Longhorns Ranked in 247Sports' Way-Too-Early 2023 Top 25

Following a successful second season under Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns appear to be on an upward trajectory.

With only one game left in the college football season, every school but TCU and Georgia have begun to look ahead to the offseason and what's to come in the 2023 season. 

Among those teams is the Texas Longhorns, who finished the 2022 season with an 8-5 record in Steve Sarkisian's second year in Austin. 

Texas' turnaround in Sarkisian's second season was much needed and landed the Longhorns at No. 14 in 247Sports' "Way-Too-Early Top 25" for the 2023 season.

While it is of course, "way too early" to have a Top 25, it isn't hard to see why the Longhorns are a team worthy of some preseason hype. Quarterback Quinn Ewers bounced back from an up-and-down second half of his freshman season with a 369-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Alamo Bowl loss against Washington. 

As well, the Longhorns landed an elite 2023 recruiting class headlined by quarterback Arch Manning. Manning might be the headliner, but guys like receiver Johntay Cook II, running back Cedric Baxter and linebacker Anthony Hill could all be day-one contributors. 

The loss of key contributors in the running back duo of Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, as well as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, will make life difficult for Texas in 2023, but they retain talent in Jordan Whittington and T'Vondre Sweat to help ease the blow. 

Whether the Longhorns exceed their 2022 season or not is yet to be seen. However, at some point, the Longhorns must return to being contenders for a national title, and 2023 might just be the season they do so.

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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