Paul Finebaum Names SEC Powerhouse Capable of Winning National Championship

Paul Finebaum has spent a decade making bold proclamations on the radio and on television, and his latest one keeps landing in the familiar place.

The longtime ESPN and SEC Network analyst joined McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning recently to share what is grabbing his attention before SEC Media Days in July.

His answer was not a coach on the hot seat or a freshman phenom. It was the team that entered last season as the consensus No. 1 and ended the season at what many considered a disappointing 10-3 finish.

Why Finebaum keeps backing Texas in 2026

Finebaum told Cole Cubelic that the Texas Longhorns are positioned to break through after stumbling under the weight of preseason expectations a year ago.

"I'm pretty fascinated by Texas and Arch Manning, and I know I've gone to the high-hanging fruit there," Finebaum said. "But a year ago, they were put in a position that they simply weren't ready for."

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning — Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) and the Longhorns are widely believed to be ready to make the leap into the national championship conversation in 2026. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

He compared the situation to a golfer who shoots 78 in a final round at Augusta and returns the next year to win, then defended head coach Steve Sarkisian against the offseason critics.

"He's still been to the playoffs twice. Last year was not a disaster," Finebaum said. "I think they have the capacity to win the national championship. I just want to know what is different."

What is different about the 2026 Longhorns

Plenty, actually. The roster moves alone explain Finebaum's confidence. Texas added the top-ranked wide receiver in the transfer portal in former Auburn star Cam Coleman, who caught 56 passes for 708 yards last fall, and reeled in NC State's Hollywood Smothers, the ACC's leading rusher per game in 2025.

That answers two of last year's biggest issues. The Longhorns leaned heavily on wideout Ryan Wingo without a complementary boundary threat, and the ground game never produced a featured back. Coleman and Smothers fix both at once.

Sarkisian also hired Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator and handed him play-calling duties, freeing the head coach to focus on an offense that sputtered in the red zone for stretches of 2025.

"MANNING THE MAGICIAN!"@MarkJonesESPN on the call as Arch puts Texas in front of Michigan 🤘

Watch the end of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on ABC and the ESPN App 🏈 pic.twitter.com/l6bZvb5ZbO
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 31, 2025

Manning, who threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first year as the starter, is back for what could be a final college season before the NFL draft. His Citrus Bowl performance, where Manning ran for 155 yards and delivered four total touchdowns against Michigan, hinted at the version Finebaum has been describing all along.

Texas football opens the 2026 campaign at home against Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

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