The Southeastern Conference has ruled that Texas Longhorns opponents won’t be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing the “Horns Down” symbol. The SEC’s ruling on the controversial gesture runs counter to the Big 12’s effort to minimize it.

“The act itself needs to be offending to the senses,” SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid, per ESPN. “If you took that act out of a football stadium and did it in a shopping mall or a grocery store, would it offend the senses to a majority of the reasonable people in the area? That signal would not. You might have some people that share that signal with you, if you did that at a grocery store or a shopping mall, depending where you are. We’re going to evaluate it in context.”

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS

Austin American-Statesman: Did former Texas star Max Abmas earn an NBA shot in Summer League?

Austin American-Statesman: Golden: ALS hasn’t taken away Texas ex Steve McMichael’s spirit

Dallas Morning News: EA Sports College Football 25: Simulation of the 2024 season says Texas is not back

247Sports: Texas football 2024 Position Preview Series: Linebacker

Inside Texas: At THSCA Coaching School, Kyle Flood speaks to an important crowd

Inside Texas: ITYT: Monday live covers preseason camp storylines, recruiting updates, Quinn Ewers’ progression

Inside Texas: The 10 best Texas Longhorns ahead of 2024 fall camp

Inside Texas: The 2024 Thinking Texas Football: SEC edition is here!

ICYMI IN BURNT ORANGE NATION

SEC says Tennessee, not Texas, is the real ‘UT’

WATCH: Let this touchdown pass from Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes to Texas alum Xavier Worthy be your coffee this morning

RECRUITING ROUNDUP

247Sports: The Stampede: Sark talks Texas football recruiting efforts from THSCA convention

247Sports: Five-star UT target Jonah Williams sets return visit to Texas

247Sports: With the current state of the Texas DL room, what would deem a successful position haul in 2025?

247Sports: College football recruiting calendar for 2024-25 extends dead period through end of July, affecting key events

Inside Texas: Texas Longhorns Recruiting Intel: The BBQ/pool party visitor list grows

Inside Texas: Inside Scoop: Updates on Jonah Williams, Jahkeem Stewart, John Turntine, and more

SEC SHOWDOWN

Austin American-Statesman: Texas, OU: Differences between SEC and Big 12 football start with talent

Dallas Morning News: SEC preseason poll: See where Texas, Oklahoma ranked ahead of first season in conference

247Sports: Horns247 Roundtable: Do you feel better or worse about Texas’ chances to win the SEC after SEC Media Days?

Rock M Nation: Should Mizzou be getting more preseason All-SEC attention?

And The Valley Shook: Javien Toviano arrested, suspended indefinitely

Rocky Top Talk: Tennessee basketball set to host five-star prospect

Roll ‘Bama Roll: Announcing the RBR All-Saban Offense

A Sea Of Blue: 2024 Kentucky Football Foes: Georgia

WHAT WE’RE READING

SB Nation: Every USA Olympics flag bearer since 1908, now starring LeBron James

SB Nation: 1 big question for each NFL team as training camps begin

SB Nation: Stephen A. Smith was asked about Kamala Harris and gave us a photo worthy of the Louvre

NEWS ACROSS LONGHORN NATION AND BEYOND

Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

Since taking over as the coach of the Texas Longhorns, Jim Schlossnagle has made it a goal to put together a team ready to compete in its first season in the SEC. From securing the return of multiple key players to being aggressive in recruiting, he and his staff have done an excellent job on that front so far.

Those returning include shortstop Jalin Flores and reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, Max Belyeu, as well as the pitching duo of Ace Whitehead and Max Grubbs. Joining those two will be a number of key transfer portal additions, with multiple pieces being added to the pitching staff so far for Max Weiner to work with.

On Sunday, that pitching staff got even stronger. Orangebloods’ Zachary Symm reported on X that Schlossnagle and his staff had secured a commitment from Indiana State left-handed pitcher Jared Spencer.

Spencer had been selected in the 14th round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, and instead of going pro will instead make his way to Austin to pitch for the Longhorns during the 2025 season.

He boasts an impressive pitch arsenal, including a fastball that has topped out at 97 and a slider that generates a healthy amount of swings and misses. When healthy, Spencer is undoubtedly an electric arm with plenty of potential for the Longhorns’ coaching staff to work with.

Making 18 appearances for the Sycamores last season, nine of which were starts, he posted a strong 6-0 record. In those appearances he recorded a 4.08 ERA in 53 innings of work, tallying 72 strikeouts and just 33 walks while holding opponents to a mere .216 batting average when facing him.

While pitching was far from a major area of concern for the Longhorns in 2024, the lack of depth did become an issue by the time the NCAA Tournament came around. Ultimately, there just weren’t enough reliable arms to count on in high-pressure moments.

Next season, however, it is looking like that same problem won’t be as prominent for Texas under Schlossnagle and his staff. With the additions of players like Spencer from the portal plus recruits from the high school level, as well as the return of key arms from 2024, this pitching staff has the talent to be really, really good.