Texas Dismisses Linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith Days Before Opener as Longhorns’ National Title Odds Face Depth Test

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed on Aug. 22 that junior linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith has been dismissed from the program for “conduct detrimental to the team,” a jarring roster shakeup that lands barely two weeks before the Longhorns open their College Football Playoff-caliber season. Sarkisian did not detail what led to the move, but he made clear the decision wasn’t easy.

“Conduct detrimental to the team, and that’s just what it is,” Sarkisian told reporters following Saturday’s scrimmage. “I didn’t like it. It’s an unfortunate situation. I hate that. For us as a team, I hate that. He’s a quality player, but I have to think about the team first.”

What Led to Smith’s Exit

Smith, entering his third year in Austin, had appeared in 29 games across his first two seasons, racking up 76 total tackles and three interceptions along the way — production that made him a rotational piece in a linebacker room already dealing with churn. He had missed the previous Saturday’s scrimmage with the flu before returning to practice this week, only to be informed of his dismissal Friday evening via a university spokesperson. The school has not elaborated further on the specific conduct that triggered the decision, and Sarkisian offered no additional details when pressed.

The timing compounds an already unsettled linebacker picture in Austin. Texas brought in transfers Rasheem Biles from Pitt and Justin Cryer from Florida State this offseason specifically to inject competition and depth at the position, and Smith had been in the mix for a starting role opposite that pair. Losing a returning contributor with real game experience just as fall camp winds down forces the staff to lean even more heavily on newcomers who have yet to play a snap in the burnt orange.

How the Move Lands With Texas Chasing a Title

The dismissal arrives at the worst possible moment from a roster-continuity standpoint. Texas heads into the 2026 season as one of the sport’s clearest championship contenders, sitting among the shortest national title prices in the country — grouped near the top of the board alongside Ohio State, Notre Dame and Oregon, with several major sportsbooks pricing the Longhorns in the +650 to +750 range to cut down the nets in January. Texas is also viewed as a heavy favorite to reach the Playoff field itself, reflecting how much depth and talent the roster carries even before accounting for one departure.

A single linebacker losing his roster spot rarely moves a futures market on its own, and nothing in the public odds picture suggests sportsbooks have reacted to this specific news. But it’s exactly the kind of subtraction bettors watching preseason line movement should file away. Texas’ defensive front was already going to lean on unproven transfers to replace departed production, and now one more experienced body is off the depth chart entirely. If early-season tape shows the linebacker corps struggling to communicate or missing assignments, that’s the thread that traces directly back to this offseason attrition — and it’s the type of detail that can quietly influence how quickly a team’s title or Playoff price tightens or drifts once games start being played.

For now, the futures market still reflects a Texas team built to win in January. The question sportsbooks and bettors alike will be watching as the opener approaches is whether Biles, Cryer and the rest of the linebacker room can absorb this loss without it showing up on the field — because in a race this competitive at the top of the sport, even small personnel hits get priced in eventually.