Arch Manning is officially back and ready to lead Texas' offensive attack in 2026. Manning looked a lot better down the stretch in 2025, mostly because he began to trust his receivers to make plays after the catch. He wasn't a "big play hunter" anymore like he was over the first half of the season.
His ability to consistently fit balls into tight windows in the short-intermediate areas of the field made the offense much more efficient than it was early on. Aside from the dropped passes, guys like Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore were making plays on a variety of different quick-game concepts and combinations.
Wingo should be back, but Moore is apparently leaning towards declaring for the NFL Draft. Yes, Texas' wide receiver room is chock-full of blue-chip players, but it's important that the Longhorns add proven weapons to the group as well via the transfer portal. Steve Sarkisian has to surround Arch Manning with a plethora of weapons in 2026 in order to supercharge the offense going forward.
Here are 5 transfer portal wide receivers who could thrive in Texas' offense alongside Arch Manning:
Perry Thompson - 6'3", 220 lbs. - Auburn
Thompson is a big, true "X" receiver who consistently uses his size and length to his advantage at the catch point. He knows how to effectively shield defenders away from the football and is tough to bring down after the catch.
He'd provide the Longhorns with a legitimate redzone threat in 2026, something that they've been missing for a while now.
Danny Scudero - 5'9", 174 lbs. - San Jose State
Scudero was the best G5 wide receiver in 2025, and he'd immediately step into the role that DeAndre Moore played for Texas in 2025. There's a very good chance that he would be the top slot receiver in the nation in Steve Sarkisian's offense.
Going after Scudero could end up being a "no brainer" for Sarkisian.
Malcolm Simmons - 6'0", 186 lbs. - Auburn
Simmons was a do-it-all type of player for the Tigers in 2025, lining up at multiple different spots. He's a pretty versatile player and might be the type of guy that the Longhorns are looking for in the 2026 transfer portal.
He was used as a rusher on end-arounds, jet sweeps, and reverses for Auburn in 2025 as well, making him a juicy target for any offense looking for a gadget-type wide receiver. Simmons could take over some of the short-area stuff that Ryan Wingo did in 2025, allowing Wingo to focus on stretching defenses vertically more often.
Arhmad Branch - 6'0", 185 lbs. - Purdue
Branch played in the slot quite a bit for the Boilermakers this season, but he's another flexible player like Simmons. Branch could spend time at both "Z" and in the slot for Texas, making him another intriguing target for Steve Sarkisian.
Like Scudero, Branch is more in the mold of DeAndre Moore both physically and play-style wise.
Jackson Harris - 6'3", 205 lbs. - Hawaii
Harris is another tall, "X"-type receiver who has the skillset and ability to live on the outside for any Power 4 team. He's an excellent route-runner and has been operating in a pass-first offense at Hawaii since 2023.
Harris finally had his breakout season in 2025 with 963 receiving yards and 12 TDs, and he could put up similar stats with Arch Manning throwing him the football.