Sunday Money is GENERATIONAL | Drew Fabianich on Texas' Talent, Potential Draft Picks & More!

Summary

Podcast Summary: On Texas Football

Episode: Sunday Money is GENERATIONAL | Drew Fabianich on Texas' Talent, Potential Draft Picks & More!
Host: Bobby Burton
Guest: Drew Fabianich (Executive Director, Senior Bowl)
Date: July 27, 2026

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Overview

This episode explores Texas Longhorns football talent and their NFL draft potential with Drew Fabianich, Executive Director of the Senior Bowl. The discussion centers on standout Texas players, the evolving significance of NIL (“Saturday money”) versus NFL earnings (“Sunday money”), comparisons between prospects, and what to expect from Texas in the 2026 season. Fabianich delivers professional insight into how several Longhorns project to the next level and provides unique perspectives based on his NFL and scouting background.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Manning Passing Academy & Young Quarterbacks

• Drew Fabianich attended the Manning Passing Academy, evaluating 43 quarterbacks.
• Noted Arch Manning’s physical development:

  “You can see the body change, body compositions changed. He’s gotten bigger.” — Fabianich [00:48]

• Found the pro-day style throwing sessions more telling than fan-focused events.
• Praised several young QBs:
  • Taylor (Mississippi State) – strong arm “looks the part”
  • CJ Carr – “did a really good job”
  • Gagliano (Middle Tennessee State, Auburn transfer) – surprising talent
  • Washington (Maryland freshman) – impressive performance

The Senior Bowl & Texas Talent

• Clarified that the Senior Bowl includes a select few underclassmen as well as seniors [02:41].
• Identified key potential Texas invitees:
  • Jelani McDonald (Safety):

    “There’s a pet cat that plays free safety... he was one of our favorites last year.” — Fabianich [02:53]

  • Noted Texas’ roster is “loaded” at all levels, seeing talent among both upper- and underclassmen.

NIL vs. NFL: Saturday Money vs. Sunday Money

• NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) has changed staying/going pro calculus, but NFL is still the financial goal:

  “Still, Saturday money is a lot different than Sunday money... Sunday money is generational money.” — Fabianich [04:06]

  • Example: Kayla Banks’ draft rise from projected 3rd round to 1st round worth $13.3M difference [04:00–04:37].
• Some top prospects (e.g., Dante Moore) may stay longer in school due to lucrative NIL deals:

  “He probably made a pretty darn good chunk of change there too.” — Fabianich [04:38]

Texas’ Top Prospects: In-Depth Evaluations

Colin Simmons (Edge Rusher)

• Complete player—a rare balance of pass rush and run defense:

  “Not just a pass rusher, he’s a good run defender... makes him more valuable... a three down guy instead of just a situational pass rusher.” — Fabianich [05:19]

• Stands out for length, twitch, hand use, and “fluid athlete for his size.”
• On NFL comps:
  • Not Micah Parsons: “Micah’s smaller than him... Micah wasn’t [a] Mike linebacker when he was at Penn State.” [05:51]
  • Hesitant to make direct comparisons without more NFL footage [06:29], focuses on body type and play style.

Trevor Goosby (Left Tackle)

• “Real left tackle”—rare, truly fits the position at the NFL level:

  “There’s not a lot of guys in college football that are real left tackles. He’s a real left tackle.” — Fabianich [07:16]

• Emphasizes the athleticism and footspeed, in contrast to most college LTs who project as NFL guards or RTs.
• Compares to Zach Martin (played LT in college, moved inside in NFL) — footwork and physical tools are key [07:25–07:42].

Cam Coleman & Ryan Wingo (Wide Receivers)

• Elite, NFL-sized receivers with big-play potential:

  “I love big receivers and love big corners. That’s just the way the league’s built.” — Fabianich [08:26]

• Differences in play style:
  • Wingo: Slightly faster, better separation, excels in and out of breaks.
  • Coleman: Stronger, “uses his body well,” excels at contested catches.
  • Both described as “quarterback friendly”—make difficult throws catchable.

2026 Season Outlook for Texas

• Texas and Notre Dame projected as top playoff contenders:

  “My pick was Notre Dame and Texas... both of them I think are absolutely loaded.” — Fabianich [11:21]

• Predicts Texas could have 10–11 draft picks if all eligible players declare, with even more young talent waiting.
• Playoff expectation is clear:

  “The expectations should be—they should get in the playoffs, and then let’s just see what happens after that.” [11:25]

• Stresses the importance of depth and health going into the postseason.

