Coming into the 2025 College Football season, no one in the Country is drawing as much hype as the Texas Longhorns. Steve Sarkisian's team enters the year as the top ranked team in the AP Poll as well as the Coaches Poll with analysts around the Country picking the Longhorns to win the National Championship. Add in the fact that Texas' starting quarterback will be Arch Manning and the buzz around this team is through the roof.
While everyone is extremely high on the Texas Longhorns, it won't guarantee that they'll make the College Football Playoff let alone win a National Championship. in the 21st century, only twice has a team started the season atop the AP Poll and won the National Championship with the USC Trojans in 2004 and Alabama in 2017 accomplishing the feat.
If the Texas Longhorns fall short of their goals of finally returning to the top of College Football, there will be a few clear areas where the roster didn't live up to it's potential.
These 3 areas should be massive concerns for Steve Sarkisian
3. Turnover on the Offensive Line
The Texas Longhorns offensive line turnover is led by the loss of All-SEC and All-American Left Tackle Kelvin Banks Jr which would be plenty to overcome. When you add in the loss of a 56 game starter in center Jake Majors, it's arguably a bigger loss than Banks as a center helps everyone set the protection. In total, Texas is tasked with replacing 4 offensive linemen in front of a first time signal caller.
One of the Longhorns projected starters Andre Cojoe who was slated to start at right tackle will miss the entire season after suffering a season ending injury in fall camp. Because of the injury to Cojoe, the Longhorns will be starting two offensive linemen for the first time when they head to Columbus.
The new offensive line will certainly need reps together in a game in order to gel but, as Texas faces off against Ohio State, they'll truly get tested which is a concern to say the least.
2. Another season of turnover at the Defensive Tackle position
The last two seasons have taken a ton of talent from Texas' defensive tackle room as Byron Murphy II, T'Vondre Sweat, Alfred Collins, and Vernon Broughton have all been taken in the NFL Draft. The Longhorns are once again tasked with replacing their two best players on the interior and this season they'll do so with transfers.
Adding in the losses of Jermayne Lole, Bill Norton, and Sydir Mitchell who also departed this offseason and the Longhorns are tasked with replacing 149 tackles and 6 sacks which is a lot to overcome.
The Longhorns brought in 5 transfers this offseason to replace the losses with the main pieces being Cole Brevard, Maraad Watson, and Travis Shaw. The trio combined for 76 tackles and 2.5 sacks at their last schools and will need to elevate their game in order for this not to be an issue in 2025. If the group isn't able to play to the level the team has gotten the past two seasons, the concern will be that they'll be vulnerable against the run.
1. A lack of proven Wide Receiver talent
As Arch Manning takes over the offense, the hope would be that he has an elite weapon to lean upon especially at receiver to help him rack up easy completions. The Longhorns instead replace a 1st round pick in Matthew Golden while Isaiah Bond, Silas Bolden, and elite tight end Gunnar Helm as they left for the NFL.
The wide receiver room lacks a ton of experience which should be a concern for this offense until they prove otherwise. Ryan Wingo got a ton of experience as a true Freshman, catching 29 passes for 472 yards and a pair of touchdowns but, will need to elevate his game in order to be a true leading receiver. DeAndre Moore Jr had a similar season catching 39 passes for 456 yards and 7 scores and will need to elevate his game as well.
After the two with very little experience, Parker Livingstone who didn't record any stats last season and Stanford transfer Emmett Mosley V will have a chance to earn starting roles. The overall determining factor for the room will likely end up relying on how ready freshmen Kaliq Lockett, Jaime Ffrench, and Daylan McCutcheon are to contribute.
Overall for Arch Manning, he'll have a ton of pieces to work with but, like himself they'll all be looking to grow quickly this season. Not having a veteran go-to guy on the outside will certainly hurt this team early in the season especially opening the year at Ohio State.
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