2022 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview: No. 2 Texas

BamaCentral takes a long first look at each of the Crimson Tide's upcoming opponents this season, in order from the bottom to the top.

Introductions won’t be necessary when Alabama heads down to Austin, Texas in Week 2. Texas is entering its second season under Steve Sarkisian, and the former Alabama offensive coordinator is hardly the only hint of crimson in the Longhorns’ setup.

In addition to Sarkisian, Texas’ coaching staff includes former Crimson Tide assistants Jeff Banks, Bo Davis, Kyle Flood and AJ Milwee. The Longhorns also have a trio of Alabama transfers, including tight end Jahleel Billingsley, receiver Agiye Hall and running back Keilan Robinson.

Year 1 of the Sarkisian era didn’t go to plan as Texas turned a 4-1 start into a 5-7 campaign which featured a loss to two-win Kansas as part of a six-game losing streak. The Longhorns are expected to make serious strides this season as they return an offense capable of pulling off Sarkisian’s high-flying attack while the defense should be improved from last year’s unit which ranked No. 100 nationally in yards allowed.

Is Texas back? Probably not yet, but it could cause an early scare for Alabama in Week 2 en route to contending in what figures to be an open Big 12 title race.

Offense

Time will tell if Arch Manning will be the Longhorns' future leader behind center. For now, Texas will have to find someone else to operate Sarkisian’s offense.

The Longhorns will have a new starting quarterback after Casey Thompson transferred to Nebraska. Thompson, who started 10 games over 12 appearances last season, led the Big 12 with 24 touchdown passes. Still, Texas has a pair of talented options in sophomore Hudson Card and redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers, who transferred in from Ohio State.

Whoever wins the quarterback battle will have an arsenal of weapons at his disposal. Texas’ receiving corps is led by speedster Xavier Worthy, who broke the Longhorns’ freshman record with 12 touchdown receptions last season while also tallying 62 catches for 981 yards. Junior Jordan Whittington should also be back to full health after missing four games with a broken clavicle last year.

Texas also added to its receiving options through the transfer portal, bringing in Wyoming transfer receiver Isaiah Neyor as well as Billingsley and Hall from Alabama. Neyor led Wyoming with 44 receptions for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, while Billingsley had 17 catches for 256 yards and three scores. Hall wasn’t given much of an opportunity to shine during his freshman season at Alabama but could be the most talented of the bunch.

Texas’ biggest offensive weapon is Bijan Robinson, who is regarded by many as the top running back in the nation. The 6-foot, 214-pound playmaker is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 5.78 yards per carry, piling up 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He’s also a receiving threat out of the backfield, pulling in 26 receptions for 295 yards and four scores through the air. In addition to Bijan Robinson, Texas also returns 6-2, 223-pound bruiser Roschon Johnson as well as a nice change-of-pace option in Keilan Robinson in the backfield.

As good as Texas’ skill players are, it will need more consistency on the line to make things work. The Longhorns return three starters in Junior Angilau at guard, Jake Majors at center and Christian Jones at tackle. Five-star freshman Devon Campbell is also expected to compete for a starting spot, while redshirt sophomore Andrej Karic appears poised to step into a first-team role as well.

Defense

If Texas is going to take a step forward this season, it will need vast improvements on the defensive side of the ball. The Longhorns ranked No. 99 in the nation in scoring defense (31.4 points allowed per game) and No. 100 in total defense (421.7 yards allowed per game) last season. That included a dismal run defense that allowed 201.58 yards per game on the ground and 5.34 yards per carry.

There’s reason for optimism for the Longhorns who return their top three tacklers from last season in linebackers DeMarvion Overshown, Luke Brockermeyer and Jaylan Ford. Texas also added James Madison transfer linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, who recorded 116 stops, including nine tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks to go with four interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery last year.

The Longhorns also dipped into the transfer portal to add Ohio State transfer Ryan Watts. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound defensive back figures to hold the first-team cornerback role opposite of returning starter D’Shawn Jamison. Texas also brings back starters in nickelback Anthony Cook and safety Jerrin Thompson.

While Texas’ strength will still be on the offensive side of the ball, an improved defense should help the Longhorns see better results this season.

Schedule

Both Texas and Alabama open up with manageable games before meeting in Week 2 as the Longhorns host Louisiana-Monroe while the Crimson Tide welcomes in Utah State into Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The game against Alabama will serve as a good barometer of Texas’ status as a contender this season. If the Longhorns are able to pull the upset, it could set up an early-season run as they would be favored in their next three games — UT-San Antonio, Texas Tech and West Virginia — before squaring off in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma on Oct. 8. The same can be said about Alabama, which will follow the Texas game with matchups against Louisiana-Monroe, Vanderbilt and Arkansas before hosting Texas A&M inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Outlook

While Alabama is currently viewed as a two-touchdown favorite over Texas, the Longhorns have the talent to put up a fight in Week 2. Sarkisian will likely have some tricks up his sleeve and could be able to dial up a few big plays on offense to test an Alabama secondary that is looking to replace both of its cornerbacks from last season. Meanwhile, Texas will hope that the Crimson Tide’s reloaded offense will not have yet gelled around returning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.

Still, it’s hard to pick against Alabama here. Regardless of who Texas turns to at quarterback, a game against what figures to be one of the best defenses in college football will be a sizeable first hurdle to clear. If Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner are able to provide pressure in the pass rush, it should allow the Crimson Tide to take advantage of some early mistakes and snuff out any chance of an upset.

Even if Texas falls to Alabama, it should be in line for much more success in Sarkisian’s second year. A 10-win season and a trip to a New Year's Day bowl game are certainly attainable goals for the Longhorns. 

The Game 

Date: Sept. 10

Time: 11 a.m. CT

TV: Fox

Location: Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium

Series: Texas leads 7-1-1

Last meeting: Alabama won 37-21, BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram rushed 22 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns, while true freshman Trent Richardson contributed an additional 109 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Playing with broken ribs, quarterback Greg McElroy was 6-for-11 for 58 yards and no touchdowns, and took five sacks. 

The Team 

The Coach: Former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, second year 5-7 (ninth year overall, 51-42)

Offensive Coordinator: Kyle Flood

Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Choate/Pete Kwiatkowski

2021 Record: 5-7

2021 Rankings: Total offense No. 47; Total defense No. 100

Returning Starters: 14, seven on offense, seven on defense

Players to Watch: RB Bijan Robinson, WR Xavier Worthy, WR Isaiah Neyor, T Christian Jones, DT Moro Ojomo, DT Keondre Coburn, LB DeMarvion Overshown, LB Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, CB D'Shawn Jamison, S Anthony Cook

Top Newcomer: Despite all of the Crimson Tide ties and transfers, Texas needs it to be quarterback Quinn Ewers, the redshirt freshman who transferred in from Ohio State. As a high school prospect in 2021 after reclassifying was ranked No. 1 nationally overall by 247Sports. At Southlake Carroll in Texas he totaled 6,445 yards passing, 73 passing touchdowns and just eight interceptions on 450-for-643 attempts (.700), along with 701 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 115 carries (6.1 average) in 22 career games.

Biggest Question: Texas figures to be comparable or better offensively, but still doesn't appear to have the horses on defense, The playmakers aside, like Robinson, can the defense keep the Longhorns in games? The offense will need time to come together during the first half of the games, and the defense could wear down late in the regular season. 

The School

Location: Austin, Texas

Founded: 1883

Enrollment: 52,000

Nickname: Longhorns

Colors: White and burnt orange

Mascot: Bevo

The Program 

Coaching Changes During Saban Era: Three

Last Time Beat Alabama: 1982 Cotton Bowl, Texas 14-12

Last Time Won Big 12 Championship: 2009

National Championships (4): 1963, 1969, 1970, 2005

Playoff Appearances: None

Conference championships (32): However, Texas has won just three Big 12 titles, in 1996, 2005 and 2009. Is set to join SEC in 2025 (if not sooner).

Bowl Appearances: 31–24–2

Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: 2016

Heisman Trophies (2): Earl Campbell (1977) and Ricky Williams (1998)

Consensus All-Americans During Saban Era (13): Brian Orakpo, DL, 2008; Colt McCoy, QB, 2008-2009; Jordan Shipley, WR, 2009; Earl Thomas, DB, 2009; Anthony Fera, PK, 2013; Jackson Jeffcoat, DL, 2013; Malcom Brown, DL, 2014; D’Onta Foreman, RB, 2016; Connor Williams, OL, 2016; DeShon Elliott, DB, 2017; Michael Dickson, P, 2017; Joseph Ossai, LB, 2020

First-Round NFL Picks During Saban Era (4): Brian Orakpo, DL, 2009; Earl Thomas, S, 2010; Kenny Vaccaro, DB, 2013; Malcom Brown, DT, 2015

2022 NFL Draft: No selections

Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings: No. 5 in 2022. Previously No. 15 in 2019, No. 8 in 2020, and No. 3 in 2019

The Schedule

Sept. 3: UL Monroe
Sept. 10: Alabama
Sept. 17: UTSA
Sept. 24: at Texas Tech
Oct. 1: West Virginia
Oct. 8: Oklahoma
Oct. 15: Iowa State
Oct. 22: at Oklahoma State
Nov. 5: at Kansas State
Nov. 12: TCU
Nov. 19: at Kansas
Nov. 25: Baylor

Did You Know?

As noted, prior to the national title game at the end of the 2009 season Alabama had never defeated Texas before in eight meetings.

The Longhorns were:

2–0 in Austin

2–0 in Dallas (Cotton Bowl)

1–0 in Miami (Orange Bowl)

1–0 in New Orleans (Sugar Bowl)

1–0 in Tuscaloosa

0–0–1 in Houston (Bluebonnet Bowl)

However the two Cotton Bowl losses in 1982 and 1973 were the only times the teams had played since 1965. The series dates back to 1902. 

This is the 11th story in series previewing Alabama's opponents:

No. 12 Austin Peay

No. 11 Louisiana Monroe

No. 10 Vanderbilt

No. 9 Utah State

No. 8 Mississippi State

No. 7 Auburn

No. 6 LSU

No. 5 Ole Miss

No. 4 Arkansas 

No. 3 Tennessee