With Arch Manning set to return in 2026, here are four other must-retain players for the Longhorns

Late Monday night, Cooper Manning, father of Texas quarterback Arch Manning, said Arch is “playing football at Texas next year” in a text to ESPN’s Dave Wilson. Arch Manning was the must-retain of all must-retains for Steve Sarkisian‘s program. The linchpin to Texas’ 2026 offense, Manning silenced doubters during Texas’ 9-3 2025 regular season and is set up for a strong junior campaign after he gets done battling the Michigan Wolverines on New Years Eve.

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While Cooper explaining in detail his son’s 2026 plans is technically news, the information doesn’t come as a shock.

It has long been expected that the Mannings want Arch to gain as much valuable experience as possible during his collegiate career. Another season helps him accomplish that and lay a strong foundation for what everyone hopes is a lengthy NFL career after a successful stint at Texas.

So with Manning set to come back, who are a few other must-retains for the Longhorns?

Note: Colin Simmons is in the same category as Manning and goes without saying as a blatant must-retain. These four are worth tracking much more closely than Simmons.

LT Trevor Goosby

Every franchise quarterback needs protection. Trevor Goosby is the protection. Goosby stepped in for all-time Longhorn Kelvin Banks at the left tackle position at the end of 2024 and then on a permanent basis in 2025. He was one of Texas’ best offensive players all season alongside Manning and protected the Longhorns’ signal caller from some of the most fearsome EDGEs in the nation. Goosby allowed only three sacks all season and surrendered 17 total pressures according to Pro Football Focus. Goosby could be an early-round pick himself, but a unique opportunity to share time on the 40 Acres with his basketball-playing brother Austin Goosby has Trevor looking like a major part of Texas’ 2026 plans.

DT Hero Kanu

Kanu tallied 14 tackles with 1.0 sack in three years at Ohio State. He blew past those numbers in his first year as a Longhorn. Kanu logged 30 tackles with 4.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks in 2025 along with a pass defended. As a 1A defensive tackle for the Longhorns in Texas’ trench rotation, Kanu provided steady to spectacular play all season. He had one missed tackle all year according to PFF and was responsible for 20 “stops,” defined as tackles that constitute a “failure” for the offense. Kanu walked at senior day but has another year of eligibility remaining. A return would mean Texas has a bona fide adult in the trenches in 2026, something Sarkisian and Pete Kwiatkowski should value greatly considering the past few seasons.

S Jelani McDonald

The amount of talent put into the NFL from the Longhorn secondary over the past few seasons is immense. Players like Ryan Watts, Jahdae Barron, and Andrew Mukuba are already there. Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad should join them soon. Jelani McDonald should also join their ranks someday, but Texas needs to make sure that takes place in the 2027 draft and not the 2026 version. McDonald has blossomed into a high-quality safety and will be needed as a veteran presence and a true impact player.

TE Jack Endries

Endries had a quality start, an unproductive middle, and a strong end to the 2025 season. In this first two games of his Texas career, Endries pulled in six catches for 102 yards and two scores. Then, he never had more than five total yards in a game over the next five contests. Things turned around some in Starkville, when he had four catches for 25 yards against Mississippi State. He followed that up with 24 yards on three receptions against Vanderbilt, then surged into the end of the season after a rough outing against Georgia. With his 93-yard day against Texas A&M showing what he’s capable of in an offense, and with other quality tight ends in the room with him like Nick Townsend, keeping a familiar, physically mature weapon for Manning is critical especially after DeAndre Moore‘s departure. Endries walked at senior day but no decision on his future has been made quite yet. The Longhorns are well aware of how important a target like No. 88 would be for the 2026 offense.