Kirk Herbstreit predicts 2026 will be Steve Sarkisian’s best Texas team yet
By David Wasson
Published:
The Texas Longhorns entered the 2025 season with sky-high expectations of a College Football Playoff berth and a potential Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Arch Manning.
The Longhorns fell short in both aspirations last season, but at least one notable college football analyst sees the 2026 Texas unit becoming coach Steve Sarkisian’s best in Austin.
“I feel like Texas is incredibly talented. This will be [Steve Sarkisian’s] best team,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said Wednesday to The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN during Day 3 of SEC Media Days in Tampa.
“But can they handle week in and week out? … I just don’t know if Texas, with all that pressure on them, that’s a tough spot. Sark has been that close for three years. I think they’ll be in the Playoff and could win the SEC. I just don’t know if they win it all.”
Herbstreit went on to talk about how Manning, who struggled early in 2025 amid the endless hype around him before evolving into a strong player late in the season, will be better for the early grind.
“What (Manning) went through last year, Pat, was the greatest thing for his growth and development – not just at Texas but also moving forward into the NFL,” Herbstreit said. “To go through those struggles and deal with all that media scrutiny, but get through it on the back end and finish the year solid. Getting through that and having that behind him will allow him to relax and play ball this year.”
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
