Joel Klatt highlights biggest concerns for Steve Sarkisian & Co. as Texas officially enters the Arch Manning era

The Texas Longhorns under coach Steve Sarkisian had an impressive first season in the Southeastern Conference reaching the championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs. They further reached a second consecutive semifinal of the college football playoffs, pushing the eventual champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, all the way.

During Monday's segment of the "Joel Klatt Show," analyst Joel Klatt pointed out the Longhorns' strengths as they transition into the Arch Manning era while breaking down the concerns he had with Sarkisian's team.

"Coming off back-to-back semifinal appearances, it's officially the Arch Manning era," Klatt said. "I believe he's going to be my Heisman frontrunner to begin the year, I think he can have that impact, that large of a season. There are some holes to fill but then, Steve Sarkisian like Ryan Day, like Dan Lanning, like Kirby Smart, like Nick Saban used to do at Alabama, they are just reloading at Texas. [43:19]

"I think the biggest concern for me with Texas is that they're replacing a lot on the offensive line. They're gonna be young but talented at wide receiver. They've still got Ryan Wingo, Deandre Moore watch out for him. The defense should be excellent and should give that O-line a little bit of time to get their feet wet."

In Klatt's post-spring rankings, reigning champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes were No. 3 just behind the Longhorns while the Penn State Nittany Lions snatched the top spot.

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Texas dubbed "SEC Powerhouse"

According to a "Houston Chronicle" report on May 2, the Longhorns have a $35-40 million salary budget for the 2025 season, far outstripping their opponents despite the Ohio State Buckeyes reportedly spending $20 million on their 2024 national championship-winning team. The Longhorns will utilize the revenue-sharing allocation plus payments from the Texas One Fund Collective to raise the astronomical budget for next season.

After details about the Longhorns' massive outlay to win the natty emerged, analyst Peter Burns dubbed them the SEC's pre-eminent program during Monday's segment of "SEC This Morning."

"If Georgia is a team that has struggled, is it Texas that's now the superpower of the SEC? Going back to back in their college football playoff runs," Peter Burns said. "Now, in fact, they are looking at spending $35 to $40 million on this roster. If you are going to look at the numbers, the SEC does not run through Georgia right now. The SEC powerhouse are the Longhorns."

Steve Sarkisian's team will have to work hard to snatch that title from blue blood programs in the SEC, including the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide.