Category: Texas Football

Texas projected to play Notre Dame in first 12-team CFP field

On3 unveils full 12-team college football Playoff field

The 2024 college football season will be special for many reasons, but none more so than the introduction of the 12-team Playoff.

Despite missing out on the four-team Playoff for the first nine seasons, the Texas Longhorns were finally able to qualify in 2023 after winning 12 games and a Big 12 title. The Southeastern Conference is going to be a gauntlet with four teams projected to be ranked in the top six to start the season. However, with one of the best rosters in the sport led by Heisman hopeful Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns are still one of the hottest picks to be a Playoff contender this year.

JD Pickell of On3 Sports projects Texas to be the No. 8-seed in the first 12 team Playoff field and one of five SEC members. The best part of expanding from four to 12 teams is that first-round playoff games will take place at the higher seeds’ home stadium so the No. 9-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish would have to travel to Austin to take on Texas at Darrell K Royal Stadium.

After knocking off Notre Dame in the first-round, Pickell predicts Texas to fall to the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals. He projects the Bulldogs to eventually go on and win the whole thing.

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How does the Longhorns 2024 schedule rank amongst SEC foes?

CBS Sports projects a clear path to the playoffs for Texas in 2024

As the Texas Longhorns transition to their first year in the Southeastern Conference, they will play in several of the most highly anticipated games of the 2024 college football season.

The Longhorns trip to Ann Arbor in Week 2 to take on the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines is widely regarded as the best out-of-conference game this year. Texas also plays arguably the biggest SEC game of the season when they host the Georgia Bulldogs in mid-October. All of this is on top of a continued rivalry with the Oklahoma Sooners and a renewed one with the Texas A&M Aggies for the first time in 11 seasons.

Despite all of the big games on Texas’s 2024 slate, CBS Sports projects a clear path to the playoffs. They rank the Longhorns’ schedule as one of the easiest in the conference as the No. 14 most difficult out of 16 teams. CBS Sports says of the Longhorns 2024 schedule,

“Texas is receiving plenty of hype as an SEC contender thanks in large part to its schedule. A road trip to Michigan is about as difficult as a nonconference game can get, and the Longhorns do host Georgia in a seismic clash that’s bound to have implications well beyond the SEC’s borders. But the Bulldogs and Oklahoma are the only two teams expected to finish in the top half of the conference that Texas has to play.”

Outside of Texas, only the Ole Miss Rebels and Missouri Tigers are expected to have an easier schedule this year.

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Longhorns make surprising new addition to running back room

After starting his college career focusing on baseball, Longhorns catcher Nik Sanders is adding another sport to his resume

After starting his Longhorns career focusing on baseball, catcher Nik Sanders is adding another sport to his resume. The Waco native is listed as a running back on the Longhorns football roster.

As Sanders prepares for a new challenge, he will join a talented running back room. With the regular season just weeks away, his competition for playing time will include CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue. The Longhorns now have eight running backs on their roster.

Earning a spot will be no easy task, but it has been done before. More than 70 players have earned a varsity letter in multiple sports during their time in Austin. That list includes Bibb Falk, who was a right tackle during football season and a first baseman and pitcher during baseball season when he was a Longhorn.

Over the next few weeks, Sanders’s play will be a storyline to watch. He did play football in high school at Waco University and Waco La Vega. During the 2024 baseball season, he only got 18 plate appearances, posting a .056 batting average.

Sanders will get his first shot to show Steve Sarkisian why he could be an effective offensive piece. If he can earn a spot on the roster, the Longhorns could have an unexpected weapon to turn to.

Standout OT Kelvin Banks Jr. named to preseason Outland Trophy watch list

No surprises here with Banks being added to the list.

On top of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list being revealed on Tuesday, the FWAA also announced the 75-player watch list for the Outland Trophy. This trophy is given annually to the outstanding interior lineman. Last year Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat won the award and the Longhorns could go back-to-back this year.

Texas Longhorns [autotag]Kelvin Banks Jr[/autotag]. was named to the preseason Outland Trophy watch list on Tuesday. He is among the players who could be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL draft next April. Banks is widely regarded as one of the two best tackles, LSU’s Will Campbell being the other.

Last season, Banks started all 14 games at left tackle. He has started every game of his collegiate career over the first two seasons. Banks led the team with an 86.8 pass-blocking grade from PFF and played a total of 983 snaps.

He will be key for the success of the offensive line as they attempt to contend for the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the best offensive line in college football. With Banks at left tackle, the Longhorns were able to rush for a combined 2,638 rushing yards with 29 touchdowns. As a pass-blocking unit, the team allowed Texas to pass for 4,047 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Keep your eyes on Kelvin Banks Jr. this season as he looks to lead the Longhorns back to the College Football Playoffs and secure the school’s fifth national championship in a loaded conference. It won’t be an easy task but they have the roster to do it, now they just have to prove it.

