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Texas Newcomers Answered Big Questions in Dominant Performance

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Texas Newcomers Answered Big Questions in Dominant Performance


After losing 11 players to the 2024 NFL Draft, many questions were asked about the Texas Longhorns football team entering its first year under Steve Sarkisian without key contributors such as Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and Jaylan Ford.

What will Texas do without T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy in the middle? Who is going to catch the ball for quarterback Quinn Ewers? What position group can improve from next year?

Texas fans needed to see new names and faces step up in its opening game against Colorado State on Saturday to have confidence heading into the season: and they got just that.

Replacing the over 4,500 yards of production between Worthy, Whittington, Adonai Mitchell, Jonathon Brooks and JaTavion Sanders was never going to be an easy task in 2024, but a few key players showed they can fill those shoes.

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Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden (2) celebrates with tight end Gunnar Helm (85) and wide receiver Isaiah Bond (7)

Aug 31, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden (2) celebrates with tight end Gunnar Helm (85) and wide receiver Isaiah Bond (7) after scoring a touchdown against the Colorado State Rams at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mikala Compton/American-Statesman-USA TODAY Sports / Mikala Compton-USA TODAY SPORTS

While returning RB Jaydon Blue led the team in scrimmage yards, four of the five others with over 50 yards on Saturday were newcomers to Austin. Freshman running back Jerrick Gibson, who will be tasked with filling major shoes after Brooks’ departure and CJ Baxter’s preseason injury, led the team in yards and yards per carry against the Rams, showing tremendous grit in his five-yard rushing touchdown to all but secure the win in the third quarter. The four-star finished the game with 67 yards on 10 carries, also adding the longest rush by a running back with a 22-yard scamper to set up that score.

In the pass-catching game, Texas looked to the transfer portal for talent this offseason, and already seems to be getting rewarded. No. 1 WR transfer and former Alabama player Isaiah Bond caught a team-high five passes for 61 yards, including a nasty outside route to score a touchdown even after a defender grabbed his facemask. Houston transfer Matthew Golden was the only player to score twice, most notably on a viral Ewers no-look pass. Even Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden, who saw little action during the game, cemented himself in the history books, catching redshirt freshman Arch Manning’s first-career touchdown pass in the third quarter.

But the show was stolen by one player on the offense: Ryan Wingo. The five-star freshman flashed early, making a fantastic contested catch for the first down in the first quarter. Wingo and Manning linked up for 45 of the young QB’s 95 yards, proving that a future connection is already starting in Austin. Wingo led all receivers in receiving yards, while Bond added 25 on the ground on an effortless jet sweep.

On the defensive side of the ball, the fear of losing Sweat and Murphy still looms over the team, but reinforcements were made. Returners like Vernon Broughton stepped up in the run game, and Arizona transfers Bill Norton and Tiaoalii Savea helped clog the middle, and introduced the newest phenomenon on the Texas sideline: a sword used to puncture turnovers caused by the defense, a staple at now-linebacker coach Pete Nansen’s Arizona Wildcats last season.

Secondary concerns also seemed to be answered, as the Longhorns held an air-raid offense to just 74 total yards. Clemson safety transfer Andrew Mukuba looked solid, but freshman Wardell Mack stole the show with a beautiful interception in the endzone to prevent the Rams from scoring. He was, of course, rewarded with his ball on the turnover sword.

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Texas still needs to go back to the drawing board to be able to stop a rushing attack like Michigan’s in Ann Arbor on Saturday, especially without Murphy or Sweat, but the Longhorns have seemed to find the right guys to fit into a new and exciting 2024 team.



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Austin, TX

Black Sheep Coffee Opens First Austin Location, Expanding Its Texas Footprint | What Now Austin

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Black Sheep Coffee Opens First Austin Location, Expanding Its Texas Footprint | What Now Austin


Black Sheep Coffee, the international coffee brand, will celebrate the opening of its first Central Texas location in Downtown Austin with two public events. The new café, located at W 6th St & Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701, marks a significant step in the company’s U.S. expansion following strong growth throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth region.

A public ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted in partnership with the Austin Chamber of Commerce, will take place on Thursday, January 15 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., welcoming community members, local leaders, and partners into the space. During the event, guests can enjoy half-price lattes, including coffee and matcha drinks.

On Saturday, January 17, Black Sheep Coffee will officially celebrate their grand opening with a Sips & Beats event from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., featuring live vinyl set by DJ Foxxy Brown, signature menu tastings, and half-price lattes throughout the event. Continuing the celebration, the store will also offer a 50% discount to International Half Marathon medal holders on Sunday, January 18, welcoming runners and spectators to refuel post-race.

Designed to reflect Austin’s creative identity, the location features custom graffiti artwork inspired by the city’s street art scene and the energy of Downtown. The new outpost will serve Black Sheep Coffee’s complete menu, including its 100% specialty-grade Robusta coffee, ceremonial-grade matcha, smoothies, pastries, Norwegian waffles, curated food offerings, and two bakery variations created exclusively for the Austin store. Additional limited-time items will debut later in January as part of the brand’s functional health product refresh.

