Texas HC Steve Sarkisian drops eye-opening claim on Arch Manning recruitment

Texas football had a bit too long of an adjustment period in its first season with Arch Manning as the starting quarterback, and those few early losses cost it a trip to the College Football Playoff. However, by the end of the season, Manning was playing some very good football, and now the hype train is back heading into 2026.

Texas landing Manning out of high school a few years back was a huge win, and the Longhorns are hoping to reap the rewards for it this fall. Manning was a five-star recruit and was heavily coveted by a number of top teams, but he eventually chose Texas.

On Wednesday during spring practice, Texas head coach Steve Sarksian told a story of Manning’s unselfishness in his recruitment and his NIL share, and how it has impacted the Longhorns’ ability to build a roster, via Chris Low of On3 Sports.

“Arch could have dragged us over the coals for six million, seven million, whatever he wanted,” Sarkisian said, per Low. “That’s an extra five million that I can go get a Cam Coleman, go get a Hollywood Smothers and go get a Rasheem Biles.”

Manning is reportedly making just about $2 million dollars this fall, which is much less than some other quarterbacks at his level are making. That extra space has allowed Sarkisian to build out the rest of a Texas roster that may earn the No. 1 ranking in the preseason polls in the fall.

Sarkisian highlighted that in his comment. Coleman was one of the best wide receivers in the portal and is an elite contested catch threat on the outside. He is a perfect complement to Ryan Wingo and should be a top target for Manning on third down and in the red zone. Smothers is an explosive running back from NC State who will contribute both in the running game and the passing game, while Biles is a very good linebacker who can help replace Anthony Hill Jr.

Manning’s unselfishness clearly comes with winning as the top priority, and he is hoping that plays out this fall.

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