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Texas Might Have the Most Talented Roster in College Footballand the Numbers Prove It Steve Sarkisian has created one of the top rosters in college football headed into the 2026 season.
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts after a touchdown during overtime against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
| IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connectwill roll into the 2026 season with a high sense of optimism while also carrying lofty expectations from both Texas fans and college football analysts, who have their eyes circled on a pivotal 2026 season for the Longhorns.heading into the season come from the roster that head coach Steve Sarkisian has built heading into the year.
Sarkisian has built one of the most talented rosters in the country, building through high school recruiting classes while also using the transfer portal to his advantage.2026 roster is undoubtedly among the most talented ensembles Sarkisian has put together during his time at Texas.
And looking at the numbers in returning production, there's a chance it could be the best in college football.Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning runs with the ball against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Camping World Stadium.
| IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Longhorns head into the 2026 season with plenty of returning production, per ESPN's Bill Connelly.
In an article, Connelly ranked the percentage of returning andTexas ranked No.
6 in total returning production, with 68 percent of its production coming back for the 2026 season.Of the teams that just missed out on the College Football Playoff, Texas is the second-highest in total returning production, behind Notre Dame, which ranked in the top spot.
Connelly also broke down the same numbers for each side of the ball, and the Longhorns had one of the top percentages on the offensive side of the ball, ranked No.
4 in returning offensive production.Texas was also highly ranked on the defensive side of the ball, ranking No.
19 in returning defensive production.
And the numbers begin to make sense when looking at the players the Longhorns have on their roster.Leading the charge is quarterback Arch Manning, who was No.
3 in touchdown passes, No.
5 in passing yards per game, No.
6 in total passing yards, and No.
8 in yards per completion in the SEC.
The offense brings back wide receivers Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V, who combined for 82 receptions for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago.The biggest addition of the offseason for the Longhorns is in the wideout room with wide receiver Cam Coleman, who ranked No.
16 in receiving yards per game and top 20 in receiving yards and touchdowns in the SEC.
The running back room has an influx of new talent that was productive at their last stop, as Hollywood Smothers led the ACC in rushing yards per game, was No.
5 in yards per carry and all-purpose yards, and No.
6 in rushing yards.
The other big addition is Raleek Brown, who led the Big 12 in all-purpose yards, was second in yards per game and rushing yards, and No.
6 in yards per carry.And the biggest returning piece on the defensive side of the ball for the Longhorns is edge rusher Colin Simmons, who led the SEC in sacks and was tied for third in forced fumbles.
Simmons is joined by incoming linebacker Rasheem Biles to lead the Texas defense.
Biles comes off a season where he led the ACC in tackles for loss, was second in tackles, and seventh in forced fumbles.The Longhorns have a roster front-loaded with some of the top players in college football and plenty of depth across the board heading into the 2026 season, where Texas will be a national championship contender.
Ylver Deleon-Rios is an English major and Journalism and Media minor at the University of Texas at Austin.
His experience in sports journalism includes writing for The Daily Texan, where he has worked on the soccer and softball beats.A native Houstonian, he roots for the Astros and the Rockets while also rooting for the Dallas Cowboys.