Senior Bowl Elevator Pitch & Prospect Standouts

• Fabianich encourages fans to attend the Senior Bowl:

  “Where can you go to watch more draftable players at one place at one time?” [12:17]

• Praises the sheer quality of talent on display—“you’ll see 91 guys getting drafted”.
• Most likely 2025 Senior Bowl “gold jacket” candidate:

  “[If healthy] Caleb Banks. He could be Chris Jones.” — Fabianich [13:31]

• Cautions on injury concerns for big men.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NIL vs. NFL:

  “Saturday money’s... a good nest egg... but insignificant compared to what the NFL money is.” — Drew Fabianich [04:06]

• On Colin Simmons:

  “He’s got all the traits... really good with his hands... fluid athlete for his size.” — Drew Fabianich [05:19]

• Receiver Philosophy:

  “I love big receivers and love big corners. That’s just the way the league’s built.” — Drew Fabianich [08:26]

• Texas Playoff Prediction:

  “The expectations should be—they should get in the playoffs, and let’s just see what happens after that.” — Drew Fabianich [11:25]

• Senior Bowl Value:

  “You’ll see 91 guys getting drafted, and 100% got invites... why wouldn’t you do that?” — Drew Fabianich [12:41]

• Gold Jacket Prospect:

  “Caleb Banks... he could be Chris Jones.” — Drew Fabianich [13:31]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:48 — Fabianich on Arch Manning and other QB standouts at the Manning Passing Academy
• 02:53 — Highlighting Jelani McDonald and Texas roster depth
• 04:06 — “Sunday money is generational money” discussion
• 05:19 — Detailed breakdown of Colin Simmons’ ability and NFL fit
• 07:16 — Evaluation of Trevor Goosby as a legitimate left tackle prospect
• 08:26 — On Texas receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo
• 11:19 — Outlook for Texas’ 2026 season and playoff prospects
• 12:17 — Senior Bowl elevator pitch and audience value
• 13:26 — Caleb Banks as possible future Hall of Famer

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Conclusion

Drew Fabianich offers in-depth, scout-level analysis of the Texas Longhorns' top NFL prospects, emphasizing the program’s depth and development. He distinguishes the critical financial and career decisions facing college athletes today, especially with NIL’s rise. Texas fans can expect a strong 2026 season with a real shot at the playoffs and a significant NFL Draft pipeline. The Senior Bowl remains the premier showcase for NFL talent, with insider access and talent density unmatched anywhere in football.

Transcript

[Car Buyer]

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[Interviewer]

Welcome in. We're talking Texas talent with Drew Fabianich, the executive director of the Senior Bowl. Just starting off, you were down at the Manning Passing Academy. Let's start with the top player, Arch Manning and how he performed at Manning Passing Academy, Academy and maybe some other names that you saw down there that you like.

[Drew Fabianich]

Well, you know, yeah, I got to see 43 quarterbacks, which was great. Got to personally meet maybe like 20 of them. Some of them I met last year. I made this kind of a yearly occurrence because Archie invited me to come down. And I'm going to take advantage of it because, I mean, at least I get to say hello to these guys. At least they know who are. Who I am now and who they're going to be talking to. You know, if that invite does come, you know, Arch did a really good job. You can see the body change, body compositions changed. He's gotten bigger. I don't know if you saw the post I was making fun of. I said a real quarterback in an old wash one when I was walking with him. But yeah, he, he did. He did some really nice things. You know, the, the Friday Night Lights is kind of a cool thing for the fans to watch and everything else. But I get so much more out of the next day when they go through a whole throwing session like they would at a, like a, like a pro day. I mean, they go through the whole passing tree, know. And it was, it was good. There are a lot of young quarterbacks that were there that look really good. I think it's Taylor, the kid from Mississippi State. I mean, you want to talk about looks to part. I mean, got a cannon. CJ Carr did a really good job, I'll tell you. Kind of a surprising one was kid from Middle Tennessee State, Gagliano from Auburn, Pie. I don't know how he ended up middle, but he's an underclassman too. Same as underclassmen. The other kid, the Washington kid from Maryland, freshman, started last year, did a really good job too. Gosh, there was, there was so many of them on, you know, sort of Group. But it was nice to see all those guys.

[Interviewer]

It's good to get your feedback on the Manning passing academy. Really the reason we brought you in is because you're the executive director of the Senior bowl, which, by the way, doesn't always have just seniors. No, we gotta say that.

[Drew Fabianich]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Because my point being, Longhorns should have a few guys you want to see in that Senior bowl this year. Name a couple of guys that really kind of just jump off the page for you that are Texas.

[Drew Fabianich]

Well, there's, there's, there's a pet cat that plays free safety. I go back to the pet captain. Bill Parcells used to say, when you talk about a player, pumped the player up, you really like the player. It was your pet cat moved into the house. You got a litter box. Well, the safety was one of my favorites last year.

[Interviewer]

Okay. Jelani McDonald.

