Longhorns check in at No. 4 in On3’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, with four 2024 opponents also in the ranking
The Texas Longhorns were ranked as the No. 4 team in On3’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 Pre-Spring College Football Rankings for 2024. On3 national college football columnist Jesse Simonton included four teams on the Longhorns’ 2024 schedule in the ranking: No. 1 Georgia, No. 8 Michigan, No. 13 Oklahoma, and No. 23 Texas A&M.
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Here’s what Simonton had to say in Monday’s rankings release.
The Longhorns will make the transition to the SEC in 2024, and despite falling just short of the national title game this fall, Steve Sarkisian’s team should be one of the top contenders again next season. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is back, and if the junior falters at all, 5-star sophomore Arch Manning is waiting in the wings. The Longhorns did lose a slew of talent to the NFL Draft (defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, playmakers JT Sanders, Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell), but Sarkisian went shopping in the transfer portal, bringing in Alabama tight end Amari Niblack, Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond and Oregon State receiver/returner Silas Bolden.
Texas also shored up its defense with the additions of UTSA pass rusher Trey Moore (14.0 sacks, No. 3 nationally), Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba and Arizona defensive lineman Tiaoalii Savea.
Coming off a 12-2 season where the Longhorns won the Big 12 title and reached the College Football Playoff, Texas s entered the offseason with big splashes by signing the No. 6 high school recruiting class and No. 9 transfer portal class. Sarkisian‘s 2024 class is the third straight to finish ranked in the top six joining the No. 5 2022 class and the No. 3 2023 class.
Texas will be playing its first season as members of the Southeastern Conference in 2024 with a home schedule featuring No. 1 Georgia along with Mississippi State, Florida, and Kentucky. The slate of games away from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium includes the annual Red River Shootout against No. 13 Oklahoma in Dallas, plus trips to Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and a renewal of the rivalry with No. 23 Texas A&M. Before they get conference play started, the Longhorns will venture to Ann Arbor, Mich. to play the defending national champions — No. 8 Michigan.
Eight SEC schools were in the top 25. Four Big 10 schools earned inclusion. Six Big 12 teams made the cut, as did six ACC teams. Notre Dame was the lone independent to make the rankings.
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On3’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 Pre-Spring
Georgia Bulldogs
Ohio State Buckeyes
Oregon Ducks
Texas Longhorns
Alabama Crimson Tide
Ole Miss Rebels
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Michigan Wolverines
Penn State Nittany Lions
Missouri Tigers
LSU Tigers
Utah Utes
Oklahoma Sooners
Kansas State Wildcats
Tennessee Volunteers
Florida State Seminoles
Clemson Tigers
Miami Hurricanes
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Kansas Jayhawks
Louisville Cardinals
NC State Wolf Pack
Texas A&M Aggies
Arizona Wildcats
SMU Mustangs
The post Longhorns check in at No. 4 in On3’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, with four 2024 opponents also in the ranking appeared first on On3.
