Steve Sarkisian is heading into his sixth season calling plays at Texas with a deeper offensive menu than he has had before, and that matters for a team built around Arch Manning.
New arrivals and returning pieces give Sarkisian the freedom to morph personnel and force defensive decisions, as outlined by Texas Longhorns On SI, without surrendering vertical or downfield explosiveness.
Key Takeaways
- Steve Sarkisian enters the season with more lineup options that allow Texas to create mismatches without losing explosiveness.
- Cam Coleman transferred from Auburn after producing 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2025, giving Arch Manning a bigger outside target.
- Texas can deploy two running backs on the field while keeping receiving threats in space, and Hollywood Smothers produced 939 rushing yards and 37 receptions last season.
- If Arch Manning plays to expectations, this offense has the potential to reach 40+ points per game, but that projection is conditional on quarterback play.
Steve Sarkisian’s offensive blueprint
Sarkisian’s approach this year prioritizes flexibility: the staff can change personnel groups and keep the same play design to force defensive answers.
Motion, two-back sets and multiple receiver looks allow quick leverage shifts that can expose mismatches in coverage or create seams for backs to exploit.
How receivers and backs change matchup dynamics
Cam Coleman brings size and contested catch ability after a 2025 season in which he had 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns, and his presence gives Arch Manning a reliable boundary target.
Ryan Wingo supplies a complementary skill set as a 6-2 junior whose speed and elusiveness present a vertical threat and can stretch coverages deep.
Emmett Mosley V, who transferred from Stanford, provides an additional intermediate option that helps balance the route tree.
When Texas adds two-back personnel with Brown and Hollywood Smothers, defenses must account for a legitimate running threat and a back who can release into the flat or seams as a receiver.
Hollywood Smothers’ 939 rushing yards and 37 receptions from last season make him a true dual threat in space, and Brown offers the type of explosiveness that demands respect on early downs.
Freshman Derrek Cooper has also drawn praise in camp and gives the staff another pass-catching option from the backfield.
The tight end room supports the run game and adds blocking heft, with Nick Townsend listed at 6-3 and 250 pounds and a demonstrated ability to contribute as a blocker, and Michael Masunas supplying veteran blocking presence.
Those pieces allow Sarkisian to run play-action and personnel shifts that can widen lanes for receivers and create passing windows for Manning.
Offensive Personnel Context
| Player | Verified past production or profile | Role fit for Texas offense |
|---|---|---|
| Cam Coleman | Transferred from Auburn after a 2025 season with 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns | Big-bodied outside target to win contested catches and stretch defenses vertically |
| Hollywood Smothers | Rushed for 939 yards and added 37 receptions at NC State last season | Dual-threat back who creates mismatches as both runner and receiver out of the backfield |
| Ryan Wingo | 6-2 junior noted for speed and elusiveness | Vertical perimeter threat who can force safeties to widen and create one-on-one opportunities |
| Emmett Mosley V | Transferred from Stanford with an established receiving profile | Intermediate option to occupy linebackers and create space for vertical targets |
SEC recruiting and College Football Playoff implications
From a recruiting and roster-construction standpoint, a scheme that can mix tight ends, two-back sets and four- and five-receiver formations without losing explosiveness is an attractor for multi-skilled recruits.
An offense capable of hitting the 40+ points projection when Arch Manning is at his best gives Texas a clearer path to the scoring output that strengthens its College Football Playoff profile, and Sarkisian entering his sixth season calling plays provides continuity that should ease installation.
