After last year’s playoff miss, Steve Sarkisian isn’t taking chances with his team anymore. Ohio State’s $20 million roster investment resulted in a championship win for them in the 2024 season; Texas is trying to resonate with the same by spending $47 million on the roster. Interestingly, the offense is where the entire focus remains, as they get a massive $16.66 million amount.

Texas is spending a huge amount of money on its offense this season to build a strong team around quarterback Arch Manning, who is making an incredible $6,800,000. Even without counting Manning’s deal, Texas has invested about $10 million more in the players around him.

Texas is using the money it saved from Manning’s flexible NIL setup to pour tens of millions into his support cast. By structuring his compensation in a way that keeps direct school dollars lower, the Longhorns are effectively using that breathing room to back Arch like a franchise quarterback: thick offensive line, flashy receivers, and a versatile backfield all paid to carry the ball when he needs them most.

At wide receiver, Cam Coleman is earning $3,000,000, Ryan Wingo is getting $1,500,000, and Emmett Mosley V will make $832,219. The offensive line is also receiving big money, with Trevor Goosby getting $1,382,329, Connor Robertson earning $661,107, Laurance Seymore making $415,625, Brandon Baker receiving $500,000, and Melvin Siani getting $700,000. In the backfield, running back Hollywood Smothers will earn $500,000, while tight end Nick Townsend is set to make $365,987.

All that money is not just about making headlines. It’s about giving Manning time to throw, protection when pressure comes, and playmakers who can turn a short catch into a big gain. The Longhorns are building a cushion for him, so if his reads are a half‑second slow, the line holds a bit longer, and if he makes a mistake, the athletes around him can bail him out.

Well, it’s understandable why the Longhorns spend so much money on offense, especially after last year’s struggle. They got talented players like Cam Coleman from Auburn to make sure Arch Manning has key pieces to perform well. The offensive line was their major concern.

The team averaged only 137.8 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry; they couldn’t protect Manning, as Texas allowed 23 sacks last year. That kind of pressure is brutal on any young quarterback, and for a kid being asked to carry the whole offense, it can break a season quickly.

The problems became very clear against Kentucky, where Texas managed only 179 total yards against them. So, to make sure such issues don’t happen this season, the team spends heavily on the players. But all this became possible because Manning agreed to take a pay cut.

Arch Manning was widely projected to be worth around $6.8 million in the college market, but Texas is only paying him about $2 million directly from the school. Because Manning did not ask for a bigger paycheck, Texas had more money to spend on better players around him for the 2026 season. Sarkisian praised Manning for not being greedy, even though he could have easily demanded much more money.

“Arch could have dragged us over the coals for six million, seven million, whatever he wanted,” Sarkisian told On3. “That’s an extra five million that I can go get a Cam Coleman, go get a Hollywood Smothers, and go get a Rasheem Biles.”

Now, the team is using that as a major benefit to strengthen their roster. And with that surge, even Arch Manning is finally getting the praise he deserves.

Arch Manning gets massive backing before the 2026 season

Last year was filled with ups and downs, not just for the team but for Arch Manning. After getting the No.1 draft projection in early predictions, the hype was pretty solid around him. He did live up to it on some levels by taking the team to 9 wins, but inconsistency did follow. Against UTEP, he threw 10 incompletions, and concern kept rising. But he also made sure he made a massive comeback, and that happened against Arkansas.

Manning threw six touchdowns against them and became the first Longhorn player to do so since Bobby Layne in 1946. That improvement gave hope to the team that giving Manning the QB1 position was not wrong. That potential impressed Chase Daniel as he defended him against critics who just focus on his shortcomings rather than the improvement he showed.

“The quality of his late 25 film vs what I remember from 24 and early 25 is wild af. Impressive improvement (and I love improvement). Lots of AAAA on Sunday throws. legit athleticism. polished and strong footwork, base, and pocket movement. 2nd level touch,” Super Bowl XLIV champion Chase Daniel said. “The drastic improvement is what fires me up the most for Arch. This is going to be a huge year for him & @TexasFootball.”

After throwing for only 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception against Ohio State, Arch Manning faced heavy criticism as Texas started the season 3-2. He also threw five interceptions in the first five games, but he quickly improved his game in the second part of the season.

Over the final six regular-season games, Arch Manning threw 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions, finishing the season with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Now, with his growing confidence, huge potential, and an offense built and paid to protect him, Manning is walking into 2026 with the kind of support Texas has never given a quarterback in such a loaded, money‑backed way.