Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is the reason former 5-star Central Red Devils receiver Cam Coleman chose to leave the Auburn Tigers and join one of the SEC's frontrunners over the past several seasons. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian believes it was more than just Manning's skillset that convinced Coleman, NC State Wolfpack transfer running back transfer Hollywood Smothers, and Pitt Panthers transfer linebacker Rasheem Biles to join his squad. Sark credited Arch's financial sacrifice, too.
Per Sarkisian, “Arch could have dragged us over the coals for six million, seven million, whatever he wanted. That’s an extra five million that I can go get a Cam Coleman, go get a Hollywood Smothers and go get a Rasheem Biles."
It's unclear whether Sark just blatantly admitted that Manning takes a massive pay cut in rev-share to give Texas unrivaled spending power. Well, unrivaled by most, since the Texas Tech Red Raiders did sign a $6 million quarterback, Cincinnati Bearcats transfer Brendan Sorsby, and still approached $40 million on their 2026 roster.
Manning makes that rev-share spend up with NIL sponsorships with Red Bull, Panini America, Vuori clothing, and Uber/Waymo, though. And that could set him up for more money in the NFL after becoming a top pick. So that may be what Sark just said.
Arch Manning bought himself Auburn football transfer Cam Coleman, others in portal
In the current landscape of NIL/rev-share/Wild West-esque spending from teams all over the country, Manning saw the forest through the trees and decided to take less money from the University of Texas at Austin so Sark, GM Brandon Harris, and Co. could give him the weapons necessary to win.
By all accounts, Coleman is delivering the goods in spring practice. He won't get much of a chance to line up for meaningful snaps at the Longhorns' public spring practice, which was changed from a formal spring game due to Manning's questionable health. The soon-to-be 22-year-old signal-caller had surgery on his foot this past offseason.
Still, when Manning hits the field this fall, he'll have a strong group around him, because he didn't want the kind of gaudy salary he could've easily asked from every major program across the country. Manning chose a school and truly committed, spending four years in Central Texas, two of them on the bench behind Quinn Ewers.
He put his money on the line. Coleman seems to be making good on Manning's gamble.
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