No. 23 – Texas Longhorns Season Preview

Texas will be the most hated team in college football this season. The Longhorns announced that they were leaving the Big 12 along with the Oklahoma Sooners at the end of the 2024 season. It’s unlikely they will stay in the Big 12 for that long though, as the Longhorns will likely come to some sort of arrangement to exit the conference in the next couple years.

After years of being consistently overrated, the Longhorns aren’t on the radar of many people coming into the 2021 season. Texas has a new coach in Steve Sarkisian after parting ways with Tom Herman in the offseason, and there will be a new signal caller now that Sam Ehlinger has left Austin. This team still has the talent to surprise opponents in 2021 though.

Texas Regular Season Win Total

Over 8 Wins +125

Under 8 Wins -155

OFFENSE

Freshman Hudson Card and sophomore Casey Thompson are currently battling for the right to replace Ehlinger in this offense. Thompson has a bit of an experience edge as he completed 12 of 17 passes for 225 yards and six touchdowns in 2020, but Card isn’t a complete neophyte after seeing a little bit of action last year. This will be a new offense under Sarkisian, and he has not tipped his hand with regards to naming a frontrunner.

There is no doubt that the No. 1 running back will be Bijan Robinson. The freshman was electric last year with 703 yards (8.2 YPC) and four touchdowns. He was a Big 12 Honorable Mention for that performance, and he ran wild against Kansas State and Colorado in December. Roschon Johnson is no slouch as the primary backup though with 418 yards (5.2 YPC) and six touchdowns in 2020.

Joshua Moore, Jake Smith, and Jordan Whittington will be the top options at receiver. Texas is likely to throw the ball more often than they did under Herman, so all three players should see more balls provided the passing game is efficient. Tight end Cade Brewer might have a big 2021 campaign too.

The offensive line has four returning starters from last season. Right tackle is the only position that will see a new starter, so the Longhorns figure to have one of the better units in the Big 12. Left tackle Christian Jones could have a breakout season as new offensive line coach Kyle Flood is one of the most well-respected coaches in the country.

DEFENSE

Nose tackle Keondre Coburn might be the best player on the defensive side of the ball. Coburn was disruptive last season with 3.5 tackles for loss and was a Big 12 Honorable Mention selection. LSU transfer Ray Thornton and Notre Dame transfer Ovie Oghoufo will bolster this unit, and freshman Ja’Tavion Sanders is one to watch if he focuses on defense.

This back seven could be torched once again though. Texas has allowed at least 25.9 PPG in each of the last three seasons, and there isn’t a lot of experience in the second level. DeMarvion Overshown will be asked to be a standout at linebacker in this scheme, and the hope is that Ben Davis can make an impact after failing to see much playing time in three seasons at Alabama.

D’Shawn Jamison and Josh Thompson are experienced cornerbacks, but the safeties are a concern. That’s an issue in the pass happy Big 12, and the Longhorns have allowed at least 250 YPG through the air in each of the last five seasons.

SCHEDULE

Texas doesn’t have the easiest non-conference slate. The Longhorns’ only pushover is Rice, as Louisiana is one of the best Group of Five teams and it won’t be easy to win in Arkansas. However, Texas will be favored to win all three games and should be 3-0 coming into Big 12 play as Louisiana and Arkansas do not match up well with the Longhorns.

Conference play figures to be trickier for the Longhorns. They will hear it every time they go on the road, and the Big 12 did them no favors by bookending the Red River Rivalry with a road trip to TCU and a home game against Oklahoma State. Texas will also have to face Baylor and Iowa State away from home in back-to-back weeks.

PREDICTION

The early action on the ‘Under’ was definitely the right call. It’s more likely that Texas goes 7-5 then 9-3, as the Longhorns have a lot of questions surrounding them in 2021. With a new quarterback and an untested defense, it could be a tough first season for Sarkisian, but the Longhorns still have a lot of talent, so the potential is there for a solid year.

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