Greg McElroy believes Texas has the talent to return to being a top-10 team

There’s plenty of hype around Texas this season. With some key playmakers back and another year of development for Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns have an opportunity to make some noise in their final year in the Big 12.

Texas has also found itself high on some preseason rankings lists. One of them came from former Alabama quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, who put the Longhorns in his top 10.

McElroy put Texas at No. 7 in his preseason rankings. He explained his decision on the latest Always College Football podcast, and is apparently buying stock in Steve Sarkisian’s group — even though he joked he didn’t necessarily want to do so.

“I’m drinking the Kool-Aid,” McElroy said. “I don’t want to. I really don’t want to. … But you know who’s got weapons? And you know who just might have a difference-making quarterback, assuming he grows the way we think he’s going to grow? The Texas Longhorns. I don’t want to do this, y’all. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be in the ‘Texas is Back’ crowd. I don’t want to do that. I don’t.

“But I just have to evaluate the rosters with what they are. And I try not to look too much at the schedules because this is a snapshot of what I think these rosters would do if everybody played on a neutral field. This is how I think it might shake out.”

But McElroy knows a talented roster when he sees it, and Texas has one. Even after the departure of Bijan Robinson, the Longhorns have the playmakers to potentially win the Big 12, as the preseason poll said they’d do.

Although Texas doesn’t necessarily have one replacement for Robinson — whose 1,580 yards were over 100 more than the second-leading rusher — McElroy argued there are multiple players who can fill those shoes. However, the most important position for the Longhorns isn’t in the backfield, but on the outside.

“I look at Texas and I look at their weapons. And I know Bijan Robinson’s gone, and replacing him is going to be remarkably difficult. Now, do I think Jonathon Brooks is up to the task? Do I think Keilan Robinson is up to the task? Do I think Jaydon Blue is up the task? What about CJ Baxter, the top recruit in the country are running back? I don’t know. … If it’s a running back by committee approach, so be it.”

“I think that receiver nowadays, as crazy as this has gotten because receiver used to be a dime-a-dozen position. It did. Like, back in the day, it was like ‘Well, everybody has a receiver.’ Well now, if you have game changing wide receivers, it’s now a premier position. … If you have multiple dynamic matchup-winning wide receivers, you can cause so much stress so much stress for the opposing defense and that’s exactly what they have.”

Although Texas’ top two rushers are off to the NFL, the top three receivers are all back. Xavier Worthy leads the group after totaling 760 receiving yards last year, as are Jordan Whittington and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, who had 652 and 613 yards in 2022, respectively.

As if that wasn’t enough, Texas also brought in former Georgia wide receiver AD Mitchell from the transfer portal. Add in one of last year’s top transfers, Isaiah Neyor, and Sarkisian’s group has plenty of options at wide receivers.

The next question, however, is how they’ll line up on the depth chart. It’s a good problem to have, though.

“What’s the pecking order going to be at Texas? That’s the biggest thing that Sark’s got to figure out,” McElroy said. “‘Alright, hey, you’re our one, you’re our two, you’re our three, you’re our four, you’re our five, you’re our 12’ — because it feels like they can go that deep as far as their wide receiver core is concerned.

“Even if they don’t line up with a running back on the field, who cares? Put five wideouts or four wideouts and JT Sanders out there, perfect. ‘Let’s go, boys. We’re going to spread all the way down the field and figured out.'”