For the Texas Longhorns, the 2024 college football season is going to come with a lot of change. A new conference, a new format of post-season play and a lot of new pieces on the roster. Despite the transitions, the expectations of the Longhorns are still to compete for a conference championship and to make their second consecutive Playoff appearance.
With a road trip to the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines in Week 2 and a visit from the pre-season No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Week 7, it won’t take long to figure out just how good this Texas team is. The Longhorns have to replace a lot of lost production from the 2023 team, but Steve Sarkisian and company have done an incredible job reloading the roster.
Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning are two of the best quarterbacks in the country, but unfortunately, there is only one starting QB role. Texas also brings in three highly sought-after transfer receivers, but it will take some time for them to get caught up to speed. The Longhorns have all of the talent they could ever need in Austin, but putting the pieces of the puzzle together will be the tricky part.
Fortunately, Sarkisian has proven to be one of the best head coaches in the game, but making sure he gets the chemistry right in 2024 is the biggest X factor for the Longhorns in 2024 according to ESPN. Dave Wilson of ESPN breaks down why the chemistry of the team will be so important this year saying,
“Texas and quarterback Quinn Ewers took a huge leap forward last season on offense, with the Heisman contender leading a pinpoint attack. But the NFL draft showed how much talent the Longhorns lost. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy ran the fastest 40 time in combine history (4.21) and was picked in the first round. Fellow receiver Adonai Mitchell, a Georgia transfer who caught 11 TDs last year, went in the second. Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (99 catches the past two years) went with the first pick of the fourth round. Combine them with Jordan Whittington (Rams) and Jonathon Brooks, a running back who went in the second round and the Horns lost 76% of their receptions and more than 80% of their receiving yards. As expected, Texas reloaded, including signing transfers Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Silas Bolden (Oregon State) and Matthew Golden (Houston) along with five-star receiving recruit Ryan Wingo.”
Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.