Pair of Texas Longhorns named to Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list

These two defenders will be key in 2024 for Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense.

On Tuesday the Football Writers Association of America revealed its annual Bronko Nagusrksi Trophy watch list with a pair of Texas Longhorns defenders making the cut.

Defensive back [autotag]Jahdae Barron[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Anthony Hill[/autotag] joined the list of 75 players who made the initial cut. Barron is returning for his fifth season on the Forty Acres. Over his first four seasons, the fifth-year defensive back played in 41 total games with 23 starts. He has made 21 starts over the last two seasons.

A semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2023, Barron has tallied 90 solo tackles, 160 total tackles, 17.0 TFLs, 16 PDs, and three interceptions during that time. He will be a key contributor for a Texas defense that is looking to be better against the pass in 2024. The team finished No. 12 in the Big 12 last year with 254.4 passing yards per game, which would have been No. 13 in the SEC just ahead of the LSU Tigers (255.6) and Vanderbilt Commodores (279.6).

Hill on the other hand is looking for a larger role in year two on the Forty Acres. He played in all 14 games with six starts earning a share of the 2023 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors. Overall the former five-star signee tallied 67 total tackles, 40 solo tackles, 8.0 TFLs, with five sacks and one forced fumble.

Hill is expected to be the full-time starter at the middle linebacker spot between Morice Blackwell at SAM and David Gbenda at WILL. Both Barron and Hill could be major factors for the success on defense in 2024, which would make them worthy of the honor of becoming the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner.

What to expect from Hayden Conner in his senior season

Conner will be entering his senior season and looking to help the Longhorns flourish in the SEC

When the Texas Longhorns begin the 2024 campaign, Hayden Conner is among the four returning starters on the offensive line. The Katy, Texas, native will enter his senior season and look to help the Longhorns flourish in the SEC.

Over the last few years, Conner has been a model of consistency, playing in 35 games, starting 27. Last year, he was a vital part of an offensive line that blocked for Doak Walker Award semifinalist Jonathon Brooks and Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist Quinn Ewers. The Taylor High School product also helped open holes for Brooks and CJ Baxter, who recorded a combined 1,817 rushing yards.

Conner and his fellow linemen earned national recognition for their play. The Longhorns were Joe Moore Award semifinalists. Each year, the award is given to the best college football offensive line unit.

Although the roster will look very different this year, the offense is still expected to be a strength. However, their success will depend on the play of Conner and the other Longhorns on the offensive line. Since joining Texas in 2021, Conner has been up to the task. Last season he earned the third-highest pass blocking grade from PFF. His 82.2 pass-blocking grade was only behind offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (86.8) and center Jake Majors (84.4).

While Conner’s play may not show up on the stat sheet he will be a player that is relied on heavily. If he mirrors his success from last season then the Longhorns will be in good hands.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers named to Maxwell Award watchlist

Quinn Ewers has a chance to join Texas legends Vince Young and Colt McCoy.

We have officially entered award watchlist season as the 2024 college football season is fast approaching. On Monday, the Maxwell Award announced its watchlist.

This is the 88th year that the award will be given out to the most outstanding player in college football. Of the 80 players listed, the Texas Longhorns lone athlete listed is redshirt junior quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Last season Ewers passed for 3,479 yards with 22 touchdowns to just six interceptions in 12 games. He missed a pair of games due to injury where backup Maalik Murphy had to step in a weather the storm until his return.

Ewers would be named the MVP of the Big 12 championship game and led the Longhorns to its first-ever trip to the College Football Playoffs. The team is looking for more of the same as they enter a new era of Texas football after joining the SEC ahead of the season.

In total, the SEC had the second-most players (15) from a single conference, just behind the ACC who had 20. They were tied with their former conference the Big 12 who also have 15. The Big Ten finished last among the Power Four with 12 players, three of which are with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Ewers has the opportunity to join Texas legends Colt McCoy (2009) and Vince Young (2005) as the only Longhorns quarterbacks to win the award. Overall he would be the fifth Texas player to win the award joining former running back Ricky Williams (1998) and linebacker Tommy Nobis (1965). The first award was given out in 1937 to Clinton E. Frank of Yale.

Texas legend VY ranked among top 25 players since 2000, another Horn misses out

Who would you rank on the list?

With a school that has a storied history, there are plenty of legends to discuss. There are plenty to choose from from head coaches like Darrell K. Royal to Mack Brown and quarterbacks like James Street to Vince Young and Colt McCoy. We didn’t even dive into the legendary running back duo that won Heisman Trophies for their campaigns.

