Why Steve Sarkisian Parted Ways With Multiple Texas Players

On the quest toward building a championship-level roster for 2026, the Texas Longhorns had to make some tough decisions this offseason.

The Longhorns said goodbye to multiple notable players through the transfer portal both before and after the Citrus Bowl win over Michigan. Key starters like running backs Quintrevion Wisner (Florida State) and CJ Baxter (Kentucky) along with wide receivers Parker Livingstone (Oklahoma) and DeAndre Moore Jr. (Colorado) among others all found new homes through the portal.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said that seeing the departure of these four players and many others wasn't easy for both sides but hinted at a main reason that the tough decisions had to be made.

Steve Sarkisian: "Our Money Isn't Endless"

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Sarkisian said that he wanted many of Texas' portal departures to stay but bluntly admitted that the money the program pays its players "isn't endless."

"This is college football today, and I'd love for them all to stay, and I'd love for them all to finish what they started here with us," Sarkisian said. "But contrary to maybe popular belief, our money isn't endless here either, and we have to make real decisions in where we're trying to spend the money on the players that we have to try to put together a championship roster, but yet not lose sight of how powerful our culture is."

Texas fans may never know the full details but it's likely players like Wisner, Moore Jr., Baxter and Livingstone among others all wanted a bigger contract, something the program possibly decided wasn't worth it. It's just business and nothing personal, though the decisions are still tough nonetheless.

"It's hard to see Tre Wisner leave," Sarkisian said. "It's hard to see Parker Livingstone leave. It's hard to see DeAndre Moore leave, or Cedric Baxter. Again, I'm leaving 24 other guys out that that left our program, and that's probably not fair to those guys."

Here’s why #Texas HC Steve Sarkisian had to cut ties with these players. pic.twitter.com/LrVV2KR1rG
— OnTexasFootball (@ontexasfootball) February 24, 2026

But when it comes to the pursuit of a national championship, putting logic over feelings is usually the way to go.

Wisner, Baxter and Moore Jr. all committed to Texas out of high school and were teammates for three seasons after arriving together in the 2023 recruiting class. Livingstone came in as a freshman a year later.

After investing so much time into the program and the university, leaving Austin was likely hard for the players, something Sarkisian touched on.

"Those are difficult decisions to make, and it's hard on the players when they leave," Sarkisian said. "I don't think any of them want to leave. I'm sure there are some that want to, but I don't think any of them just want to leave. We've got a great place, and they get treated really well, and they've got great resources and great support around them."

"This year was probably the most challenging of them all. When you have real contributors that played for us decide to move on. But again, that's the nature of college football today. We're not an anomaly. You look around the country, there's a lot of really good players going other places."