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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has one more game left in his 2025 season, but like every other program in the country, he has to recruit for 2026 and beyond at the same time.
This process obviously changed across all college sports after the introduction of name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements, which turned recruiting into a financial game.
But one of the many flaws in the system, at least in Sargsyan’s eyes, is the lack of regulation surrounding the agents these athletes hire to negotiate these NIL deals before heading off to school.
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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns holds Horns Up as he enters the stadium before the SEC football game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on November 28, 2025, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (David Buono/Icon Sportswire)
Before the Longhorns faced the Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Sarkisian discussed this aspect of recruiting, suggesting that some of the agents aren’t even qualified to negotiate deals that could reach into the millions.
“Which agent are you dealing with? There are some agents who are rational and others where it’s their first time being an agent,” Sargsyan told reporters, according to OnTexasFootball. “I don’t even know if they’re allowed to be agents, and all of a sudden they’re agents because we don’t have a certification process in college football, where in the NFL you have to be certified. In college football, it could be their freshman college roommate who’s their agent right now.”
Sarkisian was asked about what Texas plans to do this offseason to replace some key players, including running back Quintrevion Wisner, who has entered the transfer portal. Wisner announced the move last Friday, joining CJ Baxter and Rickey Stewart Jr. as Texas’ running backs.
While Sarkisian talked about how the team needs others to be strategic, identifying what they need versus what they want, as well as looking at the “luxuries” they have on the roster, he also made sure to mention the 2026 high school recruiting class that needs to be looked at.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns speaks during SEC Football Media Days at the Omni Dallas Hotel on July 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Regardless, Texas continues to navigate the transfer portal, and Sarkisian knows he will need to continue to have phone conversations with “agents” in the future.
“Again, I think there’s nothing wrong with that,” Sargsyan said after reflecting on how finances came into play when it comes to building a college roster. “We just need to tighten things up. I hope we can get there sooner rather than later, because again, I’m probably going to be on the phone with an agent today who’s going to throw me a number saying, ‘Good luck, I hope you get it. If you don’t, call us back. But I can’t do this number.'”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns on the field before a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Unlike other lower tier programs, the University of Texas has huge NIL funds to work with. In fact, the highest paid NIL athlete in college football is their quarterback, Arch Manning, who will remain with the team through 2026. He hopes to finish strong in his first bowl game on New Year’s Eve.
Texas led the way with a huge NIL budget for the 2025 season, ranking higher than any team in college football with $22.2 million, according to 247 Sports.
