How 2025 fell flat for Texas
In the vacuum of most college football programs, a 10-win season is a cause for celebration. At the University of Texas, however, the 2025 campaign felt like a missed opportunity of historic proportions. Entering the year as the preseason No. 1 with Arch Manning—perhaps the most scrutinized yet untested quarterback in the history of the sport—at the helm, the Longhorns failed to secure a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. For a fan base still haunted by the narrow miss against Washington in the 2024 semifinals, the 10-3 finish was a bitter pill to swallow.
The cracks in the foundation appeared early. While a hard-fought loss to Ohio State was excusable, a mid-season collapse against a struggling Florida squad was not. Manning was under siege for much of that afternoon, absorbed six sacks, and faced pressure on nearly 50% of his dropbacks. The culprit was a disjointed offensive line, specifically a rotating door at left guard and a lack of cohesion at center. Despite Manning’s individual growth as the season progressed, the offense’s inability to protect its most valuable asset limited Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling.
The “Georgia problem” also loomed large. A 35-10 loss in November marked Texas’s third defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs in just over a year, serving as a stark reminder that the Longhorns have not yet reached the elite tier of the SEC. Sarkisian attempted to lobby the CFP committee, arguing that the rigors of the SEC schedule should earn his three-loss team a pass, but the plea fell on deaf ears. While a New Year’s Eve bowl victory over Michigan provided some “good vibes” to end the year, it was ultimately a consolation prize for a team that expected to be playing for a national title.
How the Longhorns used the portal to address key needs
Recognizing that Manning needed elite perimeter talent to take the next step, Texas hit the transfer portal with surgical precision. The crown jewel of their haul was wide receiver Cam Coleman. After a frustrating stint at Auburn where a stagnant passing game stifled his production, Coleman headed to Austin looking to reignite his NFL Draft stock. While Coleman’s early career yardage didn’t quite match the explosive output of peers like Jeremiah Smith, his physical tools remain undeniable. In 2026, he is expected to serve as the alpha receiver Texas lacked last season.
The backfield underwent an even more dramatic transformation. After losing four running backs to the portal, Texas engaged in a high-stakes bidding war for Florida’s Jadan Baugh. When the Gators ponied up seven figures to keep him, Sarkisian pivoted quickly, landing Hollywood Smothers from NC State and Arizona State’s Raleek Brown. This duo provides a “lightning and lightning” dynamic that should take the pressure off Manning in the RPO game.
However, the offensive line remains the biggest question mark. Kyle Flood’s unit struggled in 2025, and while left tackle Trevor Goosby is a projected first-rounder, he is currently navigating the road back from shoulder surgery. The Longhorns are banking heavily on veteran Laurence Seymour, a sixth-year senior currently finishing his degree at Western Kentucky via Zoom. The depth was so thin this spring that Sarkisian opted to cancel the traditional spring game, citing a lack of healthy bodies in the trenches. The addition of transfers Melvin Siani (Wake Forest), Jonte Newman (Texas A&M), and Dylan Sikorski (Oregon State) suggests a “quantity meets quality” approach to fixing the protection issues.
2026 Texas transfer portal class 🏈
Sarkisian loosens up on defense
The most significant philosophical shift in Austin isn’t a scheme change, but a personnel move on the sidelines. The arrival of Will Muschamp as the “head coach of the defense” signals a transition for Steve Sarkisian. Historically, play-calling head coaches struggle to balance the minutiae of game management with the demands of an elite offense. By bringing in a veteran like Muschamp—who has been a head coach at both Florida and South Carolina—Sarkisian is effectively delegating the defensive side of the ball.
This move is designed to allow Sarkisian to sit in the pocket with Manning and quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee. In an era where most championship-winning coaches have moved into a “CEO” role, Sarkisian is one of the few remaining high-level play-callers. Muschamp’s presence allows him to maintain that role without the defense suffering from a lack of oversight.
On the field, the defense will rely on the return of edge rusher Collin Simmons and the arrival of Pitt transfer Rasheem Biles. While the interior defensive line boasts rare continuity for the portal era, the secondary is in a state of flux. With no clear starters at outside corner, Muschamp’s reputation as a defensive backs specialist will be put to the ultimate test in a pass-heavy SEC.
What if they don’t bounce back?
The stakes for the 2026 season could not be higher. With Manning likely entering his final collegiate season, the “win now” window is wide open. The talent on the roster suggests a high floor; it is difficult to imagine a healthy Manning-led offense winning fewer than nine games. However, at Texas, nine wins is no longer the metric for success.
If the offensive line cannot stabilize and the young defense fails to mature under Muschamp, the Longhorns risk becoming a perennial “almost” team. For Sarkisian, the challenge is to prove that he can win the “big one” without Nick Saban’s infrastructure. If 2026 ends without a deep playoff run, the pressure from the Forty Acres’ power brokers will move from a simmer to a boil.
Ultimately, the 2026 Texas Longhorns are a team built on the belief that elite talent and veteran coaching oversight can overcome the inconsistencies of the previous year. If the gambles in the portal and the coaching staff pay off, Texas won’t be lobbying for a spot in the playoffs—they’ll be the team everyone else is trying to avoid. The journey from a 10-win disappointment to a national title contender rests on the shoulders of a phenom quarterback and a head coach willing to evolve.
