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Spring break is finally limping to the finish line. For parents of young kids, we’re down to counting hours, itching to slide into that school drop-off line this week, ease the car into a slow roll, and gently but firmly return those little blessings to their rightful owners: the teachers. For parents of college students, the blood pressure can finally drop. No more late-night mental images of them trying to outdo your own legendary spring break résumé, or worse, accidentally recreating your wife’s cameo in Girls Gone Wild: College Spring Break (yes, the VHS era, grainy footage and all).
The end of spring break also means Texas spring football can finally pick things back up and pretend that awkward pause never happened. Just when things were starting to gain a little rhythm, everything shut down for a week, an interruption that felt about as natural as a timeout during a fast break. It was jarring, unnecessary, and, for fans, mildly annoying… kind of like watching Steve Sarkisian hang another lopsided score on Brent Venables and call it a rivalry.
But Sarkisian isn’t just out here killing momentum for fun. There’s an actual method to it, even if it initially felt like he pulled the plug right when everyone was getting comfortable.
Here’s how he explained it:
“As you all know, from a spring practice perspective, we’ll start March 9, and we’ll go three practices that week. That’ll be a Monday, Wednesday, Friday. We’ll do three practices, then we’ll go to spring break, and then we’ll come back and do 12 more. Those will be a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday format.
“And again, there have been years we’ve done this. I think we’ve done this once or twice in the past. Quite frankly, it’s not because I want to or I don’t want to. It’s more predicated on our academic schedule.
“Truthfully, it was like, ‘Why are they doing it this way this year?’ Because, to be fair to our players, our players have to go to school at the University of Texas. They have to go in person. We don’t get to go online every day and do it, maybe like some other folks get to do it. And so I have to give them a week to get ready for finals.
“If I would have pushed spring ball all the way back until after spring break, we would be butting up right to finals. So that’s the genesis of why we’re doing it that way this year.”
The main reason it felt like we went from Johnny B. Goode at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance to watching Marty McFly slowly fade out during “Earth Angel” is because Texas is loaded with weapons that every Longhorn observer is itching to see in action. Texas arguably has its best receiving weapon since Jordan Shipley. The Longhorns arguably have the best running back duo in the country. Laurence Seymore’s recent NCAA victory gives the offensive line new hope. This team is more stacked than H-E-B the night before a Texas snowstorm.
As we get ready for spring football to resume, it’s hard to do so without acknowledging one person who helped assemble a roster built to compete for a national championship this season.
Texas general manager Brandon Harris.
“Your apology should be as loud as your disrespect was.”
It’s a saying we’ve all heard, and it absolutely applies to the early returns on Brandon Harris. Because when Oklahoma Sooners football officially hired Jim Nagy as general manager on February 26, 2025, a large portion of the Longhorn discourse treated it like a checkmate in the rivalry. Nagy’s résumé as Executive Director of the Senior Bowl carried weight, and in the moment, it sent some into full panic mode about how Texas was operating behind the scenes.
The critiques of Harris weren’t whispered. They screamed their disapproval from Mount Bonnell.
“Texas needs to hire a GM with experience.”
“Sarkisian has a puppet as his GM.”
“Sarkisian needs a GM who can take work off his plate.”
“Texas needs someone like Mike Lombardi.”
“Why doesn’t Sarkisian make a hire like Cal obtaining Ron Rivera?”
“Jim Nagy will prove to be a better GM than Harris.”
“Agents and parents don’t like dealing with Harris.”
Oh yes, many Longhorn observers beat that drum like Lars Ulrich, loud, relentless, and absolutely convinced they were on tempo. A few even went full drum solo with it.
The noise became so loud that nearly a year ago, on March 6, 2025, I pulled back the curtain and laid out a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at why Harris mattered more than most people realized in the War Room. I decided to dig into what was actually happening behind the scenes. While outsiders believed Harris was in over his head, those inside the building didn’t see it that way.
“Anyone who believes that doesn’t know what he does for our organization or how important he is to Sark,” one source told me.
What I found was that Harris isn’t just part of the operation, he’s central to it. While Sarkisian sets the vision, Harris handles much of the day-to-day: personnel meetings, roster management, and the behind-the-scenes structure that keeps everything moving. He briefs Sarkisian daily and helps steer the program’s direction.
Then there’s the part fans don’t see: NIL and fundraising.
I was told Harris has helped raise roughly $30 million, often handling events on his own. One example: a Houston event that brought in $2 million in about an hour.
“Being a GM is not just about watching film,” one person told me. “There’s so much more to the job, and Brandon excels in each department.”
But he can evaluate talent, too. A former SEC starting quarterback at LSU, Harris leaned on that background when identifying Matthew Golden as a must-have transfer, then helped land him on a deal I was told was around $200,000.