[Drew Fabianich]

Yes. He was one of our favorites last year. So, again, yes, I'd be more than interested. You know, they, they've got assorted players at every level. You know, Simmons, you know Arch, I mean, his skill, the skill sets, the receivers. I mean, they're loaded. But there's a lot of young guys too, that, you know, truly don't have to come out and may not come out if they feel like they need to develop more. Because I don't want to push them out, you know, because again, I'm not the, I'm not the guy that should be doing, you know, it should be like if you're a top five pick, you're, you're a first round guy. Yeah, you should leave, but other than that, you should stay just to develop.

[Interviewer]

Especially now with nil.

[Drew Fabianich]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Being a real possibility. And the dollar figures they're talking about are not insignificant.

[Drew Fabianich]

No.

[Interviewer]

They used to pale in comparison. They don't necessarily do that anymore.

[Drew Fabianich]

No. But I'm gonna tell you what, though. Still, Saturday money is, is a lot different than Sunday money.

[Interviewer]

Yes.

[Drew Fabianich]

Sunday money is generational money. I mean, Saturday money's, you know, you can walk away from the game and, you know, have a good nest egg, you know, to start a real job once you're done with football. But it's still so insignificant compared to what the NFL money is. A perfect example is like Kayla Banks, last year he was rated as a third round guy, you know, before the far game. Yeah. He ends up going in the first round. Right. At 18 on a four year contract. That's $13.3 million of difference just on that.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Drew Fabianich]

I mean, just think going into the next contract. So it is A factor. And it does keep a lot of guys around like Dante Moore. Do you think Dante Moore would have made more money coming out last year? Probably would have, yeah. But he decided to stay. And he probably made a pretty darn good chunk of change there, too.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, I like that term. The comparison of Saturday money versus Sunday night.

[Drew Fabianich]

I'm gonna.

[Interviewer]

I'm gonna steal that from.

[Drew Fabianich]

Steal it.

[Interviewer]

Going forward. Let's talk a little bit about Colin Simmons because he and Cam Coleman along with Arch Manning probably are the top couple guys. Trevor Goosby, the left tackle.

[Drew Fabianich]

Correct.

[Interviewer]

Look, talk to us a little bit about your thoughts on Colin Simmons and his ability as a pass rusher and what you see.

[Drew Fabianich]

Not just a pass rusher, he's a good run defender, which some pass rushers, they're not very good against the run, which makes him more valuable because he'll be a three down guy instead of just a situational pass rusher, you know. And again, he's got all the traits. He's got the length, he's got the size, he's got the strength. He's twitchy for being as big as he is. Really good with his hands. He got a nice feel for counters. Fluid athlete for his size.

[Interviewer]

You have any comparisons for him? Like, he's not Micah Parsons, is he?

[Drew Fabianich]

No, he's not. No. Michael's smaller than him. I mean, okay, Micah's. Micah wasn't Mike linebacker when he was. When he was playing at Penn State.

[Car Buyer]

You know, the car is beautiful. Where did you end up going for it? This exclusive place that dad has connections with. They have more cars for more dealerships than like anywhere else. You have to put me in touch. What's it called? It's Dune Dial. Where? Dune Dial. There's an accent on the E. Do you mean. Yes, I got it on. Done deal cars. Lift, please. You going past kimage? Oh, Kimmage. No. Done deal cars. You couldn't possibly go anywhere else.

[Drew Fabianich]

And again, I don't want to put him in rarefied air. Some of the guys that, you know, I was around with the Cowboys until I get like footage when I throw comparisons around, it's more like body type, lace style.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Drew Fabianich]

And, you know, again, I hadn't really got one for him yet, you know, because I threw. I threw one of Sellers like last year. I said, donovan nab. Everybody was like, well, he's shorter, you know, I mean, Donna was shorter, so. No, I'm talking about the body type. I'm talking about the lower body, the throwing motion, you know, just things like that. That's when I throw comparisons out.

[Interviewer]

Yes, sir. Trevor Goosby, left tackle in Texas. He said his dad played for the Cowboys. All right. And then I would also add he's up in the Metroplex from Melissa.

[Drew Fabianich]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

What are your thoughts on the left tackle for Longhorns?

[Drew Fabianich]

You know, there's not a lot of. There's not a lot of guys in college football that are real left tackles. He's a real left back.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Drew Fabianich]

A lot of guys that are playing there sometimes are not athletic enough to play left tackle in the NFL, end up playing right tackle or sometimes even guard, you know, and sometimes that's a great move just because of body type. I mean, I don't know if you know this, but Zach Martin played left tackle with Notre Dame.

[Interviewer]

Yes, I did.

