Paul Finebaum evaluates Texas' chances at winning SEC in Year 1

Paul Finebaum believes Texas will be able to compete during their first season in the SEC, but he doesn’t have them winning it all in Year 1.

During an appearance on Get Up on Wednesday, Finebaum cited his belief that Steve Sarkisian will have the Longhorns ready to play with the best in college football, but he still thinks the Georgia Bulldogs will defeat them when all the chips are on the table.

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“I don’t,” Finebaum said, regarding if he believes Texas can win the SEC. “I think they’re good enough to contend. Steve Sarkisian told me a couple of weeks ago he’s thrilled with his depth. I mean, they have a great quarterback. They’ve lost a key player or two though, in the running back room. That worries me.

“I think Georgia is too good. Texas could conceivably play in the SEC Championship Game, but I think Georgia — even though Georgia has to go to Texas on Oct. 19, they could even lose that game, I still think Georgia wins the SEC.”

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Alas, Finebaum’s comments echo what he told On3’s J.D. PicKell on The Hard Count earlier this summer. He believes Texas is among the top teams in the SEC, but they won’t be the top dog in 2024.

“They’re probably No. 2, and the reason is they have, I think, an elite quarterback. And the guy after the elite quarterback may be better?” Finebaum added. “I don’t know. I like having him as a backup. And secondly, their recruiting is so deep, as I’ve heard you point out so many different times. They’re ready.

“Texas is not in the need of anything. I love their attitude. I was out there two weeks ago for the celebration. Is it bigger and better? Yeah. We had a four-hour show, and if you were watching, it looked like there were 50,000 people there.”

Texas will be looking to make an impact in Year 1 of their journey into the SEC, but Paul Finebaum doesn’t believe it’ll end with them hoisting a trophy at the end of the SEC title game. Perhaps they’ll prove him wrong.

More on Texas Longhorns, Year 1 in the SEC

Moreover, Texas has immense talent on both sides of the ball, and Quinn Ewers is the biggest returning piece, opting not to test the NFL Draft waters in a year filled with quarterback talent. He’s coming off an impressive second year in Austin, leading the Longhorns to one final Big 12 title as he threw for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns.

As Ewers goes through his final year with the Longhorns, Arch Manning is waiting in the wings to make one of the best 1-2 punches in the country at quarterback. Texas also added to the offense in the transfer portal, landing former Alabama receiver and Iron Bowl hero Isaiah Bond – the No. 7 overall player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.

On defense, the Longhorns added another highly rated transfer in former UTSA EDGE Trey Moore, who came in at No. 27 in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. He joins a group that also includes Ethan Burke, who led UT with 5.5 sacks a year ago.

The defense also features Five Star Plus+ recruit Colin Simmons – the crown jewel of Texas’ No. 6-ranked recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking. Simmons was the No. 15 overall player from the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.