The Texas Longhorns are a constant source of conversation in college football circles, and that’s just fine with the head coach.
Coach Steve Sarkisian, who will appear Thursday — the fourth and final day — at SEC media days, didn’t hold his tongue this offseason. He was downright chatty in multiple interviews. The man loves college football and is as much of a fan as he is an advocate.
Article continues below this ad
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian enters the stadium ahead of the Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry match-up between the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 28, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Several unanswered questions surrounding college football remain entering the 2026 SEC Media Days in Tampa but unlike the spring college football meetings up north in Destin that centered around the playoff, transfer portal and NIL, the conversation this week will be more about his players — Texas is sending quarterback Arch Manning, left tackle Trevor Goosby and edge rusher Colin Simmons — with the season opener against Texas State fast approaching.
Offseason changes abound
Teams are undergoing annual offseason facelifts in the new NIL/transfer portal era and Sarkisian has had to change with the times. Money was never a problem on the Forty Acres, and the Horns have been among the best at taking advantage of the marketplace.
Article continues below this ad
They notably landed former Auburn standout Cam Coleman, the most coveted wideout in the portal class along with running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers and left tackle Melvin Siani.
What’s often overlooked is the emotional component that comes with the players moving on.
GOLDEN: Who were the most important Longhorns of the past year?
“I still think about some of those kids sitting in my office, crying, telling me they’re leaving, and they don’t really want to leave, but they know they kind of have to leave because of the state of where we are in college athletics,” Sarkisian said during the SEC spring meetings. “ So, to me, if at the end of the day a young man comes into our program and decides to move on, hopefully we’ve impacted him enough where he can be better for the next program and better life than he was when he arrived, and so I’m never going to take a back seat to that.”
Article continues below this ad
Business decisions have to be made and more than ever, the head coach has to handle the dual roles of being the man on gameday while operating as a CEO at all times.
This is the fun part for the coaches because rosters are settled and that dreaded portal is closed. The poachers have put away their cell phones and the focus turns to winning on Saturday afternoon.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning claps during overtime in the SEC college basketball game between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners on March 7, 2026, at Moody Center in Austin.
Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Arch Manning takes center stage
It starts with Manning who spent part of the offseason working on developing chemistry with his new weapons. He invited wideouts Coleman, Emmett Mosley V, Ryan Wingo and Wake Forest transfer Sterling Burkhalter to New Orleans where they stayed at the Manning home — dad Cooper was a tremendous host, squiring around his buddies in a convertible — and worked out at Tulane University. Along the way, Arch had to explain to his guys how his hometown was located below sea level.
Article continues below this ad
Above everything, he has handled the fame that came not only with the name on the back of his jersey but the expectations that come with the one on the front.
Manning was one of the best quarterbacks in college football the second half of the season and showed the poise and skill set that has NFL teams salivating. Too many college football followers had him winning the Heisman Trophy and leading Texas to the promised land before he took a single snap in 2025, and he had to go through the growing pains to get to this point.
Nothing will be given to him but the maturation we witnessed should be a huge benefit entering the fall and that highly anticipated showdown in Austin against Ohio State in Week 2.
“I’ve developed a lot under Sark’s system,” he said at the Manning Passing Academy. “Then as a man, just trying to control what I can control and not worry about what other people think. Playing my game, having fun with the fellas…that’s all you really can do.”
Article continues below this ad
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) goes down under the Texas defense in the second half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Aug. 30, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
How the schedule shapes up
All eyes will be on DKR when the Buckeyes travel to the 512 for a rematch of the 2025 opener. Quarterback Julian Sayin and Manning are regarded as Heisman favorites one year after the Buckeyes outlasted the visiting Horns 14-7 in what was far from a shootout.
The Week 2 meeting promises to be explosive as national watchers will get a chance to view a marquee matchup when most title contenders are fattening up on tomato cans.
Article continues below this ad
The 12-team playoff opened up opportunities for blue bloods to knock heads in nonconference because losing isn’t as catastrophic as it when the CFP was four teams. That said, it’s still a risk. The Horns found out the hard way because they ended up dropping a road game against a bad Florida team, which eventually cost them a spot in the tournament.
Not one to sit on a hot take, Sark was asked about the risk of playing a championship contender when it could be a lot easier to smoke a less formidable opponent, knowing the team’s playoff livelihood is in the hands of a selection committee that has come under fire in recent years.
“Since I’ve been here, it’s been Alabama, it’s been Michigan, it’s been Ohio State,” he said in the spring. “I know our players love it. I know our fans love it. I just don’t want to get punished for it. I know on the second Saturday of the season, all of the college football world is going to be in Austin, Texas and their eyes are going to be on that game, as they should be. Somebody is going to win and somebody is gong to lose a hard-fought game.”
Similar to last season, the Horns can put themselves in excellent position to make the playoff with a win over the Buckeyes, though there are some interesting road matchups in three of the last four games — Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M — which underscores the demand that Texas take advantage of playing six of their first eight games at the house.
Article continues below this ad
Year 6 is a big one for Sark and Co. There is potential for great things to happen but the league won’t just roll over and give it to Texas.
It’s the SEC, after all.