[Drew Fabianich]

And we never even discussed him playing tackle ever, because of his armor. And, you know, when people are. People are looking at body types. I mean, like goofy. I mean, he's got all the trades. He's got all the sides, got all the length. But he's also got really good athletic. Athletic ability, plus good foot speed. Because some of those guys are that big, they lack foot speed and they get taken advantage of in the league because of incredible edge rushers like Michael Parsons or a DeMarcus ware. Those types of guys.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, those group of receivers at Texas. Good group. Your thoughts on any of those guys? Any of them, like, what do you like about a Camp Thorman or Ryan Wingo?

[Drew Fabianich]

You know, I think both of them. I mean, what I'm like is, too. You'll find out. I love big receivers and love big corners.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Drew Fabianich]

And again, that's. That's just the way the league's built. Last year, I think every single. Every single db, other than two guys were all over six foot tall. Right. I took big receivers, too. Only took two smaller receivers. That's what I like most. I like the contested ball on both of them. I think Wingo may be a touch faster than Cam. Cam is stronger, but Wingo is a little bit better in and out and separates a little bit better. But Coleman uses his body well, you know, so bigger guys that know how to use their body and are Great, they're not 50, 50 guys. We used to say quarterback friendly guys. Those help you. Quarterback friendly? Yeah. Keyshawn Johnson was incredibly quarterback friendly because he'd be draped by a db and Tony would still throw the ball and it would still be completed because he was great on contested catches, you know, and that's what big guys have to do. Because a lot of times they're covered up because they're not as fast, they're not as twitchy, they're not as great in and out. So you know, again, both, both. I like. I said I like both of them. Really do.

[Interviewer]

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[Drew Fabianich]

You're definitely a. I know.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Drew Fabianich]

And put it this way, my pick was Notre Dame in Texas, sister.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Drew Fabianich]

You know, and that's because both of them I think are absolutely loaded. Notre Dame could have juniors come out. They could have 10 draft picks. Okay. You know, I mean Texas guys come out early. They could have close to 10 or 11 too, you know, and backups, you know, that are young guys. There's A lot of draft picks running around the field. And I put this way, the expectations should be. They should get in the playoffs, and then let's just see what happens after that. You know, hopefully they're healthy enough, because once you get to the playoffs, it's about health and, you know, and sometimes guys get hurt that affect your, you know, chances. Hopefully they're. But they're d. But they're deep. That's the other. That's the other part, too.

[Interviewer]

All right, Drew, I appreciate you very much. Tell people a little bit about the

[Drew Fabianich]

Senior bowl if they're.

[Interviewer]

I think everybody that watches our show is familiar with it, but give your 15 second elevator spiel here.

[Drew Fabianich]

Well, there's not even the spiel. It's just. It amazes me that people don't fly down, come to free practices. I mean, the hotel rooms are pretty damn cheap. The. The games. The game tickets are relatively cheap. Parking's, you know, cheap, too. And here's. Here's my question to you guys, okay? Where can you go to watch more draftable players at one place at one time?

[Interviewer]

Nowhere.

[Drew Fabianich]

Zou. Texas is all 22 of those guys getting drafted.

[Interviewer]

No.

[Drew Fabianich]

Michigan, Ohio State, Are all those guys. No. Come down to the Senior bowl, you'll see 91 guys getting drafted, you know, and 100% got invites, and then 98 of 97% of them are in camps right now. So why wouldn't you do that? To see the best players in the country all together at the same time.

[Interviewer]

All right, now I'm going to put you on the spot. Yes. Great. Great elevator pitch. Now, you just made me think of another question, though. Okay. Of all those guys you had last year at the Senior bowl, which one would you circle and say possible gold jacket on this guy one day that you had at the Senior bowl last year?

[Drew Fabianich]

If he stays healthy. Caleb Banks.

[Interviewer]

Caleb Banks, defense tackle from Florida.

[Drew Fabianich]

He could be. He could be Chris Jones.

[Interviewer]

Oh, wow.

[Drew Fabianich]

You know, if he stays healthy, that's the problem. He's had some foot issues, and when big men have foot issues, it's hard to fight for it.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Drew, thank you so much, my man. Appreciate it. That's been on Texas football with the executive director of the senior role. Drew, they be on it.

[Drew Fabianich]

There you go.

[Car Buyer]

The car is beautiful. Where did you end up going for it? This exclusive place that dad has connections with. They have more cars for more dealerships than like anywhere else. You have to put me in touch. What's it called? It's Dune Dial. Where? Dune Dial. There's an accent on the E, do you mean? Yes. I got it undone. Deal cars. Lift, please. You going past kimage? Oh, kimmage. No, done. Deal cars. You couldn't possibly go anywhere else.

[Drew Fabianich]

Good night. Moment.