Texas boasts three top-10 offensive skill position groups, including the best QB room in the nation
On3 national football columnist Jesse Simonton is releasing his annual rankings of the best position groups in the nation, and Simonton ranked three Longhorn offensive skill position units in the top ten with two in the top three. Simonton labeled the Texas quarterback room featuring Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning, and Trey Owens as the best in the nation, while Chris Jackson‘s wide receiver group was called the No. 3 wideout unit in the country. Tashard Choice‘s running backs were called the ninth-best stable in college football.
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This time last year, AJ Milwee‘s group that featured Ewers, Manning, and Maalik Murphy was ranked as the No. 3 group in the country behind No. 1 USC and No. 2 LSU. Now, Ewers, Manning, and Owens lead the way.
Here’s what Simonton had to say about the Longhorns’ group of signal-callers.
Steve Sarkisian is blessed with the best quarterback situation in America in 2024: He has a Top 5 starter in Quinn Ewers, who has the talent to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He then has Arch Manning waiting in the wings, and the former top recruit could be an X-factor for the Longhorns this fall if Ewers, who has missed games the last two seasons, gets hurt. Even freshman signee Trey Owens looked promising in Texas’ spring game.
Ohio State was ranked No. 2, Oregon was ranked No. 3, Georgia was ranked No. 4, and Alabama was ranked No. 5. In-state rival Texas A&M was No. 10.
Last season, Ewers played and started in 12 games on Texas’ Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff team. He was 272-for-394 for 3479 yards and 22 touchdowns over six interceptions. He also rushed for five touchdowns. Manning, coming off a sizzling spring game appearance, is Ewers’ backup and heir apparent. During his freshman season, Manning was 2-for-5 for 30 yards in two appearances. Owens, an On3 Industry Ranking four-star, had a strong outing in the Orange-White Game as well.
The Longhorn wideouts were ranked as the No. 3 group in the nation behind No. 2 Oregon and No. 1 Ohio State.
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Here’s what Simonton had to say about Sark’s receivers.
Xavier Worthy, AD Mitchell and Jordan Whittington are gone — a combined 172 catches and 17 touchdowns in 2023 — and yet the Longhorns simply reloaded their receiver room via the portal and recruiting.
In steps Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, Oregon State’s Silas Bolden and Houston’s Matthew Golden — a trio that combined for 140 catches and 20 total touchdowns last season. Meanwhile, former 5-star Johntay Cook II is a potential starter, and blue-chip signee Ryan Wingo looks hard to keep off the field after a big spring.
Bond, Bolden, and Golden are all incoming transfers, while Cook and Wingo were ranked as five-stars in their respective classes. All except Bolden, a summer arrival, had good performances in the spring game. Also in that room is DeAndre Moore Jr., Parker Livingstone, Aaron Butler, and Freddie Dubose.
Ole Miss’s receivers were No. 4, while Missouri’s were ranked No. 5.
On running backs, here’s what Simonton said about Choice’s players…
Like Alabama, Texas’ running back room is all about projection, but the upside with CJ Baxter, a former 5-star recruit, and Jaydon Blue is undeniable. They get to run behind one of the best OLs in the nation, and both flashed as underclassmen in backup roles in 2023.
Baxter rushed for 659 yards and five scores, taking over as RB1 when Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL. He battled several nagging injuries down the stretch but arguably deserved more touches (9 carries for 64 yards, one score) in the Longhorns’ loss to Washington in the CFP Semifinal. Blue averaged 6.1 yards per rush, and Texas will incorporate freshman Jerrick Gibson to the mix this fall, too.
Texas was behind No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 UCF, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Kansas, and No. 8 Liberty.
In Simonton’s ranking of the top tight end groups, the Longhorns were not among the top 10 but were in the “best of the rest” category.
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More rankings, including O-line and defensive positions, are set to come out over the course of May.
