Texas is again … at Refuse. 1.
For the primary life in just about 16 years, the Longhorns are atop the Related Press Manage 25, surpassing Georgia when the actual ballot used to be excepted on Sunday. That success has modest tangible that means now for the Longhorns; how they fare of their inaugural season of SEC play games will decide how reasonable their nationwide championship expectancies are. Nonetheless, it’s a landmark success for a program that has been during the wringer since its ultimate look at Refuse. 1 on Oct. 26, 2008.
Throughout the first 3 weeks of this season, Texas has been dominant. However there’s nonetheless a quantity to be informed in regards to the 2024 Longhorns, who host Louisiana-Monroe of their nonconference finale on Saturday ahead of their SEC time table kicks off on Oct. 5.
And ultimate Saturday, they were given much more attention-grabbing, when launch quarterback Quinn Ewers went ailing with an indirect trauma and Arch Manning got here in to manage the left-overs of a blowout win towards UTSA.
Let’s assess what we all know — and what we don’t — about what’s these days the most productive crew within the land.
What we all know
We will prohibit asking if Texas is again.
For years nearest ESPN play-by-play guy Joe Tessitore declared, “Texas is back, folks!” when Tyrone Swoopes scored a game-winning landing towards Notre Dame to viewable the 2016 season, the word used to be impaired as a punchline by way of opposing lovers era the Longhorns spun their wheels.
Endmost week’s look within the Faculty Soccer Playoff used to be Texas’ easiest season since 2009, and 3 video games into this week, the undefeated Longhorns display refuse indicators of slowing ailing. The roster is loaded, the training group of workers is strong and Texas’ recruiting is lead notch. It’s nonetheless untimely to mention the Longhorns will repeat their 2001 to 2009 run, once they went 101-16. The fresh 16-team SEC will probably be a undergo for years yet to come.
However the base is ready and the items are in park for Texas to persistently be looking for championships if the Longhorns can secure the gadget operating the best way it’s now.
The Longhorns are in admirable arms at QB.
Texas already had one of the crucial easiest quarterbacks within the nation in Quinn Ewers. He used to be enjoying higher than he ever has in a Texas uniform ahead of an indirect pressure knocked him out of the Longhorns’ 56-7 win over UTSA on Saturday.
However all is easily for the reason that Longhorns even have Arch Manning.
The redshirt freshman with the well-known ultimate identify has been the topic of intense interest ever since he emerged as a employ, however ahead of this season, he most effective had 27 school snaps to his identify. His look within the season-opening 52-0 win over Colorado Atmosphere incorporated 4 layout, 26 snaps and his first profession touchdowns, however on Saturday, we were given an actual dose of what Manning looks as if with the primary crew.
In simply 29 snaps throughout two-plus quarters, he used to be lavish. He threw 4 landing passes and confirmed off notable pace on a 67-yard landing run. He operated the offense cleanly and successfully, took lend a hand of the ball and didn’t devote main unforced mistakes.
Sure, it used to be an overmatched UTSA crew that Manning confronted, and refuse, it’s no longer all the time going to appear as simple for him because it did on Saturday evening. However thus far, Manning’s ability poised and command of the location is notable. He appears enough quantity in a position to chief the Longhorns for alternatively lengthy they want him to if Ewers is out for a competition or two.
Don’t be expecting this to develop into a quarterback controversy era Ewers is sidelined. Ewers, who has 3 years of enjoy on this offense, is likely one of the crew’s leaders and one of the crucial easiest quarterbacks within the nation. He, too, used to be as soon as the Refuse. 1 employ within the nation and is a possible first-round NFL Draft select.
Manning is beautifully professional and gifted however has most effective taken 82 school snaps. When Ewers returns from trauma, he’ll nonetheless be QB1.
GO DEEPER
Arch Manning moving from Texas by no means would have made sense
The fresh receivers are stellar.
Some of the Longhorns’ largest questions coming into this season used to be how they’d refill their receiving corps nearest all 3 in their 2023 starters — Xavier Decent, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington — had been drafted. Texas professor Steve Sarkisian accident the portal and the recruiting path to deal with the ones losses, including transfers Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Matthew Blonde (Houston) and Silas Bolden (Oregon Atmosphere) and signing 4 highschool receivers, headlined by way of five-star anticipation Ryan Wingo.
Via 3 video games, Bond and Blonde have temporarily established themselves as affect gamers. Bond leads the crew with 13 catches for 215 yards; Blonde is moment at the crew with 12 catches for 125 yards. Every have 3 landing catches, and Blonde additionally serves as the main kickoff returner.
Bolden has been a rotational receiver however has been a significance punt returner, a job he starred in at Oregon Atmosphere. The most important revelation on the place has been Wingo, who has temporarily develop into a big-play dynamo. Six of his seven receptions had been for 15 or extra yards, together with 3 for 30 or extra yards. He additionally had a 55-yard run towards Michigan on a opposite. Wingo is averaging 31.5 yards according to contact.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been around a guy, through three games, that has had the explosive play ability that he’s possessed,” Texas professor Steve Sarkisian instructed journalists on Monday. “He’ll tell you … he’s not a finished product. We’re still working on a lot of the details in his game, but he definitely has a very, very bright future.”
At tight finish, the a lack of Ja’Tavion Sanders, any other NFL Draft select, has additionally been smoothed over, however no longer with a switch. Senior Gunnar Helm has emerged as a significance move catcher with 10 receptions for 189 yards.
