Sean Miller won’t ever admit it, but this spring is clear proof of concept of why he left Xavier for the Texas gig 16 months ago. Xavier has good money (coach Richard Pitino testified in a Hamilton County courtroom that Xavier spent over $14 million on its roster), but Texas has great money. Cash does not guarantee wins in college basketball, but it sure doesn’t hurt. Miller, armed with one of the best NIL budgets in the country, emerged as a real free agency winner, notching victories in every avenue of roster building:
- Texas retained its best big man.
- Texas landed top talent in the transfer portal.
- Texas reeled in a top-five recruiting class with a pair of five-star prospects in tow.
This is the recipe for championship contention, but now the real work begins.
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of this Longhorns’ group.
Projected starting lineup
1. G Isaiah Johnson | 6-2 | 182 | So.
Johnson was one of the youngest freshmen in the country last year at Colorado and still blowtorched the Big 12 to the tune of 16.9 points and 3.0 assists with impeccable shooting splits (38% from 3, 57% from 2 and 82% at the free throw line). The 6-foot-2 guard isn’t the biggest, but he mixes speed and strategy to be a total terror. Johnson shot a mind-blowing 68% at the rim on 72 halfcourt attempts a season ago. The craft, the body control, the stop-start, the creative finishes. Johnson has all of it. He’ll pressure the rim by land or by sea next season for Texas.
Some question whether Johnson is a traditional point guard, but that’s not much of a concern for me. The days of an old-school, pass-first point guard are dead and buried. It’s more about creating advantages, and Johnson does just that with feathery drives, slick pull-ups and turbo jets in transition. Johnson carried a huge burden for Colorado last year and only turned it over 1.4 times per game while posting a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. That’s excellent stuff, especially in a Big 12 that featured some elite defenses. Johnson passed those tests with flying colors
- Arizona, No. 2 in defensive efficiency: 28 points on 14 shots with five assists, two turnovers, 139 offensive rating.
- Houston, No. 4 in defensive efficiency: 19 points on nine shots with four assists, two turnovers, 148 offensive rating.
- Iowa State, No. 5 in defensive efficiency: 24 points on 13 shots with two assists, one turnover, 132 offensive rating.
Johnson’s turnover depression paired with his rim pressure and his off-ball versatility (he shot 38% on 108 catch-and-shoot 3s last year) makes him such an easy player to insert into this Texas offense. Johnson is a dude.
2. G Austin Goosby | 6-5 | 205 | Fr.
The preseason camp battles for a starting spot will be fierce, but Goosby has a real shot to elevate into one of Texas’ most valuable players. The five-star guard checks off a ton of boxes as an impactful connector who can grow into a major difference-maker. Goosby has terrific positional size, sharp defensive instincts and the versatility to play on or off the ball.
That makes him an ideal partner next to Johnson in this backcourt. Goosby can defend the big guards that could try to overwhelm Johnson. He can be an initiator and run the point for stretches. He can pop off the ball and knock down open 3s or attack closeouts efficiently. I like the idea of pairing a high-feel big guard like Goosby with an undersized bucket-getter like Johnson. Goosby covers up Johnson’s weaknesses defensively, and Johnson’s slashing can make life easier for Goosby offensively.
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3. G/F Elyjah Freeman | 6-8 | 205 | Jr.
There was room at the inn for a slashing wing when Dailyn Swain left Texas to be a first-round pick. Freeman should get a chance to slide into that slot. The Auburn transfer is a big-time athlete (30 dunks) who has tantalizing moments. When Freeman can catch-and-go from the slots, he’s almost impossible to keep off the rim. He also shot 34% from 3-point range on 102 attempts last year while being an impactful rebounder. He notched multiple offensive rebounds in 23 of 38 games for Auburn.
Freeman can average double digits without a play being run for him next season. There are multiple buckets to be had in transition, especially with how good Texas will be on the boards. Attack a long closeout. Drill an open triple. Get on the glass for a putback or a trip to the foul line. Taking advantage of the easy stuff should raise Freeman’s utility.
4. F David Punch | 6-7 | 245 | Jr.
Punch is a needle-moving addition. The 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward is a straight dawg. The TCU transfer was one of the best defensive players in the portal. He owns nearly a 7-foot wingspan, and that showed up on the defensive end with deflections, steals and blocks. Partially by scheme and personnel, Texas’ defense did not force takeaways last year, rating 355th nationally in turnover rate.
That will change with Punch in the mix.
His switchability and aggressiveness will bring an edge to this Texas defense. He can root out centers, battle power forwards, switch onto slippery guards and everything in between. Punch adds plenty of secondary rim protection, rugged rebounding and real utility offensively because he’s a willing passer, sharp cutter and a physical mismatch threat. Punch only made 11 3-pointers last year, but he impacts winning whether the jumper is going in or not.
There’s plenty of optimism that Punch could also be more of a threat as a shooter next season after an offseason eye surgery. Punch was one of the hidden secrets in college basketball this time last year.
They know his name now.
Punch is set for an All-SEC campaign in 2026-27.
Texas’ David Punch shared something with me that not a lot of people know about… 👀 pic.twitter.com/dKRpdpOTQV
— Christian Odjakjian (@OdjHoops) July 24, 2026
5. C Matas Vokietaitis | 7-0 | 255 | Jr.
Many coaches love the jump that comes after a freshman becomes a sophomore. That happened for Vokietaitis, who transformed into a 15-point, 7-rebound machine at Texas after transferring from Florida Atlantic.
Another under-the-radar subplot is the jump that transfers make in their second year with their new team. That’s a scary proposition for a player like Vokietaitis who is so clearly a monster but has real areas to grow, as well.
