Quarterback
Texas is officially moving on from 3-year starting QB Quinn Ewers. Stepping in as the Longhorns’ signal caller is former #1 overall recruit, Arch Manning. On August 30th, Texas fans will finally see their prized recruit step in as the full-time starter. Most of us have no questions about Arch as a prospect. We know the size, arm strength, speed, and so on. However, we also know that an inexperienced player making his first big start certainly comes with concerns.
Manning started last season in two home games against UL Monroe and Mississippi State. How will Manning react to road environments at Ohio State, Florida, and Georgia? These are three of the loudest stadiums in the nation. How will Manning react to the publicity and attention as the full-time starter? Of course, he has heard the chants of his name and the public desire for his playing time. But he must now deal with the everyday criticisms of his performance. The attention now increases substantially.
Manning’s performance versus Mississippi State was superb, as he completed 26/31 passes for 325 yards, 10.5 yards per attempt, and 2 TDs. But Manning’s performance versus UL Monroe was anything but superb, as he completed 15/29 passes for 258 yards, 8.9 yards per attempt, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs. Achieving consistency and command in-game for Arch could take a few games, which is not ideal considering Texas starts the season at Ohio State.
Offensive Line
Texas faces a tall task of replacing 4 starters on the offensive line. Kelvin Banks Jr, Cameron Williams, Hayden Conner, and Jake Majors have departed for the NFL. Banks Jr, the Longhorns’ previous left tackle, was selected 9th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and is expected to be difficult to replace. Replacing 4 NFL-caliber offensive linemen in one offseason definitely tests the Longhorns’ recruiting prowess.
While these up-and-coming offensive linemen are supremely talented recruits, they must face the Ohio State Buckeyes’ front seven in Week 1. Nothing says welcome to college football like facing the defending national champions in your first major playing time. Projected left tackle, Trevor Goosby, will look to be the leader of the new offensive line unit, as he has made previous starts against Georgia in the SEC Championship and Arizona State in the CFP Quarterfinal.
The Texas offensive line allowed 37 sacks in 2024, which ranked 118th in college football. This new offensive line will undoubtedly face early questions and criticism from the fan base, as the fans are aware of the Longhorns’ talent acquisition when it comes to offensive linemen.
Tight End
Tight end is perhaps the least experienced unit on the Texas roster. Of Texas’s projected top 4 tight ends, none of them has registered a single career reception. Seeing as tight end Gunnar Helm led Texas in receptions in 2024, this position could be a glaring hole in the Longhorns’ offense. Can Steve Sarkisian’s offense fire on all cylinders without great tight end play?
In 2023, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders finished 3rd on the team in both receptions and receiving yards. In 2022, Ja’Tavion Sanders finished 2nd on the team in receptions and 3rd in receiving yards. Do you notice the pattern? This Texas offense is extremely reliant on tight end performance. What happens to the offensive production if these new tight ends are subpar?
An inexperienced quarterback, such as Arch Manning, often depends on his tight end. Tight ends are commonly called safety blankets for new quarterbacks and serve an important role in a young quarterback’s development. Would a lack of tight end production hinder Arch’s production throughout the season?
Interior Defensive Line
The interior defensive line is most likely the biggest concern on the defense for Longhorns fans. Edge and linebacker are bolstered by Colin Simmons and Anthony Hill Jr. The secondary is led by All-American Michael Taaffe and filled with top recruits such as Malik Muhammad, Jelani McDonald, Kobe Black, Derek Williams Jr, and Xavier Filsaime.
So, who makes up the projected rotation for the Longhorns’ IDL? Purdue transfer Cole Brevard, 3-star sophomore Alex January, Ohio State transfer Hero Kanu, and North Carolina transfer Travis Shaw are the upperclassmen in the group. 5-star true freshman Justus Terry will hope to contribute, but he faces a tough adjustment to college football after playing high school football in 1A classification. His year 1 impact is far from a guarantee.
Cole Brevard has 38 tackles in 4 seasons. Alex January appeared in 11 games and totaled 3 tackles as a freshman. Hero Kanu totaled 14 tackles in 3 seasons at Ohio State. Travis Shaw is by far the most experienced of the group, as he appeared in 37 games across 3 seasons at North Carolina. He totaled 55 tackles. This is a position group that featured elite players in Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat just 2 seasons ago.
