Anonymous Coach Touts Texas as 'Team to Beat' in SEC
Based on how high expectations were set for Texas, the 2025 season was a bit underwhelming. Led by Heisman Trophy hopeful Arch Manning, the Longhorns were the preseason No. 1 team and a popular pick to win the title.
Texas also appeared in the College Football Playoff the previous two years. Another postseason trip seemed to be the floor in Austin. But one too many losses ultimately kept the Longhorns out of the playoff.
That disappointment - if you can call a 10-win season that - does not seem to be scaring anyone off the Texas hype train. The Longhorns come in at No. 3 in Athlon's preseason top 25, and they're again near the top of the betting markets to win it all. Texas returns 11 starters, including two of the top players in the sport in Manning and edge rusher Colin Simmons. And Steve Sarkisian brought in one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, headlined by star wide receiver Cam Coleman.
"On paper, I think they're the team to beat in the SEC," an anonymous SEC assistant coach said in Athlon Sports' 2026 College Football Preview magazine. "They might be preseason No. 1 again."
These comments were made in the Longhorns' exclusive scouting report in Athlon's annual magazine, which is available for purchase online and at newsstands nationwide.
Beyond Coleman, whose arrival from Auburn gives Texas a strong case for the best receiver room in the country, running backs Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State) will strengthen an offense that struggled to run the ball efficiently. The Longhorns also return wide receiver Ryan Wingo and left tacke Trevor Goosby, two All-SEC selections a season ago.
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Texas' linebacker room was hit hard by the NFL Draft and transfers. That's why the addition of Rasheem Biles (Pitt) was such a big win in the portal. The same can be said in the secondary. The Longhorns are counting on internal promotion, but cornerback Bo Mascoe (Rutgers) was a good get for new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's group.
"They made some bold moves," the anonymous coach said. "Obviously, there's a ton of money in that program, so you've gotta feel like they made moves that they felt they had to make to make their program better. What's that gonna look like after a loss or two? I don't know."
It's no secret that Texas has invested more into this roster than most programs. That level of investment also puts pressure on this group to get done what the 2025 team didn't.
The Longhorns dropped their first season-opener since 2018 against Ohio State. Though the showing was disappointing, a one-score loss on the road to the then-No. 3 Buckeyes could be explained away. A November blowout at then-No. 5 Georgia put Texas in a bad position, but only because of the upset they suffered in October to a Florida team that didn't even make a bowl game.
It was that result that kept the Longhorns outside of the playoff. And their 2026 schedule is even tougher. Half of the teams Texas will play are ranked in Athlon's top 25, and four of them made the CFP a season ago. That means there's no room this season for a performance like what happened at the Swamp.
The Longhorns successfully navigating that schedule depends on Manning's continued development. He played his best football down the stretch, cutting down on the turnovers and utilizing his legs like he did in 2024.
Manning threw for 12 touchdowns and five interceptions in Texas' first six games. The Longhorns went 4-2 over that stretch. In the final seven (including a Citrus Bowl win over Michigan), he tossed 15 scores and threw just two picks. Texas finished 6-1.
"I thought Arch (Manning) got better as the season went on," the anonymous coach said. "Is he what he was unfairly hyped to be? Probably not, but I think he's a good solid quarterback in this league."
There are some who thought Manning, with his famous last name and tantalizing dual-threat abilities, would already be off to the pros as the No. 1 pick in April's NFL Draft. Obviously, that did not come to fruition. And Sarkisian has already opened the door for Manning to return in 2027.
But not actualizing those outside projections for his career yet is not an indictment on what he can accomplish in 2026 and beyond.
"(Manning) is gonna be just fine," the anonymous coach said. "I think he did such a good job of managing it, but he was put in a tough situation. It was literally a ‘Heisman or bust' situation for a kid who hadn't played yet. But he's super talented, he does everything right, he prepares hard, he'll be just fine."
Related: Athlon Sports 2026 College Football Preview Magazine Available Now
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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM.