For the first time in history, Texas football is ranked No. 1 in one of the major preseason polls. The Longhorns sit atop the Preseason Coaches Poll, edging out reigning national champion Ohio State for the No. 1 spot.
Despite ranking as a blue blood program and one of the most successful in history, Texas had never ranked No. 1 in either the Preseason AP or Coaches Poll. The program has ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP on five occasions, including during their national championship season in 2005.
According to an analysis from Stassen, Texas has trailed only USC as the biggest underachievers in the preseason AP poll from 1989 to 2023. However, that trend has shifted quickly under coach Steve Sarkisian. Since his 5-7 debut in 2021, Sarkisian has led the Longhorns to three straight seasons of matching or improving their preseason ranking.
Coaches Poll top 25: Texas is No. 1 over Ohio State, SEC has most spots in preseason college football rankings
Cody Nagel
The 2024 Texas team started the year at No. 4 and rose to No. 1 for the first time since 2008. They finished No. 3 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, and No. 4 in the last AP poll of the year after falling to eventual national champion Ohio State in the national semifinals. The Longhorns are the only team in the nation to reach the final four in each of the past two seasons.
Texas enters one of the most anticipated seasons in program history in 2025 as big-name quarterback Arch Manning takes the reins. The redshirt sophomore was rated the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2023 and was the only quarterback rated in the top 100 of his recruiting class to sit at the same program and wait two years before taking over as the full-time starter.
However, Texas is stacked across the field after posting the program’s first No. 1 recruiting class in history in 2025. Linebacker Anthony Hill, defensive lineman Colin Simmons, safety Michael Taaffe and right guard DJ Campbell all rank among the best at their position in college football. Texas also boasts perhaps the best staff continuity in all of college football with offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski back for their fifth straight seasons.
Texas has only won one national championship in the past 50 years, a legendary run led by quarterback Vince Young in 2005. Ironically, that season also featured a marquee nonconference matchup against Ohio State and a No. 1 overall quarterback recruit. The Longhorns play at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30.
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