University of Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian flat-out denied a wild report this week, calling the estimate of Texas’ massive NIL spending “inaccurate” on Thursday. This comes after CJ Vogel of OnTexasFootball first broke the story, setting the college football world buzzing about the Longhorns’ cash flow.
The $50 Million Question That Sarkisian Won’t Touch
The buzz started when The Athletic, with Stewart Mandel, David Ubben, and Sam Khan Jr., dropped a report that pegged Texas’ NIL spending between an estimated $45 million and $55 million. That’s an average of $50 million, putting them third among all power conference teams for estimated NIL allocation. It’s a staggering number, one that definitely gets people talking. While Sarkisian dismissed it, you know every other team in the country is looking at that figure with wide eyes. We do know one piece of that puzzle though: quarterback Arch Manning is reportedly pulling in somewhere around $2.5 million this season as part of his NIL deal, according to On3.com’s Pete Nakos back in August. Beyond that, the actual cost of the transfers Sarkisian brought in isn’t public, leaving us all to wonder just how much money is flying around down in Austin.
From Number 5 to Number 1 in One Wild Week
No matter what the official NIL numbers are, what’s undeniable is the absolute tear Texas has been on. This program has been rising under Sarkisian, hitting double-digit wins for the past three seasons straight. They even crashed the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024. Yeah, they missed the CFP last season with a 10-3 record, but they still rolled into 2026 ranked No. 5 in the nation. A huge part of that is Arch Manning, who’s in his second full season as starter and probably would have been a first-round or even a No. 1 overall pick if he’d jumped to the 2026 NFL draft. Instead, he decided to run it back for one more year with the Longhorns. Sarkisian wasn’t just sitting back either; he went absolutely HAM in the transfer portal. He snagged incredible talent like wide receiver Cam Coleman from Auburn, running backs Hollywood Smothers from NC State and Raleek Brown from Arizona State, defensive tackle Ian Geffard from Arkansas, offensive tackle Melvin Siani from Wake Forest, and linebacker Rasheem Biles from Pittsburgh. Every one of those guys has been a key contributor this season. Then, last week, Texas pulled off a ridiculous 24-23 comeback win against Ohio State, catapulting them to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Texas unquestionably looks like a national championship contender. No matter what the books say about their NIL budget, one thing is clear: this squad is for real, sitting at No. 1, and chasing a national title. Keep an eye on what these Longhorns do next; it’s gonna be a ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply