Joe Rutland
Writer
As the Texas Longhorns get ready for a Citrus Bowl appearance on New Year’s Eve against the Michigan Wolverines, some Longhorns fans might have been wondering if quarterback Arch Manning would return in 2026.
Well, Texas fans, put those concerns to rest. Manning will be back next season. Cooper Manning, Arch Manning’s father, told ESPN on Monday night that his son would come back to the Austin, Texas, campus.
Manning started the 2025 college football season with a lot of hype from media outlets that he should be in conversations for the Heisman Trophy.
But Manning got off to a rough start, and Heisman voters and onlookers soon decided that this wasn’t going to be his year. Eventually, Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza picked up this year’s Heisman Trophy last Saturday night in New York City.
With Manning coming back, though, he has a chance to prove his doubters wrong. In fact, Manning has shown marked improvement over Texas’s last few games.
At this time, for the 9-3 Longhorns, Manning has gone 227-of-330 passing for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdown passes, and seven interceptions. He has led Texas to four wins in its past five games.
In the Longhorns’ last victory over Texas A&M by a 27-17 score, Manning went 14-of-29 passing for 179 yards and one touchdown.
Manning’s return is good news for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive coordinator Kyle Flood. They’ll have their QB1 in the house, hopefully sending Longhorns fans into a frenzy again at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Linebacker Liona Lefau is no longer on the Longhorns’ team and is going to make himself eligible for the Transfer Portal.
Lefau, a junior, finished his time with Texas with 139 tackles, including 8.0 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, six passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, according to On3 Sports.
In the past two seasons, Lefau has been part of the Texas starting defense. In 2025, Lefau had 69 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack.
Texas safety Michael Taaffe started his career as a walk-on with the Longhorns. Now, though, Taaffe has loftier goals in mind.
On Monday, Taaffe posted online that he was declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Taaffe posted a message, thanking his Longhorns’ teammates and the team’s coaching staff.
Taaffe played in 52 games for Texas, including 35 starts. He won the 2025 Wuerffel Trophy.
Taaffe was placed on the 2025 preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, and Lott IMPACT Trophy.
He was named to the 2024 Associated Press All-America Second Team and was a semifinalist for the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy. Taaffe was a walk-on for Texas back in 2021.
Now, he’s going to seek fame and fortune and, hopefully, will play on Sundays in the NFL,
Sarkisian is always looking to upgrade his coaching staff, and he added a big name to his staff.
Jabbar Juluke joined the Longhorns and will be an assistant head coach (offense) and running backs coach.
Juluke last served as running backs coach for the Florida Gators under former head coach Billy Napier. New Florida head coach Jon Sumrall chose not to retain Juluke for his staff.
There were some rumors, though, that had Juluke going to Kentucky. But those rumors became moot when Juluke chose to make Texas his new coaching home.
Juluke was with Florida for four years. He was part of Napier’s staff at Louisiana and also has coached at LSU and Texas Tech in his career, too.
Among the running backs that Juluke coached and that went on to play in the NFL are Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson.
Juluke was suspended for three games last season over an incident before the Gators played LSU.
Finally, in this roundup of recent news involving the Longhorns, the school released its schedule for the 2026 college football season.
Texas has home games against Texas State, Ohio State, UTSA, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Arkansas next season. As for road games in 2026, the Longhorns will play Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, LSU with new head coach Lane Kiffin, and Texas A&M at Kyle Field.
Cody Croy
Writer
The Buckeyes are wasting no time following the loss to Miami. The off-season has begun, and former LSU and Georgia assistant Cortez Hankton is set to step into a role with Ohio State as the wide receivers coach. Hankton will replace Brian Hartline, who left the team to become the next head coach at USF. […]
Tony Thomas
Writer
The victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl marked the greatest victory in the 138 years of Indiana football.
Tony Thomas
Writer
Both Indiana and Alabama will wear crimson as they battle in the Grandaddy of them all.
