Texas HC Steve Sarkisian had a strong message at SEC Media Days for his former player now on the Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners will be ready for the Red River Rivalry against Texas, with Parker Livingstone at wide receiver.
The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns already have no shortage of animosity heading into the 2026 Red River Rivalry, but Steve Sarkisian just added more fuel.
The Texas head coach was asked at SEC Media Days on Thursday about former Longhorns wide receiver Parker Livingstone transferring to OU and what it will be like facing him this fall. Sarkisian did not hold back.
“I mean, I hope we kick his (expletive),” Sarkisian said. “It’s the Red River Rivalry. He chose to go there. He’s on the other side. That’s the way the game goes.”
That’s exactly the kind of response you want to hear from either side of this rivalry. If Sarkisian had sat there and wished his former player well at OU, that would have rubbed Texas fans the wrong way. He did add that he’d probably hug Livingstone after the game, but the mindset leading up to it is always going to be about winning. That’s how it should be.
Livingstone’s impact on the Oklahoma offense
Livingstone was a huge player for Texas last season as a sophomore, recording over 500 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He transferred to OU this offseason and is set to have a significant role in the Oklahoma offense as potentially the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver behind a veteran wideout and Trell Harris.
That kind of production walking across the rivalry line makes Sarkisian’s comments even more pointed. The Sooners needed receiver help, and they got it from the Longhorns’ roster. That dynamic alone makes the 2026 meeting must-watch television.
Recent history favors Texas
Sarkisian has won the last two games over OU in the Red River Rivalry. In 2025, Texas won 23-6. In 2024, Texas won 34-3. Oklahoma has not scored a touchdown in its last two games against Texas. In the last five meetings, Texas leads the series 3-2. In 2023, Oklahoma won 34-30. In 2022, Texas won 49-0. In 2021, Oklahoma won 55-48.
This is one of the biggest rivalries of all time in any sport. The history speaks for itself, and right now, the Longhorns own the momentum.
Can Oklahoma turn things around in 2026?
The Sooners are coming into this rivalry with probably a better chance than they’ve had the last two years. The 2024 season was one of Oklahoma’s worst ever. Last year, the Red River game was John Mateer’s first game back from his hand injury, and things weren’t pretty. That was one of their two losses, and while the 23-6 score wasn’t great, the game was closer than it looked despite Oklahoma getting shut down on offense.
This year, Oklahoma has improved pretty much every facet of its roster, from the offensive line to the run game, the wide receiver room, and especially the tight end room, which could also help in the ground attack. The big question is whether Mateer will show up healthy and play like the quarterback everyone expects him to be.
If he’s healthy, they should get a better version of him, but his struggles last year weren’t entirely because of his hand. There were things he was doing that had nothing to do with the injury, like his footwork and the mental side of the game.
If Oklahoma can get a win over Texas this year, that will be massive for its College Football Playoff résumé. The Sooners have the second-toughest schedule in college football, and a victory over their biggest rival would only strengthen their case to the playoff committee. Sarkisian’s comments just gave the rivalry one more storyline to follow between now and kickoff.