The dust hasn't even settled on the 2025 Citrus Bowl win over Michigan, but the vibe in Austin has shifted. Fast. If you've been following the message boards or Twitter, you know the panic was real for a minute there. Losing Jaime Ffrench and Parker Livingstone to the portal felt like the sky was falling. Then Sunday happened. Steve Sarkisian basically went on a heater, landing Cam Coleman and Hollywood Smothers within hours of each other.
Honestly, the Texas Longhorns starting roster for 2026 is starting to look like a Madden Ultimate Team.
We’re officially in the "All-In" era. With Arch Manning returning for his redshirt junior season—effectively his "money year" before the NFL—Sark isn't messing around with developmental projects anymore. He’s buying ready-made superstars. Let’s break down who is actually going to be on the field when the whistle blows.
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The Arch Manning Factor and the Skill Explosion
It all starts with number 16. Arch coming back was the domino that had to fall. He finished 2025 with over 3,100 yards and 26 touchdowns, but it wasn't always pretty. He had that mid-season slump where the offensive line couldn't protect a secret, let alone a quarterback. But the way he closed out against Texas A&M? That's the guy who’s currently the Heisman favorite for 2026.
But a quarterback is only as good as the guys catching the ball.
The wide receiver room just got a massive facelift. Ryan Wingo is the veteran now, which feels weird to say, but he’s the anchor. Opposite him, you’ve got Cam Coleman, the Auburn transfer who is quite literally the biggest splash of the offseason. Then there’s Emmett Mosley V, who emerged as the most reliable hands on the team last year.
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- QB: Arch Manning (The undisputed face of the program)
- WR1: Cam Coleman (The portal prize)
- WR2: Ryan Wingo (The explosive vertical threat)
- Slot: Emmett Mosley V (The chain-mover)
Don't sleep on Michael Terry III, either. He's been bouncing between running back and receiver, but with the new portal additions at RB, he likely moves back to a hybrid "Deebo Samuel" type role.
The Most Explosive Backfield in the SEC?
We have to talk about the running backs because it’s a total overhaul. CJ Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner are gone. That hurt. But Sarkisian replaced them with Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State).
These two combined for over 2,000 yards last year. Smothers is a home-run hitter who originally committed to Alabama before Sark flipped him. Raleek Brown is a nightmare in space. Between those two and true freshman Derrek Cooper, the Texas Longhorns starting roster has more speed in the backfield than it’s had since the Jamaal Charles days.
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Rebuilding the Wall: The Offensive Line
This is where things get tricky. This is the part people get wrong. Everyone sees the flashy skill players and assumes the offense will be 2005-level great. But the interior of the line is a massive question mark.
DJ Campbell and Cole Hutson are out of eligibility. That's a lot of starts walking out the door.
Kyle Flood landed Dylan Sikorski from Oregon State, who started six games at guard last year. He’s a plug-and-play guy. The good news is Connor Robertson announced he's returning at center. That’s huge for Arch. Having a veteran center who can identify blitzes is the difference between a 40-yard bomb and a sack-fumble.
- LT: Trevor Goosby (Expected to take the leap)
- LG: Dylan Sikorski (The veteran transfer)
- C: Connor Robertson (The vocal leader)
- RG: Nick Brooks (Massive true freshman who played well in spots last year)
- RT: Brandon Baker (Former five-star who needs to be more consistent)
Can the Defense Keep Up?
The defense is losing some serious production, specifically at linebacker with Liona Lefau hitting the portal. But the front four? That's going to be terrifying.
Colin Simmons is the name everyone knows, and for good reason. He’s a projected top-five pick for a reason. But the guy to watch is Lance Jackson. He played in 11 games as a freshman and looked like a man among boys. If he and Simmons are coming off the edges at the same time, SEC quarterbacks are going to have a very long autumn.
The Defensive Front
- EDGE: Colin Simmons
- EDGE: Lance Jackson / Zina Umeozulu
- DT: Alex January
- DT: Hero Kanu or Zion Williams (LSU Transfer)
In the secondary, it's the Jelani McDonald show. He’s the only one with real multi-year experience back there. Sark also brought in Bo Mascoe from Rutgers to stabilize the corner spot. Keep an eye on five-star freshman Jermaine Bishop. Sark has already hinted he might play both ways, but they need his ball-hawk skills in the secondary immediately.
What This Means for the 2026 Season
Texas isn't building for a "good" year. They are building for a National Championship. The roster is top-heavy with elite talent, but the depth on the offensive line and at linebacker is thin. One or two injuries to the starters could derail the whole thing.
The move to the SEC has been a wake-up call for the trenches. You can't just out-athlete people in this league. You have to be able to move people against their will.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the Spring Game: Specifically, focus on the right side of the offensive line. If Brandon Baker and Nick Brooks aren't dominant, Sark will likely look for one more tackle in the post-spring portal window.
- Track the "Terry" Role: See where Michael Terry III is lining up. If he's exclusively with the RBs, it means they don't trust the depth there. If he's with the WRs, the offense becomes infinitely harder to scout.
- Heisman Value: If you’re a betting person, Arch Manning’s odds are at their lowest right now. Once the spring hype videos of him hitting Cam Coleman start surfacing, those odds will skyrocket.
The Texas Longhorns starting roster is a high-risk, high-reward experiment in portal dominance. It’s flashy, it’s expensive, and it’s undeniably talented. Now, Steve Sarkisian just has to make the pieces fit.