Steve Sarkisian is About to Find Out if One Recruiting Philosophy Actually Works

The pressure is on the Texas Longhorns to play at a high level this season. It comes with the territory, and Texas certainly isn't shying away from it.

The Longhorns are coming off a disappointing 2025, finishing with a 9-3 regular-season record and coming up short of the College Football Playoff. However, a bounce-back year is on the table with a talented roster.

A lot is on the line for Steve Sarkisian and Texas, but the way the Longhorns operate will be closely monitored if this season turns out to be a success.

Texas is Focusing on Development and Retention

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What makes this Longhorns team so enticing is the returning production. Texas has some of the highest returning production in college football.

The transfer portal was used to supplement the roster, but it wasn't the entire solution. What Texas is trying to focus on is developing their young players and keeping them in the program.

Manning is a terrific example. He made a couple of appearances during his first season, earned a couple of starts in year two, and is now entering his second season as the full-time starter. Now, Manning is set up for a terrific 2026 campaign.

It starts with the culture. Sarkisian was asked about it during SEC Media Days, and he talked about the importance of ingraining players into this winning culture.

"We do a lot of work. We do things called "Culture Wednesday" around our building, where we tap into the person, the whole person, and we get authentic," Sarkisian said. "We get transparent. We laugh. We cry. We hug. We write note cards to one another because we have to become a connected football team. That's what gets us to where we want to go and through those hard times."

That philosophy will be put to the test this year. Texas will square off with several transfer-portal-heavy teams, including LSU, Ole Miss, and Arkansas. Again, the Longhorns have an impressive portal class in their own right, but it was used to add.

Texas has a talented 2026 freshman class. Jermaine Bishop Jr., Derrek Cooper, Tyler Atkinson, and John Meredith III are going to receive opportunites to make an impact.

With the new Five-For-Five rule, that becomes a lot more possible. Development becomes a lot easier, and more importantly, Sarkisian has a better chance of retaining the top players.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google