Less than two months before Texas opens its 2026 season against Texas State, Steve Sarkisian is headed into one of the first major checkpoints of the year: SEC Media Days, set for July 20 through the 23rd in Tampa Bay, Florida.
For Sarkisian, the stage comes with no shortage of pressure points. Texas began last season as the No. 1 team in the country, only for the year to unravel early after a stumble against Ohio State and some shaky showings against lesser opponents.
By October, the national conversation had already turned harsh. The 2025 season didn’t end up being as bleak as some made it sound, but the Longhorns are once again carrying big expectations before a snap has been played.
At the center of that buzz is Arch Manning. The quarterback is the face of the optimism around Texas, but the real question is whether he has taken the leap into the group of top quarterbacks in the country this season.
Sarkisian also has to address a defense that was solid, but not dominant, in 2025. Texas finished eighth in the SEC in yards allowed per game at 338.8, and the program is counting on old Longhorns hand Will Muschamp to help push that unit into the upper tier of the conference and beyond.
There’s talent coming in, too. Muschamp’s defense will lean on transfer help such as Rasheem Biles in 2026, but Sarkisian will likely be pressed on whether any players from the 2026 recruiting class can step in and make an immediate difference. Depth on that side of the ball is going to be part of the conversation.
Up front, Texas has some known pieces, including center Connor Robertson. But the Longhorns are also expecting 2026 transfers Laurence Seymore and Melvin Siani to lock down the left guard and right tackle jobs. The obvious follow-up: are they ready for the grind that comes with an SEC schedule?
In Other News...
Sarkisian Suddenly Has A Real Shot At A Huge Receiver Win
Monshun Sales has spent most of his recruitment tied to a familiar heavyweight mix of Indiana, Ohio State and Alabama, but Texas has worked its way into the conversation in a way that now feels more than incidental. The Longhorns under Steve Sarkisian have been gaining traction with the highly ranked 2027 wide receiver, and the timing matters after Texas picked up Ismael Camara to give its class another lift.
If Texas can keep that momentum going, Sales would be the kind of addition that changes the look of the board in a hurry. His commitment could push the Longhorns back toward the top three nationally, and it would also give Sarkisian a valuable buffer if current commit Easton Royal ends up looking elsewhere, which is exactly why this recruitment has become one of the more important ones to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Just Got Hit With Serious Preseason Disrespect
Arch Mannings preseason buzz just took a hit from a place that usually tries to be as objective as possible. Pro Football Focus slotted the Texas quarterback ninth on its list of the best college players entering the new season, a placement that lands him well outside the top tier and adds a little more heat to a name that already carries plenty of it in Austin.
The eyebrow-raising part for Longhorns fans is that Manning was also judged behind two other quarterbacks, even after he finished last season on a surge and showed the kind of dual-threat production that made him one of the sports most watched players. It is a ranking that runs counter to the way some draft evaluators already talk about him, with a few viewing Manning as a potential No. 1 overall pick, which only makes the gap between preseason perception and long-term upside feel even wider. [Read more 🡒]