Hu Players from Texas Longhorns to be aware of before the College Football Playoffs
The notion that “Texas is back” has been bandied around for years, despite the Longhorns’ dismal prospects of contending for a national championship.
Texas advanced to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2018 under Tom Herman, but Herman fell short of expectations in Austin. Following the 2021 season, Herman was sacked, offering Steve Sarkisian a third opportunity as head coach.
On November 18, 2023, in Ames, Iowa, at Jack Trice Stadium, head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns celebrates with his team following their 26-16 victory over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Getty Images/David K. Purdy))
With the Longhorns going 12-1 in 2023 and hosting the Big 12 Championship in Austin for the first time since 2009, Sarkisian has brought the program back to national prominence in just his third season at Texas.
Kickoff in the Sugar Bowl between Texas and Washington is set for January 1 at 8:45 p.m. ET.
With the College Football Playoff semifinals just a few days away, let’s look at a few guys to keep an eye on from Texas.
Few would have predicted a year ago that Quinn Ewers would be the player guiding Texas back into the national spotlight in college football.
Now, not only is he the captain of an offense that is vying for a national championship, but if he returns to Austin for his junior season—which is expected to happen—he will be among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy in 2024.
Ewers, a sophomore quarterback, just finished an incredible game against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, setting numerous records.
By throwing for 452 yards and surpassing Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford on the list, Ewers set a record for passing in a Big 12 championship game. According to ESPN Stats and Info, the Longhorns’ offense had the most yards in any half of a Big 12 championship game over the previous 20 seasons, and Ewers became the first player to throw for four touchdowns in a half of the game.
On December 2, 2023, in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T Stadium, quarterback Quinn Ewers of the Longhorns tosses a pass against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12 Championship. (Getty Images/Ron Jenkins)
FOR MORE SPORTS ACCESS ON FOXNEWS.COM, CLICK HERE
Ewers had an incredible year, throwing for 1,246 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions in the last four games after missing two games with an injury.
Ewers, a sophomore quarterback, significantly increased his completion percentage in 2023, rising from completing just 58.1% of his throws in 2022 to 70.7%. In 2023, he threw for 3,161 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Texas will be up against a Washington unit that ranks seventh in the Pac-12 with 263.2 passing yards allowed per contest.
The senior defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat
The Longhorns’ defense is under the greatest strain, even though Texas will undoubtedly need to score in order to stay up with the prolific Washington offense.
After holding Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Ollie Gordon II to just 34 yards on the ground in the championship game, the Texas defense, led by T’Vondre Sweat, finished the season fourth in the nation in running yards allowed per game (80.3).
T’Vondre Sweat, a defensive lineman for the Texas Longhorns, and head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrate after Sweat scores a touchdown at AT&T Stadium against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. From USA Today Sports, by Jerome Miron
After concluding the season with 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss, seven quarterback pressures, and two sacks, Sweat was awarded the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP, CLICK HERE
And when the 6-foot-4, 362-pound lineman caught a touchdown in the Big 12 Championship Game, it’s not only about stopping the run for Sweat.
Regarding his touchdown, Sweat reportedly stated, “Well, I mean, I was going to Coach [Kyle] Flood [offensive coordinator] all the time and Coach Sark, waiting on this opportunity to get this touchdown,” according to On3. “They told me during the game, I was going to get the touchdown, and it happened.”
Texas sprinting rear chamber
Three different running backs led Texas in rushing in the three games following the season-ending ACL injury to standout running back Jonathan Brooks.
It was rookie CJ Baxter, who gained 117 yards through 20 carries against Iowa State. Jaydon Blue, a sophomore running back, led the team in Week 13 against Texas Tech with 121 yards on 10 runs. In the Big 12 championship game, senior Keilan Robinson led the way with 75 yards and two touchdowns on only four attempts against Oklahoma State.
A player from Eastern Michigan ignites a brawl with South Alabama following a 49-point defeat.
On December 2, 2023, at AT&T Studium in Arlington, Texas, during the Big 12 Championship game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Longhorns running back CJ Baxter sprints up field. (Source: Getty Images / Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire))
Throughout the season, the Washington defense gave up 133.8 yards per game on the ground, which was the fifth-highest amount in the Pac-12.
Throughout the season, the Texas offense averaged 189.1 yards per game on the ground.
The junior wide receiver Adonai Mitchell
The wide receiver from Texas, Adonai Mitchell, played his first two years of collegiate ball for the Georgia Bulldogs, and now he has an opportunity to win his third consecutive national championship.
After returning home to Texas, Mitchell was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. He has 51 receptions for 813 yards and a team-high 10 touchdown catches.
