Projecting Who's Staying and Who's Leaving from Texas After Bowl Game
Following an offseason full of optimism, the 2025 campaign didn't finish as planned for a star-studded Texas team.
The opening loss at Ohio State put an immediate dent in the Longhorns' year, which included a horrendous upset at Florida and a blowout loss to Georgia. The self-inflicted woes properly kept Texas out of the College Football Playoff, and the Horns finished 10-3 with a 41-27 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.
But there's no doubt the hype is returning.
Texas probably won't being the 2026 season atop the national rankings as in 2025, but expectations will be similarly high on the Forty Acres.
Who's Staying
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QB Arch Manning
Look solely at the numbers, and Arch Manning had a respectable year. The problem is that Texas stumbled badly against its best competition, and Manning wasn't immune to mediocre days opposite mediocre teams, either. He was also a first-year starter, so improvement is fully reasonable to expect in 2026.
Manning stepped up in the Citrus Bowl, posting 221 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns along with 155 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
Receiver Depth
There are a few notable departures from Manning's supporting cast, but Texas certainly isn't thin at receiver for next season. Leading wideout Ryan Wingo is back, along with Parker Livingstone, Emmett Mosley V and a host of former top recruits, such as Jaime Ffrench Jr. and Kaliq Lockett from the 2025 class.
Defensive Foundation
Barring any transfers—always a possibility, of course—the Horns have a promising start on their 2026 defense. Edge-rusher Colin Simmons, defensive tackle Alex January, linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith, nickel Graceson Littleton and safeties Jelani McDonald and Xavier Filsaime all played significant snaps this season.
Who's Leaving
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NFL-Bound Defenders
Concurrent with Texas' optimism for its returning talent is the reality the Longhorns are replacing a bunch of contributors, too. Edge-rushers Ethan Burke and Trey Moore used up their eligibility, as did corner Jaylon Guilbeau and safety Michael Taaffe. Early NFL departures may include defensive tackle Hero Kanu, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and corner Malik Muhammad.
Running Back Depth
The backfield is officially a work in progress. To date, the Horns have already had Quintrevion Wisner, CJ Baxter and Jerrick Gibson enter the transfer portal. Although the ground game was quiet in 2025, all three players held impactful roles at some point in their Texas tenures. As if that's not enough, Rickey Stewart Jr. is heading out after one season in Austin.
Other Transfers
Among the other 10 players in the portal, UT needs to replace a few notable pieces. Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. had a couple of 400-yard seasons, Connor Stroh started half of the season at left guard and safety Derek Williams Jr. seemed like a young player on the rise.
Who's on the Way
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The Next Big QB?
Manning, in all likelihood, will be headed to the NFL after the 2026 campaign. When he departs, will the replacement be 5-star Dia Bell? Texas pulled him from American Heritage, a powerhouse program in South Florida. Bell is considered the ninth-best overall prospect in the class.
Top-10 Recruiting Class
In addition to Bell, the Horns snagged two more 5-stars in linebacker Tyler Atkinson (20th) and edge-rusher Richard Wesley (28th). There are five other top-100 prospects in the haul, including running back Derrek Cooper (99th). He's become particularly notable after the departures at the position.
Incoming Transfers
At this moment, UT doesn't have a committed player. But when the portal formally opens on Jan. 2, those announcements will not take long to find. Texas has plenty of resources (you know, money) to attract transfers. Running backs, defensive linemen and linebackers should be high priorities for the Longhorns.
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