Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns will open the 2025 college football season atop the national rankings. In a resounding vote of confidence for the program Sarkisian has rebuilt in just a few short years, Texas was named the No. 1 team in the country in multiple major preseason polls, solidifying the Longhorns’ return to elite status ahead of their second season in the Southeastern Conference.
This marks the first time since the Mack Brown era that Texas has entered a season ranked first in the nation. Sarkisian, who took over in 2021, has guided the program through a turbulent transition out of the Big 12 and into the SEC, where expectations are dramatically higher and the competition is relentless. Last season, the Longhorns made it to the College Football Playoff for the first time under the expanded 12-team format, falling just short of a national title bid.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers returns to lead an offense loaded with talent, including a veteran offensive line and a deep corps of receivers. On defense, the Longhorns boast one of the most experienced front sevens in the country, a unit that helped carry them through a bruising 2024 schedule that included signature wins over Alabama and Oklahoma.
Texas will open the season at home against Colorado State before facing a brutal SEC slate that includes Georgia, LSU, and archrival Texas A&M. The top ranking is both a reward for recent success and a challenge to sustain it. Sarkisian, who previously won a national championship as offensive coordinator at Alabama, has repeatedly emphasized that preseason accolades mean little without postseason results.
With recruiting classes consistently ranked among the nation’s best and a renewed focus on player development and discipline, Texas appears poised to make good on the long-promised return to glory. Whether the Longhorns can stay at the top through December will depend on health, consistency, and their ability to finish games—something Sarkisian has drilled into his team since spring practice.
For now, Texas is back—and the rest of the college football world is on notice.
