According to several analysts, the Texas Longhorns have emerged as the offseason champions of college football, and the hype seems justified. By signing top recruits, smartly using the transfer portal, and losing a few players, Texas is now among the top contenders for the 2025 national championship.
But the real question remains: Can the Longhorns finally turn this mountain of talent into a national championship trophy for the first time since 2005?
Can Steve Sarkisian, Texas Turn Offseason Hype Into a National Title?
Texas entered 2025 with a challenge: replacing 12 NFL Draft picks and several other key players who left through the transfer portal or graduation. Yet, head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff have not just survived—they’ve thrived.
ESPN ranked Texas’s offseason as the fourth-best in the SEC, only behind LSU, Oklahoma, and Auburn. They managed this by retaining most of their top staff, avoiding losing key players to he draft due to eligibility, and being active in both the transfer portal and recruiting high school talent.
ESPN’s 2025 Way-Too-Early college football Top 25 rankings (No. 2 at No. 1 to open the season) https://t.co/d6lGHwlBJg
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) January 21, 2025
The Longhorns’ 2025 recruiting class is widely considered the best in the country, featuring 17 ESPN 300 prospects and a marquee win over Georgia for defensive tackle Justus Terry, the No. 8 overall recruit.
The coaching staff addressed roster issues with five new defensive line members, a strong tight end (Jack Endries from Cal), and improved special teams. This means the team’s lineup is filled with high-level players who react to compete at the highest level.
Despite losing starters from last year’s Cotton Bowl team, Texas is ranked in the top five of nearly every major preseason poll. In the SEC, the Longhorns are considered the preseason favorite, topping Georgia in several preseason rankings.
They managed to add three players with starts to the team. Shaw, Brevard, and Watson are expected to fill key gaps on the roster.
It’s an impressive accomplishment for a team only in its second year in the conference, considering they lost key players like Quinn Ewers, Gunnar Helm, and Isaiah Bond to the NFL.
Texas has all the pieces necessary to make a legitimate title run. The combination of elite talent and strong coaching gives them a real shot at a national championship.
But history proves that talent is just the start. Ultimately, discipline, execution, and toughness determine whether the Longhorns can finally reach the top.
Can Texas finally win a title, or will they come up short once more? It all depends on how well they translate offseason wins into on-field success.
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