Texas is again … at No. 1.
For the primary time in practically 16 years, the Longhorns are atop the Related Press High 25, surpassing Georgia when the newest ballot was launched on Sunday. That achievement has little tangible which means now for the Longhorns; how they fare of their inaugural season of SEC play will decide how sensible their nationwide championship expectations are. Nonetheless, it’s a landmark achievement for a program that has been via the wringer since its final look at No. 1 on Oct. 26, 2008.
By means of the primary three weeks of this season, Texas has been dominant. However there’s nonetheless lots to be taught concerning the 2024 Longhorns, who host Louisiana-Monroe of their nonconference finale on Saturday earlier than their SEC schedule kicks off on Oct. 5.
And final Saturday, they obtained much more attention-grabbing, when beginning quarterback Quinn Ewers went down with an indirect damage and Arch Manning got here in to guide the remainder of a blowout win towards UTSA.
Let’s assess what we all know — and what we don’t — about what’s at the moment the very best workforce within the land.
What we all know
We are able to cease asking if Texas is again.
For years after ESPN play-by-play man Joe Tessitore declared, “Texas is again, people!” when Tyrone Swoopes scored a game-winning landing towards Notre Dame to open the 2016 season, the phrase was used as a punchline by opposing followers whereas the Longhorns spun their wheels.
Final 12 months’s look within the School Soccer Playoff was Texas’ greatest season since 2009, and three video games into this 12 months, the undefeated Longhorns present no indicators of slowing down. The roster is loaded, the teaching employees is steady and Texas’ recruiting is prime notch. It’s nonetheless untimely to say the Longhorns will repeat their 2001 to 2009 run, after they went 101-16. The brand new 16-team SEC might be a bear for years to come back.
However the basis is ready and the items are in place for Texas to persistently be within the hunt for championships if the Longhorns can preserve the machine working the best way it’s now.
The Longhorns are in nice palms at QB.
Texas already had probably the greatest quarterbacks within the nation in Quinn Ewers. He was enjoying higher than he ever has in a Texas uniform earlier than an indirect pressure knocked him out of the Longhorns’ 56-7 win over UTSA on Saturday.
However all is effectively as a result of the Longhorns even have Arch Manning.
The redshirt freshman with the well-known final title has been the topic of intense curiosity ever since he emerged as a recruit, however earlier than this season, he solely had 27 school snaps to his title. His look within the season-opening 52-0 win over Colorado State included 4 sequence, 26 snaps and his first profession touchdowns, however on Saturday, we obtained an actual dose of what Manning seems like with the primary workforce.
In simply 29 snaps throughout two-plus quarters, he was magnificent. He threw 4 landing passes and confirmed off spectacular pace on a 67-yard landing run. He operated the offense cleanly and effectively, took care of the ball and didn’t commit main unforced errors.
Sure, it was an overmatched UTSA workforce that Manning confronted, and no, it’s not all the time going to look as straightforward for him because it did on Saturday evening. However thus far, Manning’s talent set and command of the place is spectacular. He seems loads able to main the Longhorns for nevertheless lengthy they want him to if Ewers is out for a recreation or two.
Don’t anticipate this to turn out to be a quarterback controversy whereas Ewers is sidelined. Ewers, who has three years of expertise on this offense, is without doubt one of the workforce’s leaders and probably the greatest quarterbacks within the nation. He, too, was as soon as the No. 1 recruit within the nation and is a possible first-round NFL Draft decide.
Manning is fantastically expert and proficient however has solely taken 82 school snaps. When Ewers returns from damage, he’ll nonetheless be QB1.
GO DEEPER
Arch Manning transferring from Texas by no means would have made sense
The brand new receivers are stellar.
One of many Longhorns’ largest questions getting into this season was how they’d replenish their receiving corps in spite of everything three of their 2023 starters — Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington — had been drafted. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian hit the portal and the recruiting path to handle these losses, including transfers Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Matthew Golden (Houston) and Silas Bolden (Oregon State) and signing 4 highschool receivers, headlined by five-star prospect Ryan Wingo.
By means of three video games, Bond and Golden have rapidly established themselves as impression gamers. Bond leads the workforce with 13 catches for 215 yards; Golden is second on the workforce with 12 catches for 125 yards. Every have three landing catches, and Golden additionally serves as the first kickoff returner.
Bolden has been a rotational receiver however has been a dependable punt returner, a task he starred in at Oregon State. The largest revelation on the place has been Wingo, who has rapidly turn out to be a big-play dynamo. Six of his seven receptions have been for 15 or extra yards, together with three for 30 or extra yards. He additionally had a 55-yard run towards Michigan on a reverse. Wingo is averaging 31.5 yards per contact.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been round a man, via three video games, that has had the explosive play capability that he’s possessed,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian informed reporters on Monday. “He’ll let you know … he’s not a completed product. We’re nonetheless engaged on quite a lot of the small print in his recreation, however he undoubtedly has a really, very brilliant future.”
At tight finish, the absence of Ja’Tavion Sanders, one other NFL Draft decide, has additionally been smoothed over, however not with a switch. Senior Gunnar Helm has emerged as a dependable go catcher with 10 receptions for 189 yards.
