Brian Kelly revealed the team he believes will be a top contender for the national championship this upcoming season. On Monday, he made an appearance on the “CBS Sports College Football” show.
During this interview, Kelly named the Texas Longhorns as a strong favorite to compete for the national championship. He heaped praise on the program’s head coach, Steve Sarkisian, and also shared his expectations for quarterback Arch Manning.
“I think last preseason, all the talk was about Arch Manning,” Kelly said. “(This year)It’s less about Arch, and I think that’s a good thing. I think Coach Sarkisian has a really good football team from top to bottom.
“I think if Arch Manning continues his growth and plays with the level he knows he’s capable of, I think in a year or two, he’s a lot more confortable. I think Texas is a team to beat.”
There was a lot of hype surrounding Arch Manning when he joined the Longhorns in 2023. He was initially the third-string option behind Quinn Ewers and Malik Murphy before being promoted as the backup in 2024. That season, Manning played in 10 games and recorded 939 yards and nine TDs passing with 108 yards and four TDs rushing.
After Quinn Ewers left for the NFL in the 2025 draft, Arch Manning was named the new Texas Longhorns starting quarterback. However, his performance did not live up to the hype.
Sarkisian and his team finished with a 10-3 (6-2 SEC) record, failing to make the playoffs. Manning recorded 3,163 yards and 26 TDs passing, along with 399 yards and 10 TDs rushing.
Brian Kelly joins CBS Sports as a college football analyst
Brian Kelly spent the last four years serving as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. Before this, he spent 12 seasons with Notre Dame, posting a 92-39 overall record. However, back in October, the LSU Tigers decided to fire Kelly after a disappointing 5-3 start to the season.
While he was unsuccessful in landing another coaching gig, the former two-time College Football Coach of the Year will serve as an analyst for CBS Sports for the 2026 season. According to the network, he will make an appearance on “Inside College Football” during select games and also be a part of CBS Sports HQ.
The LSU Tigers replaced Brian Kelly with former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. They kick off the 2026 season with a Week 1 showdown against the Clemson Tigers on Sept. 5.
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