When choosing the top players of the modern era, one Texas Longhorn stood head and shoulders above the rest of the names you could put up. Vince Young put this team on his shoulders and carried them to the school’s fourth national championship ending USC’s dynasty.

Bill Connelly of ESPN ranked the top 25 players since 2000 and Vince Young landed at No. 4 overall.

What ESPN had to say…

2005 Davey O’Brien Award, 2005 Maxwell Award, 2005 first-team All-American, 2005 Big 12 offensive player of the year, 2005 first-team All-Big 12, 2005 national champion; 6,040 career passing yards and 44 TDs, 3,127 rushing yards and 37 TDs.

For the first half of his three seasons in Austin, Young was up and down, an incredible athlete who was inconsistent at actual quarterbacking. But midway through his sophomore season in 2004, everything fell into place. As a junior in 2005, Young became the first player to throw for at least 3,000 yards and rush for at least 1,000 in the same season — just five years earlier, it had been a big deal that Clemson’s Woody Dantzler hit even 2,000/1,000. And in Young’s final game, he threw for 267 yards and rushed for 200 and three scores as Texas knocked off USC in probably the greatest game of the 21st century.

A perfect ending to a perfect career arc.

Our Response…

Without a doubt, Vince Young is one of the top five players since 2000. However, I have a hard time ranking him behind a quarterback who never won a national championship. While Baker Mayfield did win a Heisman Trophy, VY was robbed of the trophy but got the last laugh over Reggie Bush when he led Texas to the BCS national championship in a game that many still talk about 20 years later.

Just missing out on this list is former Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson, who was a tackling machine for the Longhorns’ defense. The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee was a two-time All-American and 2004 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year tallied nine interceptions including one for a touchdown. He also finished No. 3 in Texas history with 458 career tackles and No. 1 with 65 TFLs.

It is a bit surprising to not see Colt McCoy listed, you could make an argument for the Longhorns’ all-time passing leader not being considered at all.

Downloadable 2024 Texas Longhorns football schedule

Download the 2024 Texas Longhorns football schedule for your smartphone.

The 2024 college football season is almost here, which means it is time to get ready to root your Texas Longhorns on as they join a new conference. The SEC will bring plenty of challenges to the Forty Acres but it also brings some high-profile matchups both at home and on the road.

The Longhorns begin the season at home against Colorado State. They will play five of the first six games in the state of Texas. They will travel to Ann Arbor for a showdown with the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines in Week 2 before returning to Austin to face off with former assistant coach Jeff Traylor and the UTSA Roadrunners.

The back half of the schedule involves three major matchups for the Texas Longhorns. They will face the Oklahoma Sooners in Dallas, Texas, at the Cotton Bowl before hosting the Georgia Bulldogs. They will close out the season on the road in the revived Lone Star Showdown against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field.

Download the football schedule

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Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad’s 2024 snapshot profile

A look at sophomore cornerback Malik Muhammad as he heads into the 2024 season.

Texas Longhorns cornerback [autotag]Malik Muhammad[/autotag] heads into his sophomore season on the Forty Acres looking to build off an impressive freshman campaign. While appearing in 14 games for the Texas defense, he also participated on special teams. He recovered a blocked punt against the Oklahoma Sooners for a touchdown.

Muhammad made two starts for the Texas defense in 2023, that number could grow in the upcoming season. He is the cousin of Jabbar Muhammad, who currently plays for the Oregon Ducks. Last season the two played against each other when Jabbar was with the Washington Huskies.

Malik Muhammad had the fifth-highest grade on defense per Pro Football Focus at 78.6 and the highest grade in coverage at 79.9. Muhammad allowed just one touchdown while snagging one interception. Only Terrance Brooks played more snaps at cornerback for Texas. Muhammad tallied 479 total snaps on defense.

Preseason Malik Muhammad Profile

Hometown: Oak Cliff, Texas

Ht: 6-0

Wt: 190

247Sports Composite Ranking:

Four-Star | No. 5 Cornerback | No. 74 Nationally (2023 Class)

Class in 2024: Sophomore

Career Stats

Year Games Solo Tackles Assisted Total INTs PDs
2023 14 21 10 31 1 4
Via Stats Perform

Depth Chart Overview

Malik Muhammad is expected to be the starter as the boundary cornerback. The boundary cornerback or BCB is the corner that plays the short side of the field with little help. Essentially that cornerback plays on an island, which goes to show the faith the staff has in Muhammad.

Muhammad is listed above incoming freshman Kobe Black and Warren Roberson on our initial depth chart ahead of the season.

Malik Muhammad’s Photo Gallery