Texas State football: 5 things to know about Texas Longhorns in Week 1 matchup

Texas State football's 2026-27 season kicks off Saturday against the Texas Longhorns, perhaps its toughest matchup of the season. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian spoke to the media Monday, sharing his thoughts on his program's preparedness and Texas State's rising status through the college ranks.

"A ton of respect for GJ Kinne and the job he's done at Texas State," Sarkisian said. "They're elevated as a program. They're now in the Pac-12, and he's got a really good football team."

Here's what to know about the Longhorns before Saturday's game.

Four Longhorns might be selected in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft.

That list starts with quarterback Arch Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning . He struggled as a starter last year before finding his groove in the back half of the season, throwing for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 61.4% of his passes. The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner has him going No. 1 overall in his preseason 2027 NFL mock draft.

Left tackle Trevor Goosby, edge rusher Colin Simmons and wide receiver Cam Coleman also are projected to go within the top 10 picks of the mock draft.

Texas fired defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkoski after last season, hiring former South Carolina and Florida head coach (and also former UT defensive coordinator) Will Muschamp as his replacement.

The Longhorns speak highly of Muschamp, who demands physicality and accountability in his practices. Sarkisian has praised the coach's defensive mind and brought him in to field a "more aggressive defense." This entails fewer schemes designed to limit big plays and more press coverage designed to stop easy, short completions.

Sarkisian said that aggressiveness does not entail recklessness. Even so, he's not naive to the idea that the adjustment to the scheme might take some time.

"There'll be some growing pains, but that's OK, too. That's part of this process," Sarkisian said.

Texas took a step back in 2025, missing the College Football Playoff after two consecutive berths in 2023 and 2024. Sarkisian said Monday the previous year's roster was "probably a little too young around Arch." Texas responded by piecing together the No. 2-ranked transfer portal class, according to 247Sports' composite ratings.

Coleman highlights the group as a 6-foot-3, 201-pound wideout who can be Manning's true No. 1 target. The Longhorns also added two of the best running backs on the market - Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown - to bolster the rushing attack.

Linebackers Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer were other huge wins after linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. left for the NFL.

Texas LT Trevor Goosby is questionable to play

Goosby opted to return to Austin for his redshirt junior season and is one of the nation's top left tackles. He suffered a knee injury two weeks ago, and while he's questionable for Saturday, Sarkisian said Goosby and left guard Laurence Seymore III practiced Monday.

"Both Trevor and Laurence practiced today, and I thought they both looked really good," Sarkisian said.

If the two are unable to play, Andre Cojoe will start at left tackle and Dylan Sikorski at left guard.

Sarkisian, Kinne have different philosophies

Kinne and Sarkisian are two of the best play-calling head coaches in the country. But though both coach in the Lone Star State, they run vastly different schemes.

Texas leans into a pro-style approach. Sarkisian has spent time in the NFL and uses a variation of the West Coast offense pioneered by Bill Walsh. Meanwhile, Kinne is from the Gus Malzahn coaching tree. Sarkisian compared Texas State's offense to Tennessee and LSU, mentioning the up-tempo approach and the wide receivers' big splits.

"It's tough to defend. It's unique in that way that you're not facing it every week, and so you've got to spend a little time to get ready for it," Sarkisian said.