Texas is seeking its first national championship in two decades in the 2025 season after two straight College Football Playoff semifinal knockouts. However, the Longhorns’ quest to get over the hump will come with an exuberant price tag.
The budget for Texas’ roster in 2025 sits between $35 million and $40 million, the Houston Chronicle reported. That money reportedly likely comes from Texas’ revenue-sharing allotment and payouts through the Texas One Fund, which is Texas’ name, image and likeness (NIL) collective.
That figure doesn’t include the salary that returning quarterback Arch Manning will receive in 2025. Even though he’ll be Texas’ highest-paid player “by far,” Manning doesn’t take money from the school as he and his family have negotiated NIL deals on their own, according to the Houston Chronicle. Manning has the highest NIL value of any current college athlete at $6.6 million, On3 projects. It also reportedly isn’t known how many players on Texas’ roster will receive a salary worth at least $1 million.
The reported budget for Texas’ football roster might be the largest since NIL was introduced in 2021. While college roster budgets aren’t readily available, Ohio State’s NIL collectives issued approximately $20 million in salary to players for its roster in 2024, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork claimed before the season. It was believed that the number was a record at the time.
Of course, spending that money wound up paying dividends for the Buckeyes. They won the national championship in 2024, with transfers like quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins and safety Caleb Downs playing key roles in their title run.
As some teams who’ve spent big money have seen positive results, though, the price tags on some of these rosters might be becoming too much for schools to handle. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is expected to phase out using the school’s NIL collective to pay players in favor of the revenue-sharing agreement from the pending House vs. NCAA settlement, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“It’s just unsustainable,” a source reportedly told the Houston Chronicle of the price tag of Texas’ roster.
The Longhorns arguably have the most loaded roster in the sport ahead of the preseason. Despite only making two starts so far in his college career, Manning is widely viewed as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, if he were to declare. Steve Sarkisian aided the roster around Manning by landing the top-ranked high school recruiting class (via 247 Sports) and secured 10 transfers, with Syracuse defensive lineman Maraad Watson headlining that group.
Caleb Downs & Arch Manning in Klatt’s way-too-early top prospects in 2026 NFL Draft
In addition to Manning, Texas will also return 12 starters from last season, including All-American linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., freshman All-American edge rusher Colin Simmons and second-team All-American safety Michael Taaffe. That list of starters doesn’t include running back CJ Baxter, who was set to be the Longhorns’ starter at the position in 2024 before tearing his ACL in preseason practice.
With all of that talent returning and incoming, FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt ranked Texas No. 2 in his way-too-early top 25 in January. He’s become even more bullish about the Longhorns this upcoming season more recently.
“I really believe Texas is going to take the next step under Steve Sarkisian due to Manning,” Klatt wrote of Texas and Manning in his top 10 prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. “If the Longhorns aren’t in the national championship game next season, I’m going to be fairly surprised. This Texas program is excellent, with Sarkisian continuously building this team closer and closer to a title. As Manning becomes the full-time starter next year, Texas will also bring in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. Suffice to say, I’m in on Texas and Manning.”
Texas has the second-best odds (+550) to win the national championship as of Thursday, trailing only Ohio State (+500). The Longhorns are the favorite to win the SEC, though, at +280, via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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