Steve Sarkisian Doesn't Hold Back on Texas Offensive Line After Tennessee Win

The Texas Longhorns escaped Neyland Stadium with a 20-17 win over Tennessee on Saturday, despite not putting in their best performance of the season offensively.

Arch Manning didn’t have a day to write home about. Although it wasn’t a bad one, he was limited to just 19 total pass attempts, as the Longhorns defense led the way in the win over the Volunteers.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t want to blame his quarterback for a lackluster offensive performance, explaining that the struggles often go beyond the signal-caller. He didn’t hold back when evaluating his offensive line.

Steve Sarkisian: "Clearly, It Wasn't Good Enough"

Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) receives a bad snap during a college football game against Tennessee on Sept. 19, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Clearly, it wasn’t good enough Saturday. It’s a combination of things,” Sarkisian said of the offensive line when asked about its communication. “Some of them are the quarterback, some are the center, and some are the other guys executing what they’re told to do. It was a combination of things. It clearly was not good enough Saturday.”

A big part of the Volunteers disrupting the rhythm of the Texas offense was its pass rush. Saturday’s performance from the front five resembled some of the struggles of last season.

Texas allowed six sacks on Saturday, which obviously played a big role in Manning finishing with -1 rushing yards.

“I think that he'll continue to get better as we continue to get better around him,” Sarkisian said. “He's got to do his part. Don't get me wrong. … But everybody's got to get better on offense.”

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A big part of Manning’s supporting cast is the offensive line, which, after an offseason where Texas reinforced in the transfer portal, is expected to return better than it did on Saturday.

The good news for the offensive line, though, is that the potential return of veteran starter Cole Hutson could be imminent with the conclusion of his battles in court.

“As it pertains to Cole, it’s just been such a roller coaster of stuff with lawsuits, injunctions, and temporary restraining orders and all the stuff going on,” Sarkisian said on Monday. “He finally did get cleared, I think, on Thursday of last week. And so we’ll move forward on the premise that he is cleared, ready to play until the SEC tells us otherwise, but we’ll move forward as if he’s ready to play.”

Hutson’s return would give the Longhorns an experienced starter who would be considered a returner from last year’s team. He’d be able to slot in at any of the interior offensive line positions and help Texas out right away.

As the Longhorns begin their bye week ahead of the October 10th meeting with Oklahoma, Hutson’s status will be one to watch.

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