Texas Longhorns 2024 season breakdown

The resurgence of the Texas football program has come full circle under coach Steve Sarkisian. The Longhorns' conference title and playoff appearance in 2023 has people all over America asking themselves "Is Texas back?", and has people all over France asking themselves "Est-ce que Texas est 'back?'"

The 2024 season will be an important one for Texas as they aim to continue their upward trajectory and adjust to their new life in the SEC. Gone are a slew of important offensive and defensive playmakers, but the Horns do return notable starters such as QB Quinn Ewers.

In this article, we (actually it's just me) will break down the 2024 Texas team on both sides of the ball and dive into their schedule to get a better feel for how this season may turn out.

Here is the Texas Longhorns 2024 season analysis.

2023 season analysis

The Longhorns finished the 2023 season with a 12-2 record which included a win against Alabama, a BIG 12 conference championship, and an appearance in the 4-team playoff. Losses to rival Oklahoma and to Washington in the Sugar Bowl prevented this team from winning the program's first national championship since 2005, but the season was undoubtedly a much-needed successful one for coach Steve Sarkisian.

Even though they enjoyed an 11-1 regular season, the Longhorns failed to be consistent throughout the season. A monumental Week 2 road win against Alabama helped them reach 5-0 before suffering a heartbreaking, last-second loss to arch rival Oklahoma. Three of their next four games were one-possession wins, including an overtime survival against twenty-third ranked Kansas State at home.

A thrashing of Texas Tech gave the Longhorns some momentum before yet another thrashing, this time to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game. This win put Texas in the 4-team playoff for the first time in program history, but that is where the story comes to an end.

Michael Penix and the Washington Huskies defeated Texas in a thrilling Sugar Bowl semifinal game, ending a magical season on the Forty Acres.

Texas 2024 schedule breakdown

Although this year's schedule for Texas will be more difficult than previous years as a member of the Big 12, the Longhorns were dealt a somewhat favorable schedule for SEC terms. Texas has four teams on its schedule that are ranked in the pre-season AP poll.

The first test of year will come in Week 2 when Texas travels to Ann Arbor to take on the defending champion Michigan Wolverines in the Big House. This is a matchup of two historic, juggernaut programs that are both coming off playoff appearances.

The next major game is against heated rivals Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Texas will be looking to enact revenge following last season's upset loss.

The following week, Texas will host the pre-season title favorite Georgia Bulldogs in a colossal showdown in Austin. These are two of the most talented and experienced rosters in the country and could be a 1 vs. 2 matchup.

The regular season ends with the renewal of the heated rivalry against Texas A&M. Kyle Field in College Station will be rocking as the Aggie program is eager to show that they have turned things around.

Sprinkled in are conference games against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Florida, and Arkansas, as well as a few lower-level non-conference teams that aren't worth the finger efforts it would take to type their names out (no offense).

Texas has as much talent as almost any team in the country, making a 12-0 regular season a possibility. But with a few tough matchups and the new rigors of a full season against SEC competition, a 10-2 or 9-3 record would not be surprising either.

Texas Offense

Texas is sure to once again field an effective offense under Head Coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian is an offensive wizard and has some tools to play with this season.

Veteran QB Quinn Ewers returns to Austin looking to stay healthy and become a more consistent and reliable signal caller. He has a cannon for an arm and is quick processor, but his ability to become streaky over the course of a game is reminiscent of Will Ferrell's character in Old School.

There is a heavier burden on Ewer's heightened shoulders this season after the departure of WRs Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell to the NFL, and the burden got even heavier with the recent season-ending injuries to running backs CJ Baxter and Christian Clark.

The Longhorns did a good job this offseason replacing those weapons on the outside with the transfer portal additions of Isaiah Bond from Alabama, Silas Bolden from Oregon State, and Matthew Golden from Houston. Another new name to look out for is Freshman signee Ryan Wingo, a highly touted player who will have an opportunity to make a name for himself early on.

The offensive line should offer a lot of relief as one of the best units in the conference. Bolstered by three-year starter and potential first round draft pick Kelvin Banks Jr. at Left Tackle, the offensive line is experienced, talented, and beefy as can be.

Recruiting the offensive line has been a major focus during the Sarkisian tenure, and those fruits of labor should taste awfully sweet this fall.

Texas Defense

The Longhorns will look a little different up front on defense with Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat now in the NFL. Those two were key components in last season's defense by eating up blocks and breaking into the backfield to make plays.

Bill "Billy Bob" Norton, a D-Line transfer from Arizona who transferred there from Georgia, brings playmaking potential and SEC experience to a group that needs both. Alfred Collins will play along his side after posting 22 tackles for the Longhorns last season.

Returning is star LB Anthony Hill Jr. who last season was second on the team in tackles as a Freshman. He has All-American potential given his sideline-to-sideline speed and ability to shed blockers.

Without the dominating defensive line from last season, there will be more pressure on the secondary to perform. The leader in the backend will likely be Jahdae Barron who was third on the team in tackles last season with 59.

Another name to know in the secondary is Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba, a player who should make an immediate impact at Safety.

Other newcomers to know are UTSA transfer Trey Moore and freshman Colin Simmons. Moore comes to Austin after posting 14 sacks last season while Simmons was a 5-star Edge prospect from nearby Duncanville, TX (I do not know where Duncanville is, but I am sure it is nearby to something). If these two are able to provide pressure off the edge, it can take a load off a secondary that struggled last season.

Coach Sarkisian has said in the past that he wanted to build his team like an SEC team, with dominating lines and speed on the outside. The 2024 season will be a good opportunity to show that he has done just that.