College football has changed. An understatement to be sure. But the speed in which the sport has evolved is unprecedented. The advent of NIL, paying players and basically free transfer through the NCAA portal has reshaped college football in just a few years. This year's Texas Longhorns football roster shows how UT coach Steve Sarkisian is evolving.
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In 2021, every single starter on offense was a homegrown Texas player. They started as a recruit, signed a letter of intent and went to Texas. It sounds so normal.
But court battles have led to big changes. NIL (name, image, likeness) rights now reside with the player, who can sell them. That opened the door for schools to pay for the NIL rights, a way of playing players. The better the player, the more money he can earn off of his NIL.
The same is true with NCAA transfer policies. Player movement used to be much more restrictive. Players had to sit out a full season if they wanted to change schools. Now, during certain windows, players can move almost freely.
The difference is evident when you compare the 2026 Longhorns roster to the rosters over the past six years.
How the #Texas offenses have been constructed in the Sarkisian Era:
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) May 1, 2026
The 2026 offensive core comes in with 12,406 career snaps played and seven portal additions – a clear change in previous philosophy.
OTF: https://t.co/bu1urIkBmUpic.twitter.com/4m0Qy6u25W
Again, 2021 was homegrown. In 2022, UT had just one offensive starter from the transfer portal, quarterback Quinn Ewers. Ewers, who originally committed to Texas, transfer to the Forty Acres from Ohio State.
In 2023 it was just Ewers and Georgia wide receiver transfer Adonai Mitchell. 2024 saw three transfers starting on offense. Ewers was joined by WRs Matthew Golden from University of Houston and Isaiah Bond from Alabama.
Last year, Sark brought in just two players again, Cal TE Jack Endries and WR Emmett Mosley V from Stanford. For several years, the Texas coach has been augmenting his homegrown roster here and there with a talent upgrade at a few positions.
But in 2026, Sark has taken roster construction to a whole new level. Seven of the starters come from other programs.
2026 Transfers on Texas offense
- WR Emmett Mosley V - Stanford
- RB Hollywood Smothers - NC State
- RB Raleek Brown - Arizona State
- WR Cam Coleman - Auburn
- WR Sterling Berkhalter - Wake Forest
- TE Michael Masunas - Michigan State
- OL Lawrence Seymore - Western Kentucky
Sark has upgraded talent all over the field, instead of just in a few spots of glaring need. Texas signed the best wideout in the portal, two of the best running backs, on of the best tight ends and has augmented with another receiver and offensive lineman.
Certainly, there is urgency on the part of the coaching staff to provide starting QB Arch Manning with a better chance to win a title at Texas. But, while seven starting transfers might be on the high side, expect more high-profile transfers in the future.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: NIL, transfer portal give Texas football better tools to build roster