AUSTIN, Texas – Texas basketball has opened offseason training in preparation for the start of the 2026-27 college basketball season, set to begin in early November.
Longhorns' head coach Sean Miller's overhaul of last season's roster is complete, seeing 11 newcomers to the Forty Acres after last year's team made a surprise run to the Sweet 16.
Miller's club has added guards Mikey Lewis (St. Mary's), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), Mantas Laurencikas (International) and forwards David Punch (TCU), Elyjah Freeman (Auburn), Amari Evans (Tennessee) through the transfer portal – giving Texas 247Sports' fourth-ranked transfer portal class.
"The four position right now is important in college basketball, because the best teams right now have a big or someone at that position who can punish you around the basket and are also adept at going inside and out," Miller said in late May of Punch.
The 6-foot-7, 245-pounder averaged 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds while adding 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals.
"Think of a Florida, Michigan, Arizona. When you run into that type of team and you realize you don't have that type of player, it's very difficult. So, David fills that for us."
Additionally, the Longhorns' 2026 recruiting class is rated No. 1 overall in the nation.
True freshmen Marcus Spears Jr. (No. 8 overall, No. 2 PF) and Austin Goosby (No. 19 overall, No. 4 forward) lead the way as five-star talents. Four-star shooting guard Bo Ogden (No. 49 overall, No. 17 shooting guard) and four-star combo guard Joe Sterling (No. 118 overall, No 14 combo guard) also help give the Longhorns one of the most talented rosters in America.
Texas' roster transformation comes as the program has added several neutral-site games in non-conference play, hoping to prepare the club for the rigors of Southeastern Conference league play – which begins in early January.
Miller and the program recently announced a neutral-site game against in-state foe Baylor, which will be played at San Antonio's Frost Bank Center, home of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and one of the NCAA Tournament sites for the upcoming season.
"We don't have a crystal ball and it's not easy to make the NCAA Tournament, but if we are able to make the NCAA Tournament this year, there are a lot of different sites that you could go to," Miller said. "If you are fortunate enough to advance, taking nothing for granted as you have to make it and advance, along that route one of those possibilities is San Antonio and Frost Bank Center. That is not our reason for playing this game, but there is a chance that could happen, and the fact that we could already have played there one time is again, icing on the cake."
With the Horns in the midst of offseason training, here's a look at several notable player weight changes following the official roster being released.
Notable Weight changes:
Guard Mikey Lewis: 6-3, 185 (+10)
Guard Isaiah Johnson: 6-2, 182 (+12)
Guard Austin Goosby: 6-5, 205 (+19)
Guard Bo Ogden: 6-6, 215 (+20)
Guard Joe Sterling: 6-4, 205 (+25)
Forward Elyjah Freeman: 6-8, 205 (+20)
Forward Marcus Spears Jr.: 6-9, 206 (-4)
Forward John Clark: 6-9, 245 (+4)
Forward Coleman Elkins: 6-11, 235 (+5)
Center Lewis Obiorah: 7-1, 255 (+5)