Steve Sarkisian Reveals Exactly What The Texas Longhorns Need to Do in the Offseason

Now that their 2025 season has officially drawn to an end, it’s time for the Texas Longhorns to shift gears and plan for 2026.

For programs with as high a turnover rate as Texas, the offseason rebuilding period is not to be overlooked.

Following his team’s victory in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed the importance of establishing depth during the spring and summer months.

Sarkisian on future plans for the Longhorns

Dec 31, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on before a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Longhorns already looked different in their bowl game against the Michigan Wolverines, with younger players stepping up in the absence of those lost to the NFL Draft and transfer portal.

Sarkisian revealed more about what that means for his team.

“We're going to have to build the depth out for that team next year, and then we've got to build this culture back, because there's going to be a ton of new faces,” he said. “We've got 20-some-odd high school kids who are going to join these guys. There's going to be some transfers that join these guys. New leaders have to rise up.”

Sarkisian appears to be hopeful that these new leaders will begin revealing themselves throughout these spring months and continue to do so all the way through fall camp.

“We've got to build that culture winter, spring, summer, fall camp, and get ourselves ready to go for another challenging schedule,” he said. “But there's no other group I'd rather go into that schedule next year within the group of guys that we have, that's for sure."

Their schedule next season involves a second consecutive season-opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes, along with nine SEC opponents compared to the eight that they took on this season.

As Sarkisian emphasized, it’s going to be challenging. Finding new leaders will be critical to the team’s future success, as will attacking the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2.

The Longhorns have identified certain position groups that will require the most strengthening, and they will try their best they can to obtain new playmakers in those areas over the course of the next two weeks.

With a large portion of their 2026 signees enrolling early, they will also be able to integrate those players into their systems within the next few months.

The ceiling could be high for this 2026 Texas team, but only time will reveal how capable they are of reaching their full potential.