With Longhorns out of reach, why UTSA now can aim for better targets

UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor cautioned against expecting a miracle when his team faced Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The Longhorns, often referred to as the best team in the country, presented a formidable challenge for the financially constrained UTSA Roadrunners. Traylor himself acknowledged this reality, stating that winning against Texas with their current budget was more attainable than beating the Longhorns.

The game's outcome, a 30-6 victory for Texas, reinforced this perspective. The UTSA players noted the disparity between their team and the Longhorns, with linebacker Brandon Tucker commenting that the Longhorns appeared overbudget and extravagant. While Traylor predicted that money played a significant role in the game, resulting in Texas scoring five times as many points as UTSA, he emphasized that the Roadrunners still managed to compete.

In return for their efforts, UTSA received a $1.7 million payout, which could cover nearly half of their estimated $4 million player payroll. Despite the loss, Traylor expressed pride in his team's performance, particularly their defense's strong play against Texas' star quarterback Arch Manning. However, he also admitted that the team would likely lose more players to the transfer portal, necessitating another round of rebuilding.

Traylor's optimistic outlook suggests that UTSA will continue to target and compete against other ACC teams in the future, with North Texas, Tulane, Memphis, and South Florida being among their primary goals.