Coming off the first College Football Playoff in school history, the buzz around the Texas Longhorns football program is palpable. The team returns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, which is a massive boon for the team.
Despite losing so many playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, the team has portaled very well with the additions of former Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Isaiah Bond and tight end Amari Niblack, who are set to try and replace the production of AD Mitchell and JT Sanders.
Defensively the team added Trey Moore of USTA, Tiaoalii Savea of Arizona, and Andrew Mukuba of Clemson. Each will be an integral part of the inaugural season in the SEC. The team will get tested early when they travel to Ann Arbor for a showdown with the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines in Week 2.
Per ESPN’s latest rankings Steve Sarkisian’s squad lands at No. 3 overall just behind the Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes.
After guiding the Longhorns to a 12-win campaign and a spot in the CFP in 2023, coach Steve Sarkisian’s challenge is sustaining that success in the SEC. The Longhorns got a break when the SEC schedule-makers rolled out the red carpet with a slate that includes true road games at Vanderbilt, Arkansas and rival Texas A&M. Texas will face an early road test at Michigan, its annual trip to Dallas to play Oklahoma and a home game against Georgia. Offensively, the Longhorns should be as good as anyone in the FBS with quarterback Quinn Ewers and a veteran offensive line returning. Transfers Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Matthew Golden (Houston) and Silas Bolden (Oregon State) and top recruit Ryan Wingo will have to step up after star receivers Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell departed for the NFL. The Longhorns will have to identify difference-makers on the defensive line and improve a secondary that ranked 113th in the FBS against the pass, allowing 254.4 yards per game.
Recently the College 12-Pack ranked the Longhorns as the No. 3 team in their post-spring top 25 rankings. This team is ready for another deep run, and they have all the opportunity in the world to play for a national championship for the first time since the 2009 season.