'Don't Sleep on Texas!': Longhorns Have 'Best Roster' in Country, Says Urban Meyer

Former Ohio State Buckeyes and NFL head coach Urban Meyer is taking the Texas Longhorns offseason hype to a new level.

The offseason hype continues to follow the Texas Longhorns as they head into the fall looking to live up to the occasional and debatable College Football Playoff and Big 12 title expectations.

But using his platform and big-name recognition, former Ohio State Buckeyes and NFL head coach Urban Meyer is taking this hype to a new level. He made sure to talk Texas during a recent episode of Urban’s Take with Tim May, adding the Longhorns to an elite conversation that already includes the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.

“I think Texas, you didn’t mention them, but don’t sleep on Texas this year,” Meyer said. “I was talking to (Ohio State associate AD) Mark Pantoni and I was talking to the recruiting director at Ohio State. Man for man, roster against roster, it’s hard to say Texas doesn’t have the best roster in college football."

The Longhorns and coach Steve Sarkisian certainly added some talent this offseason while retaining additional players that are expected to take a leap this season. Texas boasts five-star freshman like running back Cedric Baxter Jr., receiver Johntay Cook II and linebacker Anthony Hill. Add quarterback Arch Manning to this list as well, though he's highly unlikely to have the kind of impact these three will have during their freshmen seasons.

Through the transfer portal, the Longhorns added championship-winning Georgia receiver A.D. Mitchell while also improving the secondary with Wake Forest cornerback Gavin Holmes and Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon.

But like every year, the Longhorns will have to prove that this talent can translate to elite success in the standings. A championship coach like Meyer understands this as well, despite all the praise he has for Sark and Co.

“Now, they’ve got to play. It’s been a while since Texas has been good or elite. But their quarterback, I watched him live against Alabama before he got hurt. They could have won that game. We all know Quinn Ewers from when he was at Ohio State. I think Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas are in pretty good shape.”

The Longhorns will have another early-season shot to prove they're elite when they take on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Sept. 9. If Texas can make that game as close and as thrilling as last year's 20-19 loss to Alabama, the team will have a real chance at proving the doubters wrong while proving Meyer right.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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