Senior Hero Kanu combines with Michael Taaffe to make the tackle on Wildcat Seth McGowan against Kentucky on Oct. 18, 2025.
In a shocking move a little before a week before their Cheez-It Citrus Bowl date with the Michigan Wolverines, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and co. fired longtime defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski after fielding one of the most consistent units in the nation.
On the same day, Will Muschamp, a former Texas defensive coordinator under Mack Brown over 15 years ago and two-time head coach in the Southeastern Conference, was hired to replace Kwiatkowski for 2026 and beyond.
The majority of the roster that will be under his tutelage next season were too young to remember his first stint in Austin. But they do remember his iconic whiteboard video that still circulates during football season from time to time.
“I’ve obviously heard of him. I’ve seen the video of him hitting the board and stuff,” sophomore edge Lance Jackson said. “I knew when he first came in here, he was the real deal.”
For the past couple of seasons, Muschamp served as a defensive analyst for the Georgia Bulldogs, a team that has taken down the Longhorns three times since Texas entered the conference.
The addition of Muschamp brings a new defensive scheme, much different from the scheme that the returning Longhorns have been used to in the Kwiatkowski system. He has been known for his aggressive, “in-your-face” defense.
“He pushes us every day, he wants nothing but the best,” junior linebacker Colin Simmons said. “He’s gonna get the best out of you. I’m just glad that we got a dog on our team.”
That attitude and mindset also translate to the practice field, with Muschamp expecting a high level of intensity from his defense.
“The energy is a little bit different (from before) — that’s one thing he’s bringing every day into meetings,” senior defensive linebacker Hero Kanu said. “It can be 6 a.m. in the morning. It doesn’t matter. He’s bringing energy and obviously the knowledge of the game, and he’s been in this business for a long time.”
While Muschamp has that classic intensity in meetings, at practice or on gameday, his players have rallied around his personality and have full confidence in his new-look defense.
“(Muschamp) … that’s my guy, I love him,” Kanu said. “I love the scheme we have here. I feel like everybody’s in the position they’re supposed to be in.”
Despite being on the job for just over three months, Muschamp has already been making changes not only to the scheme, but to the players’ physiques to better fit his defense.
Kanu and Jackson both put on more weight since the Longhorns’ Cheez-It Citrus Bowl victory. It was one of the first things that Muschamp told Jackson when the two first met shortly after his hiring in December.
“He wanted me at 270, 275 playing,” Jackson said, “I’m also gonna be moving around, be very versatile this year … I also feel very athletic at what I’m at right now. So I can still move around. I can still drop if I need to. I can do everything.”
Although the adjustment to Muschamp’s defense is going to be a learning curve for the returners, transfers and freshmen alike, Sarkisian has full confidence in the defensive install already underway.
“There’s something about Will and his presence,” Sarkisian said Monday. “I can trust in knowing he’s going to get that message conveyed to whether it’s the rest of the defensive staff or the defensive players.”