spring football. And a change in philosophy has 2025 starting linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith in danger of losing his spot.
With starting spots to figure out on the offensive line, defensive line and at linebacker, Saturday's scrimmage takes on added importance for Texas football. https://t.co/ddCWjHe872
— Austin Statesman (@statesman) August 14, 2026
There is a lot of intrigue around Saturday's full pad scrimmage. Here's is a look at what's at stake.
Texas Longhorns Left Guard
Can Cole Hutson win back the job? Granted a fifth season after a court ruling, Hudson is trying to go from Cowboys and Browns mini-camp reject to regaining his starting spot at left guard. But he has competition.
The rest of the offensive line seems set. Trevor Goosby is locked in a left tackle, Connor Robertson is the starting center, right guard Brandon Baker and right tackle Melvin Siani have stepped into the starting spots at right guard and right tackle respectively. But left guard is still up in the air.
Portal signees Dylan Sikorski from Oregon State and Western Kentucky's Laurence Seymore III have been in a spirited battle for the starting spot all offseason. But the return of Hutson changes the competition. Could Sark go with familiarity or try to find a better solution?
Texas Longhorns Defensive Tackle
One of the most talked about players this fall has been DT Justus Terry. The 6-foot-5, 289-pound sophomore from Georgia appeared in all 10 games as a freshman but didn’t record a sack or a tackle for a loss. That should change in 2026.
A highly hyped five-star that committed late in the recruiting process, there are lofty expectations for Terry. This could be the season he ascends to the starting spot next to returning starter Hero Kanu.
Arkansas transfer Ian Geffrad is more of the traditional defensive tackle size at 6-foot-5, 375-pounds. But Terry is more athletic and explosive.
Whoever wins the starting spot, there will be a lot of rotation along the defensive line.
Texas Longhorns Linebacker
As of right now, it appears Ty’Anthony Smith has lost his starting spot at linebacker. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's system relies more on size than speed at linebacker. So far in fall camp, Smith has been working as the fourth linebacker in Muschamp's 4-3 system.
Pitt transfer Raheem Biles and Florida State transfer Justin Cryer seem locked into a starting spot. At 6-foot-2, 249-pounds, converted edge rusher Brad Spence gives the linebackers more size and power to a group that struggled against the run last year.
Smith is a ballhawk who’s already played in 28 games with 76 career tackles. No Texas linebacker has more experience than the 6-foot-1, 214-pound junior. If he has a strong scrimmage, Smith could re-emerge as the starter.
“We all know the athleticism of Ty’Anthony, and he's starting to flash more,” Sarkisian said after Monday’s practice. “He flashed more today than he has in any practice, which is a good sign.”
We should know a lot more about who will start for the Texas Longhorns for the Sept. 5 season opener against Texas State.
Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire and @TreyLuerssen for more.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Key position battles could be decided in Saturday's Texas scrimmage