Up to now, the passing recreation hasn’t missed a beat.
Texas’ depth is as marketed.
Coming into the season, Sarkisian mentioned he wished give snaps to as many gamers as doable early within the season — together with first-half snaps — to assist solidify depth for what he hopes is a title run deep into January. Up to now, that plan has performed out as he hoped.
By means of three video games, no defensive participant within the entrance seven has performed greater than 40 snaps in a single recreation, in line with Professional Soccer Focus. A lot of that may be a operate of the Longhorns gaining commanding leads, however even within the Michigan recreation, the place Sarkisian shortened the rotation on each offense and protection, a lot of the defensive gamers performed 40 snaps or fewer.
Texas went three-deep at most positions on protection towards Colorado State and UTSA and in a handful of areas on offense in these two video games. Even towards Michigan, the Longhorns had been capable of get a stable serving to of second-teamers within the recreation.
Sarkisian identified that towards UTSA, 77 of Texas’ 120 gamers performed, six gamers scored touchdowns, 9 gamers carried the soccer and 11 caught a go. On protection, 28 gamers recorded a defensive statistic.
They’ve a succesful protection.
Dropping key gamers like defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, linebacker Jaylan Ford and cornerback Ryan Watts to the draft left at the very least some doubt as as to whether the Longhorns can be as stout defensively as they had been in 2023, after they ranked third nationally in run protection and second in third down conversions. It’s not as dominant because it was then, but it surely’s nonetheless a stable unit: The 2024 Longhorns rank eleventh in third down protection and forty fourth in run protection.
And in an important space — factors allowed — Texas has excelled. The Longhorns have allowed simply 6.3 factors per recreation.
“We deal with actually, rather well,” Sarkisian mentioned. “We’re attacking the soccer proper now. Defensively, we’re creating turnovers they usually’re having quite a lot of enjoyable.”
They’re a lot better within the crimson zone.
Final season, crimson zone offense was one of many Longhorns’ largest weaknesses. They ranked a hundred and twentieth nationally in crimson zone landing charge, discovering the tip zone on simply 50.8 p.c of journeys contained in the 20. This 12 months, they’ve fully reversed the development, rating seventh nationally by scoring touchdowns on 14 of their 16 crimson zone journeys. Sarkisian attributed the development to his workforce’s self-discipline, minimizing self-inflected errors in that a part of the sphere, in addition to simplifying his crimson zone name sheet to concentrate on a smaller set of performs that Texas has feverishly repped.
What we don’t know
How will Texas maintain up within the SEC?
Up to now, all the pieces factors to the Longhorns being an SEC title contender. The Longhorns are huge within the trenches, quick on the perimeter and deep at key positions because of the roster Sarkisian and his employees have constructed since his first 12 months at Texas. However it’s one factor to organize for the grind of an SEC schedule and one other to endure it. Will the run protection maintain up each week? Can Texas win its clunkers in convention play the best way it did in its last Massive 12 marketing campaign, notably towards Houston and Kansas State? The Longhorns will want the psychological self-discipline to rise up for each opponent.
Can the Longhorns play from behind?
The Longhorns haven’t trailed in a recreation all season. Over 180 minutes of recreation motion, Texas has solely been tied for 21 minutes and 43 seconds, in line with TruMedia. The Longhorns have led the remainder of the time they’ve been on the sphere. How will they reply when they’re in a gap, notably within the second half?
How good is the run protection?
Final season, Texas was elite at stopping the run, permitting simply 2.9 yards per rush and 82.4 rush yards per recreation. This 12 months, opponents have discovered extra room to run, averaging 3.5 yards per rush and 108.7 rush yards per recreation. It’s not as if the floodgates have opened. Texas continues to be within the prime half of Energy 4 groups in run protection, and the Longhorns held the one ranked opponent they confronted, run-heavy Michigan, to simply 80 speeding yards. However it is going to be value watching how the Longhorns fare after they face higher-caliber opponents who attempt to run proper at them.
Can the working backs maintain up?
Texas has had important hits to the working again depth chart this season.
The Longhorns misplaced beginning working again CJ Baxter and true freshman Christian Clark to season-ending accidents in coaching camp. Jaydon Blue was subsequent up because the starter and has carried out effectively when out there, however he missed the UTSA recreation.
Sophomore Tre Wisner has been stable, and Gibson has been an encouraging possibility as a real freshman. Getting Blue again to full well being will present a lift. The longer Texas can preserve the trio of Blue, Wisner and Gibson wholesome, the higher.
Past these three, Sarkisian moved receiver Ryan Niblett to working again and has additionally given carries to walk-on Colin Web page and switch Velton Gardner, a former SMU working again that Texas pulled from the portal in August after the Baxter and Clark accidents.
How will they fare in crunch time?
In every of their first three video games, the Longhorns entered the fourth quarter main by at the very least three touchdowns. As they enter SEC play, these margins received’t all the time be so vast, and their mettle might be examined. Texas’ mid-October two-step towards Oklahoma and Georgia figures to be first true problem on the schedule.
(Picture: Tim Warner / Getty Photos)
