Texas boasts a potent WR duo poised for Biletnikoff contention, promising explosive plays and a target-rich environment for Arch Manning.
When you talk about the top teams in college football for 2026, you would be remiss if you did not include the Texas Longhorns. Coach Steve Sarkisian returns some talent, including quarterback Arch Manning, from a team that won 10 games last season, their third campaign of double-digit wins in as many years.
Sarkisian also stampeded into the portal and rustled up the top offensive prospects at running back and wide receiver. Manning will have some weapons at his disposal as the Longhorns could be, arguably, the best offense in the SEC and in the FBS.
A big part of that offense will be the passing game and the perimeter talent, consisting of leading returning receiver Ryan Wingo and transfer Cam Coleman. As a result, Wingo and Coleman are worthy candidates to be listed on any way-too-early watch lists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top receiver in college football.
Ryan Wingo#
As the leading receiver for Texas last season, Wingo hauled in 54 of Manning’s passes for 834 yards, seven touchdowns, and averaged 15 yards per catch. In a win over Mississippi State, Wingo caught five passes for a season-high 184 yards. Against Sam Houston State, Wingo caught touchdown passes in a 55-0 win. For his efforts, Wingo was named second-team All-SEC. In his Texas career, Wingo has 83 passes for 1,276 yards and nine touchdowns to his credit.
Cam Coleman #
Coleman was the leading receiver at Auburn last season, with 56 catches for 708 yards and five touchdowns. But his career was sentenced to death by quarterback as he was catching passes from Payton Thorne and Jackson Arnold over the past two seasons.
Sarkisian rescued Coleman from that terrible fate as Auburn, under former coach Hugh Freeze, won just three SEC games during Coleman’s time on the Plains.
Nevertheless, Coleman performed at a high level. Against Vanderbilt, he caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a score in a losing effort. In his two seasons at Auburn, Coleman caught 93 passes for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Both Wingo and Coleman will benefit from a starting quarterback of the caliber of Manning. Manning came on strong toward the end of last season, as he accounted for over 3,500 total yards and 36 touchdowns. He will look to build on that momentum going into next season and will be a Heisman Trophy candidate.
With Sarkisian calling the plays and Manning triggering the offense, Wingo and Coleman could have breakout 2026 seasons, and their inclusion on the official Biletnikoff Award Watch List in August may be a foregone conclusion.