“How many other GMs in the country were able to obtain a Top 10 pick for only $200,000?” one source said.
Harris’ role also includes making tough financial decisions. He oversees the NIL budget, negotiates deals, and, when necessary, tells agents no.
“He’s not afraid to be the bad guy.”
That approach carried through roster management, where I was told he helped structure payments across the team, took care of key players, and stayed firm when others pushed for more. It even extended to high-profile negotiations, including pushing back at times involving Arch Manning’s representatives.
Add in his recruiting impact, helping close players like Jonah Williams, and it became clear why those inside the program value him the way they do.
“Always remember, these kids are choosing people,” one source told me. “Look at the talent Harris has assembled since our 5-7 season. That doesn’t happen by accident.”
If there was any doubt about how Texas views him, I was told Harris turned down an NFL assistant GM opportunity before being rewarded with a new contract.
“Sarkisian wouldn’t promote Brandon and trust him if he had to do all the work,” one source said. “Harris is exactly what Texas needs.”
That research provided ample evidence, but some remained skeptical.
A month later, Nagy landed a commitment from former California running back Jaydn Ott. To the skeptics, it looked like the wizard was cooking, while Sarkisian was stuck on the sidelines under some kind of spell. The belief was that Sarkisian would eventually snap out of it and move to upgrade the position.
However, there’s one important thing most college football observers don’t understand.
Sarkisian is not swayed by public opinion.
That doesn’t mean he’s living in a bubble. Sarkisian is as plugged in as anyone. You don’t reach his level without knowing exactly what’s being said, who’s saying it, and why. But if you think he’s making decisions based on winning the popular vote, he cares less about that than a candidate who already has the Electoral College locked up.
Sarkisian is private and guarded. His circle is small, tight, and intentional. If you’re outside of it, you’re not getting in, no matter how hard you try. At that point, you’d have a better chance of Gaylord Focker talking his way through a lie detector test than cracking Sarkisian’s inner circle.
Harris did enough behind the scenes to earn Sarkisian’s trust. He knew Harris was a relentless worker, more than qualified for the job, and elite at making the tough calls others avoid. Sarkisian wasn’t chasing the popular vote. He was looking for the trust vote, the one that actually matters inside the building, and that’s exactly what Harris delivered.
Speaking of delivery, remember Jaydn Ott, the crown jewel of Nagy’s first transfer portal haul?
He finished with 21 carries for 68 yards and no touchdowns last season.
(Photo via Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)
Meanwhile, Harris did his best work during the 2026 transfer portal window, and it wasn’t flashy; it was difficult. He walked into a balancing act where most players wanted to keep their 2025 NIL number – or get a raise. Harris had to decide who deserved more, and just as importantly, who didn’t.
That second part is where the job gets real at Texas.
Because on the Forty Acres, there’s a belief, from players and agents alike, that the money never runs out. That the pie is endless. Harris’ job wasn’t to agree with that. It was to slice it correctly, protect the roster, and make sure the right people got fed, even if it meant telling others there wasn’t a seat at the table.
That meant Harris had to adopt the villain role and deliver messages no one wants to hear. Starters from 2025 included.
Quintrevion Wisner? Texas isn’t breaking the bank after that 2025 performance.
Parker Livingstone? Good luck.
Bo Barnes? We want you back… just not at that number.
That’s the uncomfortable part of the job, the part fans don’t see. Harris wasn’t just building a roster; he was managing a salary structure. And to do that, he had to let some players walk, bank that money, and reallocate it toward pieces he believed would make a bigger impact.
He played it like a chess match.
Now look at January’s transfer portal through that lens, as a series of trades, not just comings and goings. For example, Texas essentially flipped CJ Baxter, Jerrick Gibson, Ricky Stewart, Christian Clark, and Wisner for Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers.
So the question becomes simple, and a lot more honest.
Like fantasy football… did Texas win the trade?
Nagy and the Oklahoma Sooners football team pounded their chests over landing Parker Livingstone, a player Texas had already decided it wasn’t going to overspend to keep.
Meanwhile, that same departure quietly created the lane for Cam Coleman to sign with Texas.
Game. Blouses.
By the way, Sarkisian and Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte value Harris’ contributions enough to reward him with a $1 million annual salary.
And he has proven to be worth the investment.
Spring break is over.
The kids are heading back to school. Parents of younger ones are counting down to the drop-off line, while parents of older kids can finally exhale for a few days, at least until you hear, “I’m going to San Marcos next weekend.”
Now it’s time to get back to what matters: watching this loaded Texas team take shape on the field this spring.
It’s also a good time to revisit a simple truth about Harris:
“Your apology should be as loud as your disrespect was.”
