Texas Longhorns Favored by Bleacher Report's SEC Predictions

With time for preseason hypotheticals and projections almost over, the Texas Longhorns kick-start their 2025 season on Saturday as they take on one of their toughest challenges they'll see all season as they matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30.

As the Longhorns walk into the season widely considered by many as one of the top contenders for the SEC championship and for the national title, Bleacher Report's Brad Shepard recently predicted how the SEC might play out in 2025.

And as expected, the Longhorns were well entrenched in the predictions, featured as one of the main contenders headed into 2025, as they featured an incredible amount of talent on the roster.

The Longhorns Feature the Needed Talent

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) tackles Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) during the CFP National playoff first round | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

High-quality players have always been a premium in the SEC, with the top powerhouses in the conference stacking up loads of four and five-star players consistently. Now the Longhorns find themselves in the bunch doing just that.

With Shepard highlighting five Longhorns players who will undoubtedly be crucial to any postseason goals Texas has in mind, on the offense are quarterback Arch Manning, who "All national eyes are focused on," and left tackle Trevor Goosby, who "could be a road-paver up front." And Texas' trio of defensive stalwarts in edge rusher Colin Simmons, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., and safety Michael Taaffe, who, for Shepard, highlight the best defense in the SEC.

"In the biggest no-brainer of the century, the Texas Longhorns win this in a landslide." Shepard wrote "There are plenty of other exceptional athletes at all levels, thanks to the terrific recruiting classes stacked by Steve Sarkisian and the yeoman's work outfitting the roster through the transfer portal.

Texas Predict to win the SEC championship

Shepard predicts the Longhorns will have their seat at the SEC championship for the second consecutive year after what he touts as an 11-1 overall record after the regular season and a perfect 8-0 conference record, with the only projected loss being against Ohio State.

The Longhorns' projected SEC championship game opponent does not feature Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs, who have been regulars at the SEC title game since 2020. Shepard predicts the LSU Tigers to match up with the Longhorns, with Texas ultimately ending up on top, claiming their first SEC championship.

"Having exceptional quarterback play goes a long way, and there’s no better signal-caller in the league than LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier," Shepard said. "In a bit of a wild-card pick, the bet here is that he takes a big step forward in minimizing mistakes, and the Tigers' offense takes off. Defensively, the Bayou Bengals have question marks, but the talent is there. So, we'll roll with the league's top offense taking on the top defense in Atlanta's title game with the Longhorns winning a close one and heading into the playoffs as the top seed."

Shepard concluded the article with a prediction that will entice any fan of the Burnt Orange.

"Texas is winning the national championship, too."