Top 10 Longhorns: Simmons, Manning leads elite top-end talent
· Yahoo Sports
We are inside eight weeks until Texas football is back. As we continue to breakdown this roster as a whole, I thought giving Longhorn Nation my Top 10 players on this team heading into the season could be a good start. To me, the top 5 players are set, but can be put in any order you’d like(except No. 1), then 6-10 is relatively set but can be rearranged as well.
Here is who I tab as the Top 10 Longhorns heading into the 2026 season:
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1. Colin Simmons - EDGE
This is the easiest No. 1 ever. Colin is the best defensive player in the sport in my eyes and is absolutely the best player on the Texas roster. He’s coming off a 12 sack season after totalling 10 in his rookie campaign. I expect that number to take another step forward under Will Muschamp and him to put together an All-American campaign once again. I believe this season will put him on track for a Top 10 NFL Draft pick next April.
2. Trevor Goosby - OT
Trevor Goosby could’ve been taken in the Top 45 picks in this past NFL Draft, but he’s back in Austin. He’s been struggling with a shoulder injury but if he’s healthy by the start of the season, I believe he’s the most complete OT in the country this season. He’s not only a strong pass blocker but has asserted himself as one of the best run blocking OTs in the land. I expect a massive season from Goosby and possibly joining Colin Simmons in the NFL Draft Top 10.
3. Rasheem Biles - LB
Biles is on the roster as a LB, but he can be listed as just a football player. He is a true gamechanger and has all the ability to be an All-American this year. He’s coming off a 100 tackle, 4.5 sack, 2 FF, 1 FR, 2 INT and 2 defensive TD season. That is another true “gamewrecker” next to Colin Simmons that can be special this season. Cam Coleman was the headline catching transfer but I believe Biles was the best pickup for Texas.
4. Cam Coleman - WR
Cam Coleman has often been described as an “alien” and it’s a fair description. What Coleman can do on a football field is not typical and it’ll show consistently for Texas. His 50/50 ball ability is what is always talked about but it seems his ability after the catch has flashed this offseason. He has the ceiling of a Biletnikoff Award and another Top 10 selection for Texas come April.
5. Arch Manning - QB
This is the face of the franchise and he rounds out the Top 5 in my eyes. Manning is a special athlete and someone with as high of a ceiling as any QB to ever come through Austin. That being said, there are still some accuracy and mechanics concerns that can’t be subsided until gametime. I tend to believe he’ll answer those concerns affirmatively and have a massive season, possibly the top overall selection in the NFL Draft.
6. Jelani McDonald - S
Jelani McDonald checks in at six for me and he’s someone that could elevate his draft stock massively this offseason. If McDonald ends up in the first round of the NFL Draft, I think Texas has won a championship. His versatility and range is obvious when you watch him and I expect the Muschamp hire to benefit him massively. With Taaffe heading to the NFL, the leadership responsibility falls on McDonald and I believe he’ll be ready.
7. Ryan Wingo - WR
The addition of Cam Coleman has made some discount just how good Ryan Wingo is. There were drop issues a season ago that need to be fixed but the top-end ability is clear. He closed last season as one of the top YAC players in the country and with Coleman now, that space could increase for Wingo. In the Texas offense, there aren’t many players more important than Wingo. If he takes a step forward, the Texas passing attack would have the best WR duo in the country.
8. Hero Kanu - DT
Kanu is the next special Texas DT in my eyes. He might not be the freak Byron Murphy or T’Vondre Sweat is, but it’s rare you see him make a mistake. He’s an incredibly clean player that brings elite run defense to the table. Kanu took a step forward last season and I believe he’ll do that once again in 2026 and get talked about among the best DTs in the sport by season’s end.
9. Melvin Siani - OT
Biles and Coleman were the “crown jewels” of the transfer class but no addition was more important than Siani. He joins from Wake Forest and brings true first-round pick potential to the table. The athleticism is clear in pass protection and dominates outside zone run blocking. I believe Goosby and Siani are the best OT duo in the country and it’ll show this season.
10. Bo Mascoe - CB
Even with the players named earlier, there hasn’t been a single player getting as much constant love as Mascoe this offseason. There isn’t a person that has walked away from practice without raving about the Rutgers transfer. His ball skills are top notch and he’s a very willing tackler but the versatility has jumped out the offseason. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found his way into an All-SEC team by season’s end.
Honorable Mentions: EDGE Lance Jackson, RBs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers, WR Emmett Mosley V, LB Ty’Anthony Smith
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Top 10 Longhorns: Simmons, Manning leads elite top-end talent