Like other elite coaches, Steve Sarkisian and his staff have been spending a busy offseason focused on a roster overhaul. The 2025 season wasn’t a failure, but the Longhorns are clearly retooling with the goal of becoming a true championship contender in 2026.
Steve Sarkisian Gets Honest About the Difficult Decisions Facing Texas to Smash NIL Narratives
For the first time since Texas’s Citrus Bowl win over Michigan, Sarkisian spoke to the media on Monday. He said a lot has changed, including the roster, coaching staff, new hires, incoming players, and high school recruits who have joined the program.
Sarkisian admitted it is tough to see players like Tre Wisner, CJ Baxter, and Parker Livingstone leave, but said:
“I have to remind myself that this is college football today.”
Sarkisian also said, “Our money isn’t endless here either,” and that Texas must make “difficult decisions” about finances and how those choices impact the program’s culture.
This statement again pushed back against the NIL narrative that circulated last spring when a Houston Chronicle report claimed Texas spent up to $40 million to assemble its 2025 roster.
Sarkisian strongly disputed the claim last year as well.
“What’s frustrating on that is it was a little bit of irresponsible reporting,” Sarkisian told SiriusXM. “It was one anonymous source (who) said that was what our roster was. I wish I had $40 million on our roster. We’d probably be a little better team than we are.
“The idea to think that a lot of other schools aren’t spending money to get players, I mean, it’s the state of college football right now. It is what it is. Hey, we’re fortunate, don’t get me wrong. We’ve got great support… I wish I had another $15 million or so. I might have a little better roster.”
As for Texas’ current roster, Sarkisian described Monday as the “epitome” of college football today and expressed satisfaction with the additions. Texas had 40 scholarship players leave last year’s team, including 24 portal transfers, three early NFL Draft entries, and 13 seniors. The Longhorns added 43 scholarship players in return, including 19 transfers and 24 freshmen, 22 of whom are already on campus.
With this talented group, Sarkisian said the goal is to become a “really talented” team. The Longhorns are already on the national watchlist with Arch Manning returning for another season.
Texas started the 2025 season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll but finished 10-3 and missed the College Football Playoff, which is something the program wants to avoid repeating. Early projections are promising, with PFSN giving Sarkisian’s program a 67.82% chance of making the CFP in 2026.