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Austin has long been on our radar for its passionate community and standout coffee culture,” said Eirik Holth, co-founder of Black Sheep Coffee in a statement. “We’re excited to become part of that fabric and bring something new to Downtown. With several U.S. locations in the pipeline, Austin marks a major milestone in our next chapter of growth.

Black Sheep Coffee chose Austin for its strong alignment with the brand’s ethos and its reputation as a city that celebrates individuality and creativity. The opening also reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to Texas, with several additional locations planned statewide for 2026.

The Austin café will be open Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit BlackSheepCoffee.us.



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Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death

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Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death


The parents of Brianna Aguilera have filed a lawsuit against two organizations, alleging that they served alcohol to their underage daughter which contributed to her death in Austin.

Before Aguilera fell to her death from the Rio 21 Apartments in West Campus, the lawsuit states that she attended a tailgate at the Austin Blacks Rugby Club’s facility, organized by the UT Latin Economics and Business Association.

Both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

>> What we know about Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death in Austin

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Even though the lawsuit states Aguilera was “noticeably intoxicated” at the tailgate, her parents argue that the defendants continued to serve her alcohol.

According to court documents, Aguilera allegedly began stumbling at the tailgate and needed help standing at times. At some point, the lawsuit said she fell into the woods and lost her phone.

After leaving the tailgate at approximately 10 p.m., court documents state Aguilera died around two hours later.

The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of negligence and gross negligence for serving alcohol to Aguilera despite her age and allegedly overserving her.

In the suit, Aguilera’s parents demanded a trial by jury and sought at least $1 million plus interest, costs and punitive damages.

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Aguilera’s parents also seek damages for wrongful death, citing the defendants’ alleged misconduct.

Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who’s representing the Aguilera family, commented on the lawsuit in a Tuesday news conference.

Watch the full news conference below:

“Brianna was obviously overserved,” Buzbee said. “Even the police have concluded that she was overserved at that tailgate. She was not 21.”

Buzbee also stated that the Austin Police Department has allegedly told multiple witnesses not to talk with him and Aguilera’s parents.

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“They told the three, the three individuals that were in that apartment that night when this young girl died. They told them, do not speak to Brianna’s mother or her lawyers,” Buzbee said.

He said that the lawsuit could provide a way for the witnesses to eventually come forward with information.

“By filing this lawsuit, not only will we hold accountable an entity or entities that were involved in overserving Brianna and other minors, but we will also be able to subpoena individuals and documents and video and data so we can continue our investigation,” Buzbee said.

KSAT’s sister station, KPRC, has reached out to both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association for comment on the lawsuit. This story will be updated once the organizations provide a statement.


More coverage of this story on KSAT:

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Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.



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Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas

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Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas


Although record-breaking heat and spring-like warmth dominated the first few days of the new year, cooler — but still warmer than normal —temperatures settled in to start the first work week of 2026.

The heat will ramp up yet again Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures about 20 degrees above the normal early-January high of 62 degrees. 

Expect a blanket of low stratus clouds and some patchy dense fog Tuesday morning, but skies should begin clearing around lunchtime.

“In the meantime, a surface trough (of low atmospheric pressure)/dry line will push from the southern Edwards Plateau into the I-35 corridor, bringing temperatures into the lower to mid-80s,” meteorologists with the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast discussion Monday. “It is going to be very warm for this time of year, and some daily high temperature records could be broken.”

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Those temperatures could rival record highs at both Austin climate observation sites, Camp Mabry and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the standing record is 84 degrees, set in 1989.

Behind the dry line Tuesday, drier air will move into Central Texas, leading to a slightly cooler start Wednesday under mostly to partly cloudy skies.

Morning temperatures will dip into the 50s around sunrise before climbing into the upper 70s to mid-80s by the afternoon. Those highs would surpass the record of 80 degrees set in 2008 at Camp Mabry.

Temperatures the rest of the week will remain above normal with mostly cloudy mornings but sunny afternoons. 

A cold front is forecast to move across the region later in the week with a slight rain chance Thursday and Friday, but most of the rain will fall north and east of Austin. However, cooler and more seasonable weather is expected this weekend. 

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This past weekend, Austin experienced the highest cedar pollen counts so far this season with a count of 3,200 grains per cubic meter Saturday and a peak of 4,000 grains per cubic meter on Sunday. However, the count dropped to just over 1,000 grams per cubic meter on Monday. Humidity has been on the rise in the past few days, and winds have been much lighter. Those factors have helped “settle” the cedar pollen for the time being. 

Luckily, the winds have turned southerly and are much lighter, so the pollen has settled a bit. A small chance of rain on Thursday and Friday should also help dampen cedar pollen before it becomes airborne. However, above-normal temperatures will allow tree pollen cones to continue opening, setting the stage for another pollen surge when the next breezy cold front arrives.



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