How the Longhorns Fared in the 2026 NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up this weekend in Pittsburgh, and while it wasn’t the banner year Texas fans have come to expect — no first-round picks for the first time in four years — six Longhorns still heard their names called, and several more landed coveted undrafted free agent deals.
| Player | NFL Team | Round | Pick (Overall) |
| Anthony Hill Jr. | Tennessee Titans | 2 | 60 |
| Malik Muhammad | Chicago Bears | 4 | 108 |
| Trey Moore | Miami Dolphins | 4 | 115 |
| Michael Taaffe | Miami Dolphins | 5 | 150* |
| DJ Campbell | Miami Dolphins | 6 | 179 |
| Jack Endries | Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | 219 |
The Picks
Anthony Hill Jr. was the headliner, going 60th overall to the Tennessee Titans in the second round. The linebacker was a Butkus Award finalist and two-time All-American who averaged over 80 tackles per season across his three years in Austin. He heads to Nashville eager to learn under new Titans head coach Robert Saleh, who has a reputation for developing linebackers at the NFL level.
"He's the prototype linebacker in this defense. Long, fast, violent."
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 25, 2026
GM Mike Borgonzi on the Titans 2nd round pick Anthony Hill Jr. pic.twitter.com/lCqEWl8aML
Saturday’s action belonged to the defense. Malik Muhammad, a cornerback who ran a blistering 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine, was snagged by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round.
New Bears CB Malik Muhammad ran a. 4.42 forty. Only 21 years old. Just a great pick. Glad they moved up.
— Dave (@davebftv) April 25, 2026
Bears wanted speed and they continue to get that. pic.twitter.com/XQd0N9zlSC
Then came an unexpected windfall for South Florida: the Miami Dolphins selected three Longhorns in a row — linebacker Trey Moore (4th round), safety Michael Taaffe (5th round), and offensive lineman DJ Campbell (6th round).
Love to see it 🤘🐬 https://t.co/lN4qJ6gCb3
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 25, 2026
Taaffe’s story stands out: a walk-on who became a second-team All-American and racked up seven interceptions over his final three seasons. Tight end Jack Endries rounded out the class, heading to the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round.
Jack Endries gets the call 🤘 #NFLDraft@JackEndries x @Bengals pic.twitter.com/2zWTjHgVPg
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 25, 2026
On the undrafted side, cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau signed with the Dallas Cowboys, QB Matthew Caldwell with the Rams, and defensive lineman Cole Brevard with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Big Picture
The absence of a first-round pick ended a three-year streak for Texas, but six selections still reflects a program firing on all cylinders. Quarterback Arch Manning — who threw for over 3,100 yards in his first season as a starter — elected to return to Austin for another year, which may well put the Longhorns back in the first-round conversation come 2027.
Hook ‘Em.
An accident with injuries, including minors, had the southbound lanes of 183 north of 973 closed for a while around midnight last night.
Earlier in the day, two accidents occurred within minutes of each other.
Texas Department of Transportation crews will close the flyovers from northbound and southbound Interstate 35 to eastbound U.S. 290 East in North Austin this weekend to continue repairs on bridge joints that have sparked concern among drivers in recent months. The closures began Friday at 9 p.m., and the bridges will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, the department said. (Austin American-Statesman)
A longtime local confectioner is closing its doors.
Lammes Candies has been in business since 1885.
Austin kept its weird alive yesterday.
Thousands of Austinites descended on Pease Park Saturday for the 61st annual Eeyore’s Birthday Party — a free, all-day celebration complete with drum circles, face painting, costumes, and exotic animals that has become one of the city’s most beloved traditions.
First Eeyore’s Birthday
— Mackenzie Kelly (@mkelly007) April 25, 2026
No expectations, no rules, just a park full of people being exactly who they are
Somewhere between the music, the crowd, and this moment… it clicked pic.twitter.com/zGBJmzYB9k
The 100% volunteer-run event, where all vendors are nonprofits, raised money for local charities while giving Austinites a chance to do what they do best: let their freak flags fly. Born in 1964 when a UT student named Lloyd Birdwell threw a small end-of-semester bash inspired by a class on A.A. Milne, the party has since grown into one of the most iconic spring gatherings in Texas.
After nearly two months of stage three water restrictions, the City of Pflugerville says it reached an important milestone on the road to lifting those restrictions.
WEATHER
SATURDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
A dangerous day of severe weather is ahead across the Central and Southern Plains, with very large hail, damaging winds, and a few strong tornadoes possible.
— Max Velocity (@MaxVelocityWX) April 26, 2026
We will likely be LIVE later today. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/NdTIwENFVc
LAKE TRAVIS TIMELAPSE
A powerful storm passed through most of North Texas last night, packing a particular punch in and around Springtown in Parker County. One person was reportedly killed with unconfirmed reports of another.
at least two dead, injuries reported and families displaced after severe storms slam north texas, officials say https://t.co/hWGcXbsgBK
— Jörg (@jm3107) April 26, 2026
Officials in neighboring Wise County provided an update this morning:
“Responders are still encountering significant access challenges due to debris, downed utilities, and blocked roadways. Life safety, clearing safe routes and reaching affected structures remains a priority.” — Wise County Judge J.D. Clark
The new congressional seats Texas Republicans delivered for Trump by redistricting appear to have been canceled out—and then some—by Democratic states. (Texas Monthly)
According to a report by industry publication Automotive News, President Trump’s tariffs have cost the auto industry about $35 billion dollars. The owner of two Mitsubishi dealerships in North Texas talks about the effect on his business.
