Brian Kelly Makes Bold SEC Prediction Ahead of 2026 College Football Season

0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The SEC is an absolute gauntlet in college football , and this year feels even harder to predict. Lane Kiffin has taken over at LSU, leaving Pete Golding to lead the Ole Miss Rebels. Kalen DeBoer enters a crucial Year 3 at Alabama. Jon Sumrall is set to lead the Gators. Mike Elko is looking to continue his rise at Texas A&M. And Kirby Smart's Dawgs are always in it.

But with the 2026 season just about to kick off, former college coach Brian Kelly, now an analyst with CBS Sports, picked another team he believes will top the SEC this season: the Texas Longhorns.

"Last preseason, all the talk was about Arch Manning. 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 to the level that he knows he's capable of — I think in Year 2 he's a lot more comfortable — I think Texas is the team to beat," Kelly said.

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The grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Eli Manning and Peyton Manning, Arch Manning arrived at Texas in 2023 as the most coveted prospect in the country. After a redshirt freshman year, Manning spent his second year under Steve Sarkisian as Quinn Ewers' backup, appearing in just 10 games but showing promise in the time he did see the field.

As a result, much of last offseason was spent hyping up Manning for what was set up to be his long-awaited debut as the Longhorns' starting quarterback. He was even listed as one of the odds-on Heisman favorites ahead of the 2025 season.

But his first year as the starter produced mixed results. He finished with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, along with 399 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Those are solid numbers on the surface, but he had a lot of disappointing games, and Texas finished just 10-3 and missed the College Football Playoff.

Sarkisian can't afford a repeat this season, especially with Manning likely playing his last season as a Longhorn.

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The good news is that the team added a lot of talent on both sides of the ball this offseason, including top transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman, giving Manning two elite wideouts alongside Ryan Wingo, plus offensive tackle Melvin Siani, running back Hollywood Smothers, and defensive lineman Ian Geffrard.

Kelly's point is that with all that incoming talent, along with what Texas already has and the weight of the world potentially off Manning's back now that he has a full year of starting experience under his belt, the Longhorns may emerge as the best team in the SEC this season — putting them in position to make a legitimate run at a national title.

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