2026 Texas roster construction show Sark evolving with NiL, portal

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.

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.

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 .