Why Texas Longhorns Fans Should be Excited About Sterling Berkhalter

The Texas Longhorns added another exciting piece to their wide receiver room for 2026

Sep 11, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Sterling Berkhalter (4) catches a pass in the first half against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images | Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns built one of the most excellent transfer portal classes of the 2026 cycle this offseason, finding players to revamp their team, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

They weren't done yet either, adding Sterling Berkhalter two weeks after the portal window closed, giving them another dynamic wide receiver to what is already one of the best receiving rooms in the SEC and maybe in the country as well.

As the Longhorns continue adding pieces to the offense, surrounding quarterback Arch Manning with talent, Berkhalter is no different and is a piece that gives immediate depth to the Longhorns should an injury happen.

Storing the Depth

Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Sterling Berkhalter (84) gestures as he scores a touchdown in the first quarter of the College Football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Towson Tigers at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Longhorns are going all in for the 2026 season. After finishing this past season on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff despite starting as the preseason number one team in the country, they knew they would need to take a different approach ahead of the next season.

That's where the transfer portal came in, and the Longhorns added Cam Coleman, the number one receiver available. With the return of Ryan Wingo and Emmet Mosley V, they have built a talented core for Manning to throw to. However, with the portal comes departures, including Parker Livingstone, DeAndre Moore Jr., and Jaime Ffrench, and that is where Berkhalter will shine.

With 76 receptions for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns, Berkhalter has proven he can be effective when the ball is thrown his way. This past season, he put up his best season yet, finishing with career highs in catches (30) and receiving yards (416).

With a receiving room already capped with talent, Berkhalter might primarily serve as a depth piece, but as Longhorn fans learned last season, you can never have too much depth in any position room. Mosley was bitten by the injury bug, and with depth behind them that had little experience, the offense found itself struggling at times to find a rhythm during games.

Berkhalter adds valuable experience, a consistent average of 14.4 yards per reception, and a lifeline for the Longhorns should their receiving room find themselves riddled with injuries during the 2026 season. With a gauntlet of a schedule for 2026, the Longhorns will need players like Berkhalter to be ready should his name be called, and his experience shows he can be exactly that and then some, should he find himself getting extra playing time next season.