Grading the boldness of predictions for the 2025 Texas Longhorns football season

Thanks to SilentButGirthy, we have a host of bold predictions for the 2025 season on the Inside Texas Members Board.

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Just how bold are they? Well, allow me to determine that.

I’m going with Ryan Wingo winning the Biletnikoff. I think Sark is going to feed him this year. – SilentButGirthy

I don’t think Ryan Wingo having a Biletnikoff caliber season is out of the question, but there are a few headwinds for him as far as winning the award. First is that Jeremiah Smith exists and if healthy, it’s hard to see him being anything less than the best receiver in the country. Wingo will also have competition in the form of Ryan Williams, Cam Coleman, and Jordyn Tyson plus even whoever ends up being DJ Lagway‘s top target. That’s a lot of stiff competition. Maybe not this year, but Wingo will post a strong year with a new featured role in the offense.

9.0 (By the way, going on a scale of 1 to 10 with 0.5s available to break things up).

CJ Baxter ends up being our 1k yard rusher. He picks it up immensely late in the season once he regains complete confidence in that knee. – DerrickMurray

Something I’ve mentioned a few times on the Members Only board is that our thoughts of stats are going to change considering how many games teams can now play in a regular season. Tre Wisner was technically a 1000-yard rusher last year, but he didn’t hit 1000 yards until the Peach Bowl against Arizona State. That was Texas’ 15th game of the season.

So for Baxter to hit 1000 in the first 12, he’ll have to be healthy early to get 8-10 carries per game, remain healthy, and pick up steam as the season goes along. Jonathon Brooks did that in 2023 before his year ended, so it’s not out of the question for Baxter to do it in a 12 game regular season.

8.0 (6.0 if you include postseason games after the regular season concludes)

The Stanford WR Mosley is going to lead the team in receiving yards – 1benmike

He may lead in catches, but I don’t see Emmett Mosley leading in yards. Just hasn’t happened with a Steve Sarkisian slot receiver.

9.5

Texas wins the national title game against Georgia with a TD pass from Manning in the final 20 seconds. – SirBruh

With straight seeding on the way, how do we get here? The Longhorns and Bulldogs would have to be on opposite sides of the bracket, which is feasible especially if both make the SEC Championship again in a way that looks similar to last year.

Then they have to get all the way to the title game. Then the title game has to be close. Then Arch Manning has to do his heroics.

10

Good place for my Colin Simmons 15 sacks prediction. – Eric Nahlin

As you can tell, any stat prediction is going to fit within the 12 game regular season parameters. Simmons had 9.0 in 16 games last year and that included stretches of games where he was mostly used situationally or as a co-Buck with Trey Moore.

Simmons is going to start and there’s going to be plenty of attention on him, but he’ll have opportunity to steal more standard down sacks this year than he did last year. And if Texas is up in games and opponents are having to pass their way back into things? Yeah, this one probably isn’t as bold as people think. The last 15 sack year for Texas was… Kiki DeAyala’s record 22.5 in 1982. I can see Simmons joining his company of a 15+ sack campaign.

8.0

Jonah Williams hits a walk off to win the CWS – fordp

Williams has been close to leaving the yard this year but hasn’t yet. That’s also a big ballpark, but if it happened? The legend grows. Still…

10

Arch Manning wins the Heisman. – jaredh

If Manning has a great season, the hype train is going to get behind him and outnumber any hipster votes that refuse to do it because it’s too mainstream. But the Heisman is tough to win. Texas only has two.

9.5

Texas wins the SEC Championship game in Atlanta
Anthony Hill and (Collin) Simmons both have over 10 sacks on the season
(Parker) Livingstone has over 500 receiving yards on the season – MBHORNSFAN

7.5
6.0
9.5

Anthony Hill with 5 INTs – liveattheoasis

That would set a record for linebackers and beat the mark of four shared by Jaylan Ford, Derrick Johnson (x2), Tommy Woodard, Fred Edwards, and Tommy Nobis. If we’re assuming teams are going to have to pass against Texas to cut into leads, I can see this happening.

8.5

Arch has more rushing TD’s than interceptions. – jmour

Cam Ward had seven picks and four rushing touchdowns last year. Jaxson Dart had six picks and three rushing touchdowns last year. This probably means Manning has to get at least six rushing scores and keep his interception count under that number. That’s a tough ask with the downfield passes that Sarkisian asks his quarterbacks to throw. It’s not impossible, but maybe we’re surprised by just how often Manning runs in short yardage.

9.0

We make it through 1 page of the first game thread without a negative comment. – sdlonghornfan

10,000

UT leads the nation in INTs this season….. – SL-20

It’d be back to back years doing that, but BYU was tied with the Longhorns and did it in fewer games. May be more difficult without Andrew Mukuba and Jahdae Barron, but once again assuming some games with late leads.

9.0

Parker Livingstone has a 200-yard game, but finishes the season with less than 400 yards – fng

I don’t see how these two events happen together.

10

Lefau leads the team in INTs – awashbump

I like this one a lot considering what Liona Lefau is able to do in coverage. That’s his strength and he’ll be asked to do it plenty. A head coach on Texas’ 2025 schedule recently told me No. 18 is always around the ball. But more picks than a defensive back? Hard to see, Malik Muhammad is out there as is Michael Taaffe.

9.5

Justus Terry wins the Outland trophy. – bouree

I just don’t see the standard down snaps, and there are some great offensive linemen still in college football this year that may make this tough for a true freshman.

10 for 2025, 7.0 looking forward in his career.

Texas offense averages 45 PPG… last year was 33 PPG. – younghorn01

The Longhorns averaged 50.2 points per game in 2005, but the talent level on that team was far greater than any that Texas played save for Ohio State and USC. There’s just too much equal talent and difficult games in 2025 to think they’ll get to 45.

10

OL wins Joe Moore award!! – CharlieWilliams

They’ve been close in recent years despite the shortcomings Texas fans and followers see because of their narrow focus on the team. Semifinalists one year, finalists in another if I recall correctly. Replacing four starters, including three draft picks and a UDFA, makes this one seem tough. The people who give the Joe Moore Award also do a great job of filtering through the noise and awarding the line that does the best.

10

January 1st team all SEC, that would be big! – Alfy_Tex03

It would be big. Alex January is going to be one of the top four defensive linemen for Texas, and I’ll venture he ends up as a top two defensive lineman by year’s end. Will that earn first team honors? Defensive lineman honors are odd in the SEC as it includes defensive ends. Walter Nolen was the only true defensive tackle on the SEC first team last year, and the rest were EDGEs.

10

Texas routs Ohio State 34-13. – Northern Horn

It will be very difficult, but I don’t think this is a 10.

9.5

Texas wins the SEC and National titles in football. – Addict

It’s odd to think you don’t have to get the first one to get the second. Anyway, this one is getting a 9.5 but it’s probably a 9.74999999 if you got specific.

9.5

One of Texas’ most valuable players this coming season will be the new FG kicker who came over from Texas State. – Coolhorn

I agree with this one. There’s a chicken or egg situation with Texas going for it on fourth down last year. Was it because that’s how Sarkisian operates or because Bert Auburn was unreliable at the end of the year? Mason Shipley in theory is going to open up some scoring options for Texas, and the Longhorns may be in more situations where just taking the points is preferred. He may even win a game for Texas.

5.0

(Jack) Endries will become Arch’s go-to guy in situations where Texas has to have the first down. Endries gets a minimum 45 receptions this next year. – coolhorn

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I think he’ll look for receivers like DeAndre Moore, Mosley, and Wingo first, so I view the first bold assertation one as a bit more out there than the second statement.

9.0
7.5