Where Do Texas Longhorns Stand in ESPN Future Power Rankings?

ESPN's yearly three-year outlook article ranks Texas inside the top-five of all college football programs thanks to the work of head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff.

Texas's Kitan Crawford (21) celebrates an interception with Texas's Malik Muhammad (5) in the first half of the Big 12 Football Championship game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Texas Longhorns at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

In a recent article released by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Texas Longhorns were named the third-best team through 2026 in all of college football, trailing just the Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes.

ESPN releases a three-year power ranking each season, denoting how they see the college football world looking over the college career of the best five-stars who will likely enter the draft after their junior season. Texas jumped from last year's 15th place all the way up to third, leapfrogging the likes of Alabama, Michigan and LSU.

“Texas didn't even appear in these rankings two years ago but has rapidly risen under coach Steve Sarkisian and a premier personnel approach,” Rittenberg wrote. “The Longhorns finally have genuine stability after making their first CFP appearance, and are set up well on both sides of the ball for 2024 and beyond.”

Longhorns Head coach Steve Sarkisian answer questions from the local news media during the first press conferences for the 2023 football season on August 1, 2023. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

ESPN’s senior CFB writer added that any hesitancy comes from the new arrival in the SEC, likely the hardest conference to play in for the foreseeable future. With another season ranked inside the top four teams in the nation, it's likely Texas can find its way into a top two spot in next years list.

The article headlined many names for the Longhorns but focused many of its words on what Sarkisian and his staff have done for the defense. 

“Sarkisian was hired in part to upgrade Texas' offense, but his defense also finds itself on a promising trajectory,” Rittenberg wrote.

Sarkisian’s offense of the future holds the likes of CJ Baxter, Ryan Wingo, and of course Arch Manning, but the future of Texas football's defense still remains safe. Edge rusher Colin Simmons, cornerback Kobe Black and safety Xavier Filsaime were all highlighted as some of the top freshmen joining the team in 2024, and star linebacker Anthony Hill is just a sophomore.

Texas looks to be one of the best teams in the nation in 2024 and is future-proofed at many positions. ESPN ranked their quarterback room and offense each as the second-best units moving forward, both just behind Ohio State, while the defense remains in the top 10.

Time will tell whether Texas can turn this hype and talent into results, but with its first year in the SEC ahead Sarkisian has his eye on one thing, the College Football Playoff.