Every year there seems to be one or two freshmen who stand out during spring practice and end up earning a legitimate role for Texas in the regular season. Last year it was CB Graceson Littleton, and the season before it was DE Colin Simmons, before that it was C.J. Baxter, etc.
Despite not coming away with the No.1-ranked recruiting class as they did in 2025, Texas still brought in some incredibly talented players on both sides of the ball.
Here are a few incoming freshmen who could see the field fairly regularly in 2026:
5-star ATH/WR Jermaine Bishop
It's no secret that Bishop is an elite athlete, and someone that Texas desperately wanted in the 2026 recruiting class. Simply based on how incredibly high this coaching staff is on Bishop, there's a very real chance that he could work his way into the two-deep at "Z" or in the slot as a true freshman.
He needs to gain some weight within the next 6 months or so, as he's only around 160 lbs. right now but his ability to glide around the football field and change directions at the drop of a dime is second to none in the class. He's going to be incredibly fun to watch in the spring, and if he performs like he should, it won't be surprising to see him carve out a legitimate role at wide receiver by the time the 2026 season gets here.
4-star LB Tyler Atkinson
Similar to Bishop on offense, the Longhorns were elated to lock up Atkinson in 2026. He won just about every high school defensive award out there as a senior, and he was Texas' top-ranked defensive player in the class.
Being able to move around like a defensive back and lay the wood at 215 pounds is one of the main reasons why the team was so invested in him throughout the recruiting process. He's an above-average processor against the run, being able to consistently read and slip under/around blocks to make stops at the LOS. Atkinson is also a deadly interior blitzer as he absolutely destroyed teams on delayed blitzes and interior stunts. It's going to be hard for Will Muschamp to keep him off the field in 2026 alongside Rasheem Biles and Ty'Anthony Smith, especially if they want Brad Spence to focus on being more of an edge rusher this season.
4-star LB Kosi Okpala
Okpala was a highly-ranked recruit in 2026, but he hasn't been talked about a lot yet. He played both DE and LB for Mayde Creek HS (Houston, TX) and it's possible that he ends up having a similar skillset to Brad Spence for the Longhorns. Someone who can play off-ball a bit, but could be better with his hand in the dirt. Whatever the case, the 6'2", 230-pound defender could be an under-the-radar star heading into the spring.
The coaching staff is already raving about how he's performing in the weight room, and there's a good chance that he carries that momentum over to the field when the team begins spring practice in March. Is he going to start at SAM? No. Could he impress the coaching staff enough to get legitimate rotational reps at that spot? Probably.