ESPN Predicts Texas' Postseason Fate originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Texas Longhorns have their eyes on a third-straight College Football Playoff berth in 2025 under head coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian has been to the semifinal round in 2023 and 2024 and comes into this season with a 38-17 overall record.

Texas is gearing up for a run at the national championship, and the Longhorns' defense will be led by one of the best players in the country.

The Texas Longhorns have not won a national championship since 2005, and haven't made it to the big game since 2009. Heading into the 2025 season, the hope is t

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach believes Sarkisian will reach the National Championship Game and beat the Clemson Tigers for its first title since 2005.

As Arch Manning prepares for his first season as the starting quarterback for the Longhorns, one expert is already projecting that he will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. In his most recent mock draft, NFL insider Field Yates of ESPN projected that the Cleveland Browns would select Manning at the top of the upcoming draft.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/texas as Texas Longhorns OT Ranked as Second-Year Breakout Candidate. With college football kicking off two weeks from this Saturday, the Texas Longhorns continue to assert themselves as both the team and individual players appear on top-10 lists across the board.

With the college season less than three weeks away, expectations are high for the Texas Longhorns. They were ranked as the top team in the nation by the Associated Press earlier this week in the latest preseason poll. It is a rating that many agree with, including ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum.

The mock draft opens with Manning to the Browns. The 6-foot-4 sophomore will begin this season as the Texas Longhorns ’ starter. His bloodline includes Peyton and Eli Manning, but Yates noted Arch’s mobility as a key difference from his uncles.

Texas Longhorns football enters the 2025 season with a defense that is expected to be one of the best in the nation. Some players on this defense standout compared to the rest, including two preseason first-team All-American selections, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and safety Michael Taaffe.