Texas Longhorns Ranked No. 1 in Preseason Poll

The Texas Longhorns, led by quarterback Arch Manning, have snagged the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Preseason College Football rankings released on Monday. This is the first time Texas has achieved this ranking in the preseason polls.

Manning is stepping in for Quinn Ewers, who opted to go pro and enter the NFL Draft. It’s quite a big deal, really, taking on such a role for a storied program.

Of course, being ranked number one is just the start. Keeping that title while navigating the grueling college football playoffs is a whole different ball game. They’ll kick off their season on August 30 against Ohio State, who is currently ranked third and is the defending national champion. Additionally, Texas will face other tough opponents like Florida and Georgia; the Bulldogs are ranked fifth, while the Gators come in at 15th.

Penn State holds the second position with Drew Aller back at the helm. He’s got some serious talent around him, including running back Nicholas Singleton, and defensive standout Dani Dennis-Sutton. Those players could make quite an impact.

Meanwhile, Ohio State is welcoming back Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, and there’s talk of starting redshirt freshman Julian Sain as their quarterback. Clemson, the top ACC team, is returning Cade Klubnik, who might be among the first players drafted in the upcoming NFL Draft. They’ll also have a solid defense with TJ Parker and Peter Woods leading the charge.

Georgia, under Kirby Smart, remains a constant threat for the championship despite dealing with injuries late last season. The Bulldogs will have Gunner Stockton at quarterback and are looking forward to the returns of wide receivers Noah Thomas and Zakaria Branch.

Here’s how the rest of the AP Top 25 looks:

1. Texas
2. Penn State
3. Ohio
4. Clemson
5. Georgia
6. Notre Dame
7. Oregon
8. Alabama
9. LSU
10. Miami (FL)
11. Arizona
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Kansas
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas A&M
20. Indiana
21. Ole Miss
22. Iowa
23. Texas Tech
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State