The anticipation is over — Mr. Longhorn is finally here. As nine senior boys compete in the annual pageant, they showcase their hard work to audiences and judges alike. But beyond the brief moments they appear on stage, what went into the performances we saw tonight? Without further ado, meet the 2024 Mr. Longhorn contestants.

Caden Combs

First up is senior Caden Combs, a cheerleader in the occupation section. Combs participated in two talent performances throughout the night: one skit and one stand-up comedy routine.

“I’m most excited for my stand-up comedy routine that I’m doing with [senior Jacksen] McNeal. We practiced it a bunch and the jokes won’t be funny, and that’s the punchline,” Combs said. “I don’t really care about winning, I decided to do [Mr. Longhorn] to have fun and it has been — I’ve gotten to laugh and try out new things with everyone.”

Bart Connors

Next is senior Bart Connors. Dubbed ‘the lumberjack’ following his initial occupation rehearsal, Connors both danced and sang alongside other competitors. 

“We have a fully choreographed dance and our singing is on point. The experience with my boys has been [my favorite] for sure. I’m looking forward to getting the experience of being out there under the lights,” Connors said.

Gavin Hamlin

Senior Gavin Hamlin, the resident ‘heartthrob doctor’ was featured in tonight’s show. Hamlin’s talent was a recreation of a musical scene from “Pitch Perfect” which he performed with Connors as well as seniors Colin Hughes and Henry Wild. 

“I’m excited to do the dances and sing and all of that on stage. Learning everything was difficult, but we just had to adjust to it,” Hamlin said. “We started practicing on Saturday, and though it took us a while to decide on our skit, we still had fun and I’m going to be rapping for a part of our performance.”

Carson Hughes

Senior Carson Hughes decided to participate after his older brother placed second during his own senior year. Carson was a cowboy throughout the occupational section and was dubbed one of the three finalists in Mr. Longhorn.

“I thought it would just be a great idea — I get to have fun with the guys that I’m doing it with and we’re doing funny skits and singing,” Carson said.

Colin Hughes

Senior Colin Hughes is the next senior featured. As a member of Longhorn Council, Colin was tasked with the job of preparing behind the scenes for the event as well as being a participant in the show itself.

“I thought it would be fun to get outside [of] my comfort zone, and I’ve actually had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it, and I recommend other people do it too,” Colin said. “Last weekend, we all met up at [Wild’s] house and we choreographed our dance to the song together so that was probably the most fun.”

Tyler Kuehl

Senior Tyler Kuehl cooked up a storm as a chef this evening. Beyond the occupational, talent and formal wear sections of Mr. Longhorn, all of the boys performed in a group dance to kick off the show.

“I liked the practices and learning the dance together because we were all in the same boat. We all didn’t know what to do, and we learned it together,” Kuehl said.

Jacksen McNeal

Throughout his high school years, McNeal watched previous Mr. Longhorns. So when it came time for his class to get their turn, he anticipated his participation.

“The practice has been entertaining, and it’s pretty fun to perform with all my friends,” McNeal said. “The best memory was practicing my skit [with Combs], because it was funny, seeing everyone reacting and all the laughs so far.”

Brayden Schrewe

Senior Brayden Schrewe was first introduced to the crowd as a firefighter ready to ‘set hearts ablaze.’ Following that, Schrewe also appeared in a humorous skit and in a cover of “Baby” by Justin Bieber.

“My biggest challenge was getting prepared for all of it. I’ve been listening to the Justin Bieber song on repeat for the past 36 hours and last night, we went to McDonald’s to practice our skit. The determination to stay with it has been a lot of fun,” Schrewe said.

Henry Wild

Last but not least is Wild. The resident salsa dancer of Mr. Longhorn, Wild performed dance moves and two musical skits for the crowd.

“My best memory was probably at one of the Mr. Longhorn practices, when [Colin] and I were rapping. I turned around and he was laughing so hard, he couldn’t keep beatboxing. That was my favorite memory so far,” Wild said. “I wouldn’t say I expect to win, but I hope I can be in the top three and get to do an interview, but I’m doing this for a good time. Winning would be pretty fun on the stage with my guys, celebrating.”