$60.3 million college football coach named ‘prince of the portal’ after transfer haul

Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cotton Bowl. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU in December 2025, signing a seven-year, $91 million deal that made him one of college football’s highest-paid coaches. 

He immediately leaned hard into the transfer portal, telling reporters at his introductory press conference that the roster rebuild would be aggressive and portal-driven, repeatedly calling LSU’s incoming group “historic” and predicting, “when these next two days are done, it’ll be the best portal class in the history of college football.”

So far, that claim has held up: ESPN ranked LSU the No. 1 portal class for the 2026 cycle after the Tigers secured 40 commits, including former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, the nation’s top-ranked offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, and Ole Miss edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen. 

While attention has focused on Kiffin’s transfer haul, another SEC coach is starting to draw notice; Houston Chronicle columnist Kirk Bohls has dubbed Sarkisian the “Prince of the Portal” in comparison to Kiffin’s dominance.

"If Lane Kiffin is the King of the Portal, you could say Sark is the Prince of the Portal." -@kbohls pic.twitter.com/wZUmNkhnbu

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) February 2, 2026

ESPN ranked Texas No. 4 among 2026 transfer-portal classes, led by skill‑position additions meant to support Arch Manning.

The haul includes wide receiver Cam Coleman (Auburn), running backs Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State), All‑ACC linebacker Rasheem Bliss (Pittsburgh), honorable‑mention All‑Big Ten cornerback Bo Mascoe (Rutgers), and Arkansas’s top defensive tackle Ian Geffrard.

ESPN’s write-up says Sarkisian’s incoming class “checks every box” for impact‑first transfers, highlighting Coleman’s exciting pairing with sophomore receiver Ryan Wingo, the three‑down versatility of Smothers and Brown, and several defenders who should contribute immediately.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts after beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Before arriving at Texas, Sarkisian moved through a mix of NFL and college offensive roles. He worked as a quarterbacks coach at El Camino and USC, spent time with the Oakland Raiders, and served as an offensive coordinator in both college and the NFL before taking head-coaching jobs at Washington (2009–2013) and USC (2014–2015). He later returned to Alabama as an offensive coordinator and had a stint as Atlanta’s OC.

Through the 2025 season, his fifth year leading the Longhorns, Sarkisian’s Texas record stands at 48–20, highlighted by three straight double‑digit win seasons and a College Football Playoff berth in 2024.

His early success at Texas earned him a contract extension in February 2024; the deal runs through the 2031 season, begins at $10.8 million and rises to $12.3 million in the final year, and carries a $60.3 million buyout, among the largest in college football.

While LSU’s rapid restocking via the portal sets immediate expectations for SEC contention, Texas illustrates how a stable, well‑funded staff under Sarkisian can still pivot and strategically “buy” depth and skill around an elite quarterback.

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