Texas’ true freshman trio are getting so much Spring hype it doesn't sound real

It's no secret that Texas' coaching staff was excited about this year's crop of incoming freshmen, but three specific names have been consistently brought up as early standouts, and all of them at the same position.

Longhorns LB Coach Johnny Nansen has been absolutely raving about the true freshman trio of Tyler Atkinson, Rocky Cummings, and Kosi Okpala since the moment that they stepped on campus earlier this year.

After the first few weeks of Spring, he's decided to level up on the praise and drop a fairly big declaration:

Nansen recently said that Atkinson, Cummings, and Okpala are the most talented group of freshmen he’s had to work with throughout his entire coaching career.

The fact that Coach Nansen, who's been coaching at the collegiate level since 1999 and at schools like USC and Washington, said something like that is absolutely wild and exciting.

This type of thing is excellent to hear when it comes to someone like Rocky Cummings. He was one of the more under-the-radar recruits in the entire class, but he eventually began to rise of boards right before he committed.

Everyone knew that Tyler Atkinson was going to be a stud from day one, so hearing this type of thing only solidifies his high-profile status as one of the team's top recruits in the 2026 class. There's a very good chance that Atkinson is a full-time player on special teams as a true freshman, and if he stays consistent throughout summer and fall practices, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him see earn some time as a rotational WILL/MIKE in year one.

Okpala on the other hand is a bigger player (6'3", 240 lbs.) and has been working solely at SAM throughout the spring. His above-average length and frame will allow him to be utilized in some exciting ways for Will Muschamp and Co. soon.

Stay tuned for more Texas football Spring coverage!