Softball America Ranks Texas Longhorns as One of the Top Teams in the Nation

Texas softball heads into the 2026 season viewed as one of the top teams in the country.

Texas coach Mike White walks to the first base coaches box during a Women's College World Series softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorns. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Head coach Mike White and the Texas Longhorns have one of the toughest jobs in sports heading into the 2026 campaign, which is to go from the ones chasing to the ones being chased as the Longhorns reached the mountaintop, winning the program's first-ever national championship in 2025.

While the Longhorns have lost valuable pieces like infielders Mia Scott and Joley Mitchell, both of whom will be difficult to replace. White and his coaching staff have added from both high school recruiting and from the transfer portal ahead of the 2026 season, while also having major key returners like ace Teagan Kavan and star catcher Reese Atwood, among others.

And with opening day looming not too far away, the Longhorns begin their title defense and the 2026 season with the UTSA Invitational, taking on former Big 12 rival the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Feb. 6, as Texas is viewed as one of the top teams headed into the season.

Texas Ranks No. 2 in Softball America's Preseason Rankings

Reese Atwood (14) of Texas celebrates as she drives in two runs on a single in the sixth inning of Game 1 of the Women's College World Series championship series between the Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tuesday, Softball America released their preseason top 25 rankings with the Longhorns settling in at one of the top spots on the list as the burnt orange checked in as the No. 2 team in the country heading into the 2026 season, per Softball America.

The only team ahead of the Longhorns is the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who topped Softball America's list at No. 1, with the Red Raiders being headlined by the return of star pitcher NiJaree Canady and a loaded transfer portal class.

The two Lone Star State programs and former Big 12 rivals matched up with college softball's top prize on the line in last season's Women's College World Series championship series, in which the Longhorns claimed the national title after defeating the Red Raiders 2-1 in the series.

Several Other SEC Teams Check into the Preseason Rankings

Texas Longhorns pitcher Teagan Kavan (17) throws a pitch in the sixth inning against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during game one of the NCAA Softball Women's College World Series finals at Devon Park. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

The SEC is one of the premier conferences in softball, with the conference being represented by 14 teams in last season's NCAA Tournament. The SEC broke an NCAA record that the conference itself set with a previous record standing at 13 teams, which the league had achieved on four separate occasions.

And heading into the 2026 season, that does not seem to be changing at all as the SEC features 12 total teams ranked in Softball America's top 25 rankings, and the Longhorns are the highest ranked of the bunch.

Of the other eleven SEC teams ranked in the top 25, the Longhorns will face seven of those teams in conference series, taking on the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners, No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks, No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies, No. 15 Georgia Bulldogs, No. 16 South Carolina Gamecocks, and No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels.