Texas Football: Where UT ranks in way-too-early top 25 for 2024

The 2023-24 college football season concluded on Jan. 8, so it's time to examine where Texas football ranks in the early polls for the next campaign.

The season ended with the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines handily defeating the No. 2 Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game by a score of 34-13. Michigan overpowered a Washington squad that didn't look as stout on offense as they did in the CFP Semifinals at the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 against the three-seed Longhorns.

Texas football and Steve Sarkisian expected to be an SEC contender immediately

Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian had a resoundingly successful 2023 campaign. The Longhorns accomplished many of its preseason goals, including winning the Big 12 title and winning double-digit games.

In many ways, Sarkisian and the Longhorns surpassed their preseason expectations in 2023. Texas not only won the Big 12 title in the final season in the conference before leaving for the SEC in 2024, but it also made the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.

Since Texas returns many of its key pieces from last season's squad, the expectations will be even higher heading into the SEC in 2024. Sarkisian returns four of five starters along the offensive line, over half of the starters in the secondary, both starting edge rushers, two of the three most productive running backs, and three key linebackers.

That's not to mention the high likelihood that redshirt sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers will return for another year at Texas in 2024, based on various reports in the last couple of months.

Texas widely considered to be a top-five team in the way-too-early polls for 2024

Most way-too-early college football top 25 rankings for the 2024 season project the Longhorns to be a top-three team. ESPN and 247Sports both rank the Longhorns as the No. 2 team in their way-too-early top 25 for 2024. The Georgia Bulldogs topped the way-too-early top 25 for 247Sports and ESPN.

Pro Football Focus ranked the Longhorns as the No. 3 team in their way-too-early top 25 for the 2024 season. PFF ranked Georgia (No. 1) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 2) ahead of Texas in their way-too-early poll for 2024.

Among the major media outlets, the lowest we found Texas ranked was No. 7 in CBS Sports' way-too-early top 25.

Texas's schedule is loaded for the 2024 season

Texas faces many of the other teams ranked in the top 10 in the way-too-early top 25 polls mentioned in this article. Sarkisian's squad faces the National Champions Michigan on the road in Ann Arbor in Week 2.

Texas also hosts Georgia at DKR in Austin in mid-October and faces the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas the week before the Georgia game on Oct. 12.