The college football coaching carousel is far from over. With the Michigan job open and it almost certainly going to a current Power 4 head coach, there are still plenty of dominoes to fall into place before the 2026 season. Then, there’s the NFL coaching cycle that has yet to get started with three weeks left in the regular season, and that could kick the carousel back into high gear.
Five years into his Texas tenure, Steve Sarkisian has been rumored for NFL jobs. Though he’s downplayed interest, the Tennessee Titans have lingered as a potential destination if he has any interest in making the jump to the next level. However, Monday night’s big news can finally put that NFL chatter to rest, at least for another year.
Arch Manning is returning to Austin for his redshirt junior season, forgoing his NFL draft eligibility. This was an expected move heading into the year and only grew more likely with Manning’s early-season struggles. His late-season surge, though, will make it impossible for Sark to consider leaving for the league.
Arch Manning’s return to Texas gives the Longhorns a National Title shot in 2026
Manning entered the 2025 season, his first as the Longhorn’s starter, as the Heisman Trophy favorite and a common choice as the first overall pick in 2026 NFL mock drafts. Then, he struggled against Ohio State, the best defense in the country, took a bit to adjust to the speed of the game, hone his accuracy, and was dubbed a “flop.”
That’s right about when he turned it around and reinserted Texas into the College Football Playoff conversation. He ended the year with arguably his best performance, burying Texas A&M in the second half, and the Longhorns hardly missed out on an at-large bid into the CFP field.
The thing is, almost every young quarterback struggles. Those struggles just aren’t typically as high profile as the heir apparent in football’s first family. But the player that Manning was in the back half of the season will be one of the best in the country next year. So, if Sarkisian can fix the offensive line, which was a huge reason for Manning’s slow start, and provide a more reliable run-game for Manning to lean on against elite SEC defenses, there’s no reason Texas shouldn’t be one of the favorites to win the SEC and the National Title.
If Sark can pull that off, with the added spotlight of doing it with a Manning, then his stock will be higher than ever. He won’t just be rumored as a candidate to take over a downtrodden franchise like the Titans; he’ll be a top name to come in and revive any young NFL quarterback on an even bigger stage.
Then, he can either choose to take on that challenge in the NFL or use that leverage to secure a raise at Texas. Either way, he wins.
You don’t pass up the chance to coach one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and you especially don’t do it when the back of his jersey reads M-a-n-n-i-n-g. Sark was likely never leaving the Longhorns, but now that the return of his quarterback is confirmed, he has no reason to bolt.