Spring football officially begins for Texas on March 9th, with a 15-session practice schedule leading up to the Spring Game on April 18th.
Though the Longhorns are pretty much set at most spots on both offense and defense, there are a few interesting position battles that'll be taking place during the spring.
Let's dive into them:
Boundary CB: Bo Mascoe vs. Kobe Black
Both players are prototypical boundary corners with great length and coverage ability. Though Texas Cornersbacks coach Mark Orphey already has a relationship with Mascoe from his Rutgers days, Kobe Black rescinded his name from the portal for a reason.
Blake Gideon liked Black when he was a true freshman in 2024, and he was undoubtedly the one who coerced Black to stay in Austin last month. I'm not saying this position battle is going to pit the two coaches against each other; it's just that both of these guys will definitely have a 50/50 chance to win the starting job in the spring. This is sort of in response to the rumors flying around that it's basically Mascoe's job to lose, which is certainly not the case.
There's going to be an incredible amount of talent at cornerback in 2026, and these two players have the talent and overall skillset to be week-one starters. The coaching staff is going to have a really hard time deciding on this one.
Strong DE: Lance Jackson vs. Zina Umeozulu
Jackson had an excellent season as a true freshman in 2025, showing off his strength and maturity early on in the year. He played quite a bit on the strong side for former DC Pete Kwiatkowski, and should be heading into 2026 in a good position to win the full-time job.
Umeozulu, on the other hand, kind of transformed himself into an Ethan Burke-type of player who can do a little bit of everything for Texas. He gained some weight (up to around 270 lbs.), and figures to compete with Jackson for that strong side edge in Will Muschamp's defense. Though it "feels" like Jackson will be the starter opposite Colin Simmons in 2026, don't count Umeozulu out just yet.
Like Kobe Black, he also chose to take his name out of the transfer portal last month.
TE: Nick Townsend vs. Emaree Winston
The coaching staff has said that they're excited to see Townsend catching more footballs this spring, which is the exact opposite of what he did last year as a true freshman. Steve Sarkisian used him as more of a motion blocker on split-zone plays and different wham variations in the run game.
Though Townsend could very well be the guy that Texas hopes he can be, fellow sophomore TE Emaree Winston is the player who shows the most intriguing traits when it comes to that type of player. Winston's compact frame (6'1", 237 lbs.) allows him to be a surprisingly good route-runner due to his choppy feet and flexibility.
No, he doesn't have ideal size, but he feels very Delanie Walker-ish in terms of what he can do on the field. In Sarkisian's offense, being undersized at tight end doesn't really matter as he likes to "platoon" that position in different scenarios. Michigan State's Michael Masunas was brought in this offseason to be the in-line guy alongside Spencer Shannon. It's not hard to see that Townsend and Winston will be the ones battling it out to be the main receiving tight end in 2026.
On paper, Winston looks to be the best option for that "F" or move-tight end at Texas, but Townsend could surprise everyone and run away with the job in spring.
Stay tuned!