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Texas football player's dad threatens to expose the Longhorns.
The Texas football team will start its 2026 season in less than two weeks. Locker room storylines have created drama with the opener quickly approaching.
One player’s father threatened to expose the Longhorns in a cryptic online message. He didn’t play the “politic games.” His son is paying the price!
Hayward Howard Sr. took to social media to attack the program over the weekend. It comes with his son battling for positioning on the depth chart ahead of his freshman year.
Texas football player’s dad rips Longhorns.
A LOT OF BULLS— GOING ON AT TEXAS AS A PARENT, I’M VERY DISAPPOINTED
I DID NOT PLAY THE POLITIC GAMES MY SON PLAY FOOTBALL IN HE DOES IT VERY WELL!!!
ITS A LOT OF S— GOING ON YALL DONT KNOW IN IM ABOUT TO EXPOSE THIS S—
Hayward Howard Jr. is a first-year defensive back from New Orleans, Louisiana. He signed with the Longhorns over offers from Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, LSU, Miami, and more.
The four-star defender shined in spring practice. Still, he is expected to be a depth player as a rookie.
Howard Sr. played football at Ole Miss in the mid-2000s. He was a defensive lineman in Oxford. It’s unclear exactly what his cryptic social media post is referencing.
Playing time? NIL? Both are legitimate possibilities, though the terms of his contract would likely have been agreed upon at signing.
Regardless of the reasoning, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The optics are made poorer when accompanied by the recent dismissal of linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith.
Has Steve Sarkisian lost the locker room?
The Longhorns dismissed their veteran defender.
Smith enrolled at Texas in 2024. He’s played in 29 games, making major impacts as a sophomore in ’25. The linebacker racked up 60 tackles last year to go along with two interceptions. He was expected to play a large role on defense this season.
That will no longer be the case. He was booted for conduct detrimental to the team.
Sark’s full quote on Ty’Anthony Smith’s dismissal…#Texas | #Hookem pic.twitter.com/THckhhKra5
— Anne-Parker (Coleman) Clifton (@anneparkercole1) August 22, 2026
No specific reason was given for the departure. Was it politics? We do not know.
Texas will look to move past the off-field drama and continue prepping for the 2026 football season. The Longhorns take on Texas State in Week 1 before a showdown with top-ranked Ohio State the following Saturday.