Texas Shifts Offense to Involve Brown and Tight Ends
Coach Steve Sarkisian admits the Longhorns' passing game leaned too heavily on receivers before the team's Saturday night loss at LSU.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Football
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged the Longhorns' offense was too receiver-centric to start the 2026 season. The team is now involving running back Raleek Brown and tight ends more often in passing plays.
Why it matters
The adjustment signals a shift in how Texas distributes the ball across its offense after an uneven start. Spreading targets to backs and tight ends could change how opposing defenses must prepare.
Brown's recent production jumped sharply, with eight catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns across the last two games after 10 catches for 28 yards in the first seven. Michael Masunas also logged five catches for 52 yards in two of the last three games against Ole Miss and Missouri.
The players
Steve Sarkisian
Sarkisian is the head football coach at Texas, known for his background as an offensive coordinator and play-caller at multiple major programs.
Raleek Brown
Brown is a Texas running back who previously played as a receiver at USC before transferring to the Longhorns.
The details
Sarkisian said the offense had become too receiver-centric and needed to involve more players. Texas is now getting the ball to running back Raleek Brown through the air, and tight ends have been involved in passing plays that moved the ball forward.
Timeline
2022: Brown caught 16 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman at USC.
First seven games of 2026: Brown caught 10 passes for 28 yards.
Saturday night before November 10, 2026: Texas played at LSU.
Last two games of 2026: Brown recorded eight catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
Season Trajectory
The adjustment comes after Texas's receiver-heavy approach produced limited output through the first seven games of 2026. Broadening the passing game to backs and tight ends could reshape the team's offensive identity as it heads into the remainder of its schedule.
Brown's rising role matters for fantasy managers tracking Texas backs, since his recent eight catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns show a larger receiving share. Tight end usage shifting upward could also change how Texas passing targets are distributed week to week.
The takeaway
The Longhorns' offensive reset shows how quickly a team can rebalance its passing targets when early results fall short. Watching how Brown and the tight ends perform in upcoming games will reveal whether the change holds.
Further reading
For more on how the Longhorns are building their offense, see Football coverage across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 247Sports.