The 7-foot junior drew the third-most fouls (8.3 per 40 minutes) in all of college basketball last season. His motor and physicality will be the calling card yet again. But it came at a cost. There were times when the human wrecking ball … wrecked his own team with inexplicable fouls and shoddy decision-making. Eliminating those F-minus plays from the portfolio should make Vokietaitis one of the SEC’s premier big men.
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Off the bench
F Marcus Spears Jr. | 6-10 | 210 | Fr.
Spears was the No. 1-rated recruit in the Class of 2027, but he chose to reclassify to 2026 and join Texas instantly. The 17-year-old forward will play college basketball for two years before being draft-eligible in 2028.
Spears is poised to be an excellent piece for Texas from the jump. The lanky lefty plays incredibly hard. He’ll chase down offensive boards, fly up and down the floor, bring it on the defensive end and help protect the rim. Punch is the starting 4-man. Vokietaitis will start at the 5. But Spears still has a chance for plenty of minutes at the 3 or the 4. Texas can trot out some enormous lineups with Spears, Punch and Vokietaitis on the floor together. Or Texas can flip its defensive coverages into some switch-everything lineups with Spears at the 4 and Punch shifting to a small-ball 5.
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That’s the beauty of this addition. Spears possesses a sky-high upside, but he can operate as a valuable blend piece for Texas while he develops his body and refines his offensive craft. He may not mirror Caleb Wilson’s season at UNC, but that type of athlete with that type of motor can be one heck of a college basketball player. If Spears is a good rotation player in Year 1 and a star in Year 2, no one would be surprised.
G Mikey Lewis | 6-3 | 195 | Jr.
Texas needed a veteran who can shoot, and Lewis will be up to the task. The Saint Mary’s transfer shot over 37% from downtown in back-to-back seasons for a Gaels’ club that earned two No. 7 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. He’s played in big games. He’s made big shots. He could very well push past Goosby to start at the 2 next to Johnson, and he gives Miller another guard who can play on the ball.
There’s a lot to like about this addition if he’s the first guard off the bench, but there are some red flags, too. Lewis shot just 48% on layups in the WCC. What does that look like in the SEC, which is easily the most athletic league in the country?
G Amari Evans | 6-5 | 220 | So.
Evans certainly looks the part of a real-deal defensive specialist. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard did not look like a freshman physically this past season at Tennessee. If offense is the name of the game for Lewis, defense will be the name of the game for Evans. That’s his path to carving out minutes for this club at the 2 or the 3.
But there may be more meat on the bone here offensively. Evans can uncork some bouldering drives where he sends smaller guards into the stanchion. He has to shoot it better (22% from 3-point range on 50 attempts), but there’s a useful cutter, offensive rebounder and slasher in here somewhere. Evans is a legitimate SEC rotation piece … and he could be the eighth man for this club. That’s the type of roster Texas has put together.
G Bo Ogden | 6-6 | 215 | Fr.
Ogden is a big wing who can put the ball in the bucket. The 6-foot-6 freshman shot over 46% from 3-point range on seven attempts during the Adidas 3SSB circuit last year. He is also not afraid to stick his face in the fan on the glass. Ogden should have every opportunity to carve out a role for this loaded roster even in Year 1.
G Joe Sterling | 6-4 | 205 | Fr.
Sterling has an uphill climb to earn real minutes in this jam-packed backcourt, but the four-star prospect is the closest thing to a movement shooter on this roster. That can earn him some tick, and he’s got plenty of game off the bounce to get to his knockdown fadeaway jumper. Sterling has earned the reputation as a flat-out worker and a vicious competitor. Those intangibles could be separators in the heated camp battles.
F John Clark | 6-9 | 245 | R-Fr.
I’m curious if Punch or one of these young bigs will be Texas’ best option at the 5 when Vokietaitis is in foul trouble or needs a rest. Clark redshirted last year, but he’s packed on at least 15 pounds since getting to Austin. His physicality, rebounding and 7-foot wingspan give him the tools to earn the backup 5 spot.
G Mantas Laurencikas | 6-3 | 185 | Fr.
Laurencikas is a Lithuanian point guard who could push for the backup point guard spot. His feel for the game and pace in pick-and-rolls are Laurencikas’ top calling cards, but his transition to the athleticism of the SEC could be a stumbling block.
Filling out the roster
- F Coleman Elkins | 6-11 | 235 | Fr.
- C Lewis Obiorah | 7-1 | 255 | So.
- G Anthon McDermott | 6-5 | 200 | Jr.
Market watch
Odds to win 2026 NCAA Tournament (via Fanduel): +1500, fourth-best odds
Texas enters 2026-27 as a potential top-10 team for just the third time since 2010. Year after year, the Final Four is littered with teams with the best frontcourts in the sport. Texas should have that type of blueprint. Punch’s grit paired with Vokietaitis’ physicality is one of the biggest reasons for optimism for Texas next winter. This is a unit that will knock some teeth out, in all the best ways.
There’s proven college talent here (Vokietaitis, Punch, Johnson) mixed with NBA talent (Spears, Goosby) and tons of sharp role-player bets.
But winning is hard, especially for a brand-new team. Michigan may have won the title with four transfers in the starting lineup, but Dusty May also had four rotation players who had been there and done that for a year in his system. Texas has just one (Vokietaitis).
This could take time, and development is essential for Texas to reach the peak of its powers. But when you rebound, you have a really high floor, and Texas is going to be a monster on the boards. If a couple of these young bucks pop, Texas is primed to make a real run both in the SEC and in the Big Dance.
