Which players will be easier to replace from the 2024 Texas Longhorns?

Nearly two weeks after Texas’ unfortunate College Football Playoff semifinal loss to eventual champions Ohio State, Steve Sarkisian and his staff know exactly where their current roster stands ahead of the Spring transfer portal and offseason workouts.

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The Longhorns had many players that fans knew were leaving for the draft because of a lack of future eligibility, but few teams had as many early declarations as the Longhorns. This can be expected when elite teams bring in elite talent, but that doesn’t mean it will be any easier for Texas to replace these key pieces.

The Longhorns have over 20 players eligible for the NFL Draft, but in this case, we’ll only be looking at the starters that will be most difficult to replace. This doesn’t include players like Jermayne Lole, Jaydon Blue or David Gbenda, who will be hard to replace in their own right, but depth pieces are often ones that are churned throughout the college football cycle.

Texas had 23 players play over 500 snaps in 2024, with 13 expecting to be drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. While this level of retainment isn’t ideal, it’s much better than programs like Ohio State or even Oregon which relied on many upperclassmen to carry them on deep playoff runs.

So, of these 13 players Texas is losing to the draft, which will be on the easier side to replace?

Tier 1: The Plan is in Place

QB Quinn Ewers: One could argue that Ewers is the most impactful Texas football player since Colt McCoy, making his place this low on the list a bit of a head-scratcher. But this has mostly been the plan all along. Texas knew 2024 would be Ewers’ last year, and the Longhorns have arguably the best QB prospect since Trevor Lawrence waiting in the wings in Arch Manning. Ewers was recently ranked as ESPN’s QB7 in the 2025 Draft, while Manning currently has the second-highest odds to be the 2025 Heisman winner. Sarkisian will have no problem writing the name Manning next to QB1 on the depth chart.

WR Isaiah Bond: On the other hand, Bond is probably the Longhorn who made the least impact on the program among the 13 in this list. Bond came in as the top receiver in the portal, a surefire first-round pick, and left as someone who will be battling to be a day-two selection. Bond had just 68 more yards than his replacement, Ryan Wingo, who was a true freshman in 2024. Texas may just be getting better at the X wide receiver position with Wingo taking over for Bond, and the Longhorns really won’t miss a beat without the often-injured speedster.

Tier 2: Crowded Room and Space for Improvement

LG Hayden Conner: Conner has been an important part of the Texas offense for three years now, even leading the Longhorns in snaps this past season. Though a strong pass blocker, Conner’s lack of physicality showed late in the season in the run game, and he’s the least likely player on this list to be drafted. Potential replacement Neto Umeozulu was a talented recruit in 2022 who has been quietly waiting his turn, and his athleticism may make him an unexpected upgrade in 2025.

RT Cameron Williams: Williams had a weird career in Austin. His sole year as a starter was in 2024, where he led the nation in penalties and was one of the worst pass blockers by the numbers in the SEC. Still, Williams’ measurables make him a late-first-round prospect in the draft, playing at 6-foot-5, and 335 pounds in the 2024 season. There was buzz about him returning to Austin because of his struggles, but evidently he’ll be playing on Sundays next year. Brandon Baker, the assumed right tackle for 2025, is young and inexperienced, but there is a world where he is a younger and better version of Williams, especially in the passing game. Unfortunately for the big right tackle, many Texas fans will have the image of the strip-six dagger from Jack Sawyer in the CFP semifinal as their final memory of No. 56 in Austin.

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EDGE Barryn Sorrell: It feels wrong to put Sorrell this low. He’s an athletic freak and has been one of the team’s best leaders for years. But the EDGE room is just too good in Austin. Ethan Burke is a one-for-one replacement at the Jack position, and no one in the Texas locker room is going to be mad about Burke, Colton Vasek, and potentially Zina Umeozulu gaining more snaps in 2025. Plus, there’s the newly added five-star in Lance Jackson. Sorrell isn’t seen as a high NFL Draft pick and Texas’ pass rush is still one of, if not the best, in the nation in 2025, with or without him.