Which Texas Freshman Has the Clearest Path to Becoming an All-American?

If the Texas Longhorns make a run to the national championship this season, it'll be on the strength of their upperclassmen. Quarterback Arch Manning and safety Jelani McDonald are in year four, edge rusher Colin Simmons is in year three, and practically every major transfer has a similar experience level.

Believe it or not, though, there may be at least one freshman who helps define the narrative as well. There could even be an All-American on the roster by the time the All-Americans are named in December.

Here are the likeliest All-American freshmen on both sides of the ball this fall, though there is one who has a clear edge:

Jermaine Bishop Jr., WR

Jermaine Bishop could be a surprisingly common Arch Manning target | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Jermaine Bishop Jr. comes to the Forty Acres as a 5-star phenom out of Willis who had over 5,000 total scrimmage yards, 60-plus touchdowns, and 15 career interceptions throughout his high school career in Region II, District 13-6A football.

Bishop, a two-way star in the Houston metro, is serving as an emergency defensive back for Will Muschamp's defense, though he is, first and foremost, a receiver. As Steve Sarkisian pointed out, former Heisman winner DeVonta Smith served the same role on the Alabama Crimson Tide's defense when Sark was in Tuscaloosa.

Does that mean Bishop will be a Heisman winner, too? Well, before he has any Travis Hunter-like ambitions, Bishop is going to need to beat out an unbelievably stacked receiving corps for snaps this coming season.

There's been no indication Bishop will be a factor in the return game with Ryan Niblett likely taking back a bulk of the returns. Still, he could do that too.

With everything Bishop could do, there's still so much competition ahead of him. Bishop probably could be an All-American with the right number of snaps, but don't expect it so soon for him. One freshman will have that high snap-count, though.

Tyler Atkinson, LB

Will Muschamp knows how to develop linebackers | USA TODAY Sports

Four-star Grayson (GA) linebacker Tyler Atkinson enters a perfect situation in Austin with Anthony Hill Jr. and Liona Lefau out of the picture. Atkinson is an elite off-ball LB who goes sideline to sideline, but also excels getting into the backfield.

First-year defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has been handed a tantalizing raw talent who had 39.5 sacks and 113 quarterback hurries over 51 varsity games in GHSA's 6A, Region 4 football division.

Atkinson has a few things to overcome, with Ty'Anthony Smith and Rasheem Biles getting priority over him in a defense that heavily features the nickel position. Still, Atkinson's much better in zone coverage than man coverage anyway, so Muschamp might be able to scheme around Atkinson's "weakness."

Atkinson should have no problem keeping up with running backs downfield. He should get the opportunity to crash the party plenty in pass-rushing sets. The runway may be clear for Atkinson to be a difference-maker when plays break down.

If he takes advantage of those golden opportunities enough times and produces a few memorable moments over the 12 regular season weekends, Atkinson could be an All-American nominee who few saw coming.

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