U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez announced that Texas will receive more than $124 million in energy revenues from offshore oil and gas production, with over $4.6 million allocated directly to his congressional district. (Texas Politics)
A flight carrying an Egyptian family to Michigan late Saturday abruptly turned around after a Texas judge ruled that the six should remain in the U.S. pending further litigation. (Texas Tribune)
Already operating on thin margins, Texas farmers are being squeezed yet again, this time by a war 7,300 miles away. The cost of fertilizer and diesel have skyrocketed since Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. And farmers have no choice but to pay the price… in more ways than one. In this episode, Y’all-itics heads to the farm to speak with farmer and rancher James Foster who explains why this is the toughest situation he’s faced in his 25 years of farming and why that group is sticking with President Donald Trump.
Guests:
James Foster, Texas Farmer
Sid Miller, Texas Agriculture Commissioner
On this week’s edition of Real Texans, Daniel Greer sits down with Chris Woolsey to talk about his work preserving Texas History by refurbishing markers all over the state. They talk about how this passion project turned into an internet sensation.
A sudden shutdown of the airspace over El Paso back in February led to widespread confusion. We’ll hear about the inter-agency feuds that have given way to even more questions.
(Episode from April 24, 2026)
After a contentious Democratic primary, James Talarico is making a big push to win over Black voters, many of whom had backed his opponent, Jasmine Crockett. In an exclusive interview at Prairie View A&M University, Talarico explains what he’s doing to win them over and talks about his relationship with Crockett. “There is no way to win Texas without Black voters,” Talarico says. In Dallas and Houston, Talarico lost 9 out of every 10 Black voters to Crockett. Can he win them back?
(Episode from April 24, 2026)
An off-duty Harris County deputy was injured in a drive-by shooting while in bed, Houston police say.
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASEBALL: The fourth-ranked University of Texas baseball team was blanked for the first time this season, falling to Vanderbilt, 6-0, at Hawkins Field on Saturday night. After the Longhorns (31-9, 12-7 SEC) scored 11 runs in the series opener, the Commodores (26-18, 10-10 SEC) held the visitors to five hits one evening later. (Texas Longhorns)
SERIES FINALE TODAY
MLB: For the second day in a row, the Texas Rangers get a W while the Houston Astros earn the L.
Josh Jung hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning in the Texas Rangers’ 4-3 victory over the Athletics on Saturday night. Jung muscled an inside slider for an opposite-field homer into the home bullpen in right-center following Corey Seager’s single to help the Rangers tie the A’s atop the AL West at 14-13. (Associated Press)
Austin Wells hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and the New York Yankees extended their winning streak to eight games with an 8-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. (Associated Press via CBS News)
ON THE SCHEDULE
The Astros will try and avoid the sweep today while the Rangers look to complete a sweep of the A’s.
NBA PLAYOFFS: Will Wemby be back today for San Antonio?
Mitch Johnson says the team is still working with the NBA on Victor Wembanyama progressing through the concussion protocol. The Spurs play Game 4 tomorrow against the Blazers at 12:30 PT. pic.twitter.com/oVuaqQSTR5
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) April 25, 2026
The Houston Rockets are on the verge of elimination.
LeBron James through 3 playoff games against Houston:
— RotoWire (@RotoWire) April 25, 2026
41 minutes per game
25.3 PPG on 47.4/43.8/68.2 efficiencies
9.7 RPG, 8.7 APG and 2.7 stocks
At age 41 without Luka or Reaves, LeBron has the Lakers in position to sweep the Rockets in Round 1 of the playoffs 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WhAZppwyOy
Matt Boldy scored on a deflection with 28.9 seconds left in the first overtime and the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Saturday in Game 4 to tie the first-round NHL playoff series. (Associated Press)
Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist left Saturday's game in the second period when he was hit in the face by a skate. https://t.co/vs9sVIALcp
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) April 26, 2026
TUESDAY, APRIL 27: GAME 5
MLS: Austin FC defeated in-state rivals Houston Dynamo FC 2-0 on Saturday night behind goals from Jayden Nelson and Myrto Uzuni. (Austin FC)
ON THE SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, MAY 3
HOUSTON
A city known for its oil industry, its major sports, and of course NASA. Sitting in the Southern portion of the United States it has become one of the most recognized cities in America.
But hidden in plain sight is something strange. When you look at Houston from a distance, the skyline feels incomplete. Instead of one continuous cluster of tall buildings, the city is broken into pieces. There is a skyline in Downtown, one in Uptown, and others all across the area. Each separated by miles of low‑rise development.
So how did this happen?
A look at the unusual reason Houston has such a complicated skyline and the choices that led to it. Also explore parts of the city’s planning to better understand how Houston ended up this way and what it can still show us today.
