When Texas missed out on the 12-team College Football Playoff last winter, much of the blame fell on young quarterback Arch Manning. But head coach Steve Sarkisian knew the truth. Manning’s growing pains as a first-year starter were heavily magnified because the offense around him simply wasn’t holding up its end of the deal.
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So, heading into fall camp, Sarkisian made it clear that fixing those surrounding pieces was the key to unlocking his star signal-caller. And he is keeping his word. Texas beat writer Tyler Horka of Inside Texas has confirmed on the Paul Finebaum Show that the team is already making those fixes.
“Trying to set a tone now. The theme of the fall camp has been physicality, and I think we’ve seen that,” said Horka during his appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show this week when asked what he has seen after covering the team for a while.
“We’ve definitely heard it at Inside Texas. Our sources are telling us that the offensive line looks a lot better than it did last year, and that’s just a start because that’s where everything starts.
“Texas couldn’t run the ball, couldn’t protect Arch Manning last year. It sounds like they’re really taking it to themselves and trying to be better in those areas, and that is a good start because that needs to happen for this Texas team to reach its full potential.”
The issues were obvious right from the 2025 season opener against Ohio State. Behind an inexperienced offensive line featuring four new starters, Manning was constantly under fire, completing 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards in a 14-7 loss.
Similar breakdowns followed in losses to Florida and Georgia, where Texas struggled to establish any running game and allowed Manning to be hit far too often.
Those setbacks ultimately kept a talented roster out of the playoff field despite strong individual plays from guys like Quintrevion Wisner and Ryan Wingo. To make sure that story doesn’t repeat itself, Texas spent the offseason adding backfield depth with running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers to give Manning real balance.
Addressing those exact struggles recently, Sarkisian pointed out that passing judgment on Manning based on those early breakdowns misses the bigger picture. The head coach noted how Manning absorbed those hits, adapted under pressure, and ended up throwing for over 3,100 yards and 26 touchdowns while settling into his leadership role.
For Sarkisian, the major concern wasn’t whether his young quarterback had the talent, but whether the program could build a tough enough culture around him to let that talent shine.
According to the Texas beat writer, though, the Texas 2026 roster, offense- and defense-wise, not only on paper but also in reality, looks stronger. The roster has the depth that Alabama and Georgia showed during their championship run.
“What I would tell you is these Texas football players are not made out of paper because you step onto the field with them, and they look big; they look physical; they look tough,” said Horka. “You’re like, ‘These are the type of football players that are gonna win a national championship.'”
Still, physical potential doesn’t guarantee a playoff ring. Sarkisian, entering his sixth year in Austin, knows that turning roster depth into big wins is the only thing that will keep the home crowd satisfied.
Texas has no room for error
The Texas Longhorns fan base has been yearning for a national champion for the past couple of decades. Surely, since Steve Sarkisian’s arrival in Austin, the Longhorns have seen progress, having won a conference title, but no national hardware yet. After last season’s playoff snub, this season the margin for error in Austin is virtually zero.
Speaking on the On Second Thought podcast, Sarkisian made his mindset clear.
“Expectations are higher inside our building than they are outside of our walls,” said Sarkisian during his appearance on the On Second Thought podcast this week.
“We really feel like we’ve got a really good football team. At this point and place, there is no ‘Hey, let’s rebuild this year, and then we will be ready next year.’ We’re competing for championships every year.”
That standard gets tested this September immediately when Ohio State comes to Austin for a massive Week 2 rematch. A win at home sets the tone for a championship run. A loss puts Texas back on the same high-wire act that cost them last season.