To this point, the passing competition hasn’t ignored a beat.
Texas’ intensity is as marketed.
Getting into the season, Sarkisian stated he sought after give snaps to as many gamers as imaginable early within the season — together with first-half snaps — to support solidify intensity for what he hopes is a name run deep into January. To this point, that plan has performed out as he was hoping.
Via 3 video games, refuse defensive participant within the entrance seven has performed greater than 40 snaps in one competition, consistent with Professional Soccer Center of attention. A lot of that may be a serve as of the Longhorns gaining commanding leads, however even within the Michigan competition, the place Sarkisian shortened the rotation on each offense and protection, lots of the defensive gamers performed 40 snaps or fewer.
Texas went three-deep at maximum positions on protection towards Colorado Atmosphere and UTSA and in a handful of disciplines on offense in the ones two video games. Even towards Michigan, the Longhorns had been in a position to get a forged serving to of second-teamers within the competition.
Sarkisian identified that towards UTSA, 77 of Texas’ 120 gamers performed, six gamers scored touchdowns, 9 gamers carried the soccer and 11 stuck a move. On protection, 28 gamers recorded a defensive statistic.
They have got a succesful protection.
Dropping key gamers like defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, linebacker Jaylan Ford and cornerback Ryan Watts to the draft left a minimum of some indecision as as to if the Longhorns could be as stout defensively as they had been in 2023, once they ranked 3rd nationally in run protection and moment in 3rd ailing conversions. It’s no longer as dominant because it used to be nearest, however it’s nonetheless a forged unit: The 2024 Longhorns rank eleventh in 3rd ailing protection and forty fourth in run protection.
And in essentially the most remarkable department — issues allowed — Texas has excelled. The Longhorns have allowed simply 6.3 issues according to competition.
“We tackle really, really well,” Sarkisian stated. “We’re attacking the football right now. Defensively, we’re creating turnovers and they’re having a lot of fun.”
They’re significantly better within the pink zone.
Endmost season, pink zone offense used to be one of the crucial Longhorns’ largest weaknesses. They ranked one hundred and twentieth nationally in pink zone landing price, discovering the tip zone on simply 50.8 p.c of journeys throughout the 20. This week, they’ve utterly reversed the fad, score 7th nationally by way of scoring touchdowns on 14 in their 16 pink zone journeys. Sarkisian attributed the development to his crew’s self-discipline, minimizing self-inflected mistakes in that a part of the grassland, in addition to simplifying his pink zone name sheet to concentrate on a smaller poised of performs that Texas has feverishly repped.
What we don’t know
How will Texas secure up within the SEC?
To this point, the whole thing issues to the Longhorns being an SEC name contender. The Longhorns are colossal within the trenches, rapid at the perimeter and deep at key positions because of the roster Sarkisian and his group of workers have constructed since his first week at Texas. Nevertheless it’s something to arrange for the grind of an SEC time table and any other to undergo it. Will the run protection secure up each and every time? Can Texas win its clunkers in convention play games how it did in its ultimate Heavy 12 marketing campaign, in particular towards Houston and Kansas Atmosphere? The Longhorns will want the psychological self-discipline to be on one?s feet for each and every opponent.
Can the Longhorns play games from at the back of?
The Longhorns have no longer trailed in a competition all season. Over 180 mins of competition motion, Texas has most effective been secured for 21 mins and 43 seconds, consistent with TruMedia. The Longhorns have led the left-overs of the life they’ve been at the grassland. How will they reply when they’re in a hollow, in particular in the second one 1/2?
How excellent is the run protection?
Endmost season, Texas used to be elite at preventing the run, permitting simply 2.9 yards according to sprint and 82.4 sprint yards according to competition. This week, combatants have discovered extra space to run, averaging 3.5 yards according to sprint and 108.7 sprint yards according to competition. It’s no longer as although the floodgates have opened. Texas remains to be within the lead 1/2 of Energy 4 groups in run protection, and the Longhorns held the only ranked opponent they confronted, run-heavy Michigan, to only 80 dashing yards. However it’s going to be usefulness looking at how the Longhorns fare once they face higher-caliber combatants who effort to run proper at them.
Can the operating backs secure up?
Texas has had vital hits to the operating again intensity chart this season.
The Longhorns misplaced launch operating again CJ Baxter and true freshman Christian Clark to season-ending accidents in coaching camp. Jaydon Blue used to be nearest up because the starter and has carried out smartly when to be had, however he ignored the UTSA competition.
Sophomore Tre Wisner has been forged, and Gibson has been an encouraging choice as a real freshman. Getting Blue again to complete fitness will lend a spice up. The longer Texas can secure the trio of Blue, Wisner and Gibson wholesome, the simpler.
Past the ones 3, Sarkisian moved receiver Ryan Niblett to operating again and has additionally given carries to walk-on Colin Web page and switch Velton Gardner, a former SMU operating again that Texas pulled from the portal in August nearest the Baxter and Clark accidents.
How will they fare in crunch life?
In each and every in their first 3 video games, the Longhorns entered the fourth quarter chief by way of a minimum of 3 touchdowns. As they input SEC play games, the ones margins gained’t all the time be so huge, and their mettle will probably be examined. Texas’ mid-October two-step towards Oklahoma and Georgia figures to be first true problem at the time table.
(Photograph: Tim Warner / Getty Pictures)
