Texas safety Jonah Williams was poised to join the Longhorns baseball team after a 10-3 football season under Steve Sarkisian. But with the 2026 baseball campaign clashing against spring ball, Longhorns baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle delivered a key update on the dual-sport standout.

Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle revealed that he’s yet to discuss spring availability for Jonah Williams, as the dual-sport athlete is still focused on his football duties as one of Steve Sarkisian’s highest-rated prospects.

“Sarkisian has been a little busy,” Jim Schlossnagle said at the January 23 media availability. So, giving him a chance to catch his breath, we’ve had a few conversations about when spring practice is and what that’s looked like. But we’re going to sit down here, probably next week, and get an idea of what they’re thinking. 

I would anticipate, as Jonah becomes more of a priority in the defense of football, that they’re going to want him around more, and that’s okay; that’s part of the deal. I’ve been through that several times with football-baseball players, and it’s actually not that tough to navigate. You just have to be number one; you have to make sure you stay within the confines of the rules, because they’re only allowed twenty hours a week of activity. So luckily, a baseball game, even if it lasts seven hours, only counts as three. But yeah, we’ll work our way through it, and if anybody can handle that, Jonah can do that.”

With Will Gasparino needing a replacement, Tommy Farmer IV entering the portal, and Max Belyeu heading to the MLB draft, a significant void has opened in the Longhorns’ outfield. It is an opportunity that Williams, who hit .327 last season, is poised to compete for.

“He’s probably a week away from fully being able to play in the game,” Schlossnagle said.

While there’s an opportunity awaiting the baseball season, Williams has just started to have an uptick in his football run.

Jonah Williams earns more playtime under Steve Sarkisian

Jonah Williams was the top recruit of Texas’ 2025 signing class, yet he hasn’t had much playing time. Williams played seven games this season and has hauled in six tackles. His slow start came as a result of his missed spring practice due to a hamstring injury during baseball season, and he spent time in recovery. 

Steve Sarkisian made sure he was fully recovered before he stepped onto the field and continued working with Peter Taaffee and Adrian McDonald. Towards the end of the season, he experienced more playtime in the backup role and on special teams. His most notable play came against Arkansas, where he logged a career-high 21 defensive snaps in a 52-37 win, earning praise from head coach Steve Sarkisian.

“The emergence of Jonah, I think, has been helpful for us (in the secondary),” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said in November.

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With seven games played, he became the fourth freshman not to redshirt this past season, including TE Nick Townsend, Emaree Winston, and receiver Daylan McCutcheon. As Williams builds momentum in both football and baseball, all eyes will be on which sport he prioritizes this spring.