Former UGA analyst Will Muschamp considered 'X factor' for SEC power
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The Texas Longhorns are looking to end their 20+ year national championship drought in 2026. The Longhorns spared no expense this offseason. Texas aggressively hit the transfer portal and spent a lot of money to retain their roster. One key part of Texas' spending frenzy was hiring Georgia Bulldogs defensive analyst Will Muschamp for $2.8 million annually to become Texas' defensive coordinator.
ESPN named Texas' addition of Will Muschamp as the Longhorns' X factor for the 2026 college football season. Muschamp is hoping to improve Texas' defense, which was not bad under Pete Kwiatkowski in recent seasons. The Longhorns allowed just 20.3 points per game in 2025, which was sixth in the SEC.
Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian are banking on better defensive play this year. Texas has notably lost to Georgia three times since joining the SEC. The Bulldogs have Texas' number, so it makes sense why Texas wanted part of coach Kirby Smart's coaching staff.
What ESPN said about Will Muschamp
"Steve Sarkisian made arguably the boldest move of his head coaching career by the same-day announcement that he had fired Pete Kwiatkowski, his defensive coordinator since 2021, and brought Will Muschamp back to Austin, where he had previously served as Mack Brown's defensive coordinator," Dave Wilson wrote.
"The Longhorns have lost to Georgia three times in 2024 and 2025, and Sarkisian went to Kirby Smart's defensive staff in an aggressive move to reshape the Longhorns' defense. Muschamp's style has drawn raves from players in spring practice, but he hasn't called plays since 2020. Sarkisian's move was made with a national championship in mind. Texas is loaded and Muschamp will be able to turn the Horns loose."
This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Former UGA analyst Will Muschamp considered 'X factor' for SEC power
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