The Breakout Pairs That Could Fuel Texas Football’s 2025 Title Run

Texas is set to make its most legitimate run at a national title in 16 years heading into the 2025 season.

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While the last two seasons have brought the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff semifinals, and last year’s team was filled with three first-rounders and 12 total selections, the Longhorns haven’t had this type of momentum heading into a year since McCoy was throwing to Shipley.

A mix of a new star quarterback, elite expectations for the defense, and a fairly middling year of star power around the rest of the country means Texas is primed to be one of, if not the, favorites for this year’s CFP championship.

Championship teams, of course, are built around star power, but there’s not a single year where the champion doesn’t have a few players jump from role fillers to stardom. Last year’s Texas team didn’t win a national championship, but jumps from Matthew Golden, Jahdae Barron, and Gunnar Helm were key reasons for the team making the SEC Championship in its first year.

There are a few known commodities on this 2025 team. Arch Manning and Ryan Wingo are likely going to take a step up, as will Colin Simmons and Malik Muhammad. That’s not what we’re looking at here. If any part of these groups can have a true breakout, Texas will be one of the toughest teams in the nation to beat.

DTs Maraad Watson and Alex January

One of the key identity points of the last two Longhorn squads has been the elevating talent at the DT position. Following the 2022 season, if you had told a Texas fan that the group of T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy, Alfred Collins, and Vernon Broughton would combine for an Outland Trophy, a Big 12 Player of the Year, three All-Americans, three Day Two picks, and a first-rounder, they would’ve called you crazy. But that’s exactly what happened.

Now, in 2025, Texas has used the portal to supplement a lot of defensive tackle spots thanks to poor recruiting in the past. While players like Cole Brevard and Travis Shaw will play that line-clogger role, Texas has some upside in DTs Maraad Watson and Alex January. Both entering their sophomore years, the two are seen as higher-ceiling players, especially in rushing the passer. That’s where Broughton excelled last year, and it made the difference in games like Arkansas and A&M to have that threat up the middle.

If Texas can get an All-SEC defensive lineman out of either of these players, the Longhorns would have the scariest front in not only 2025 but maybe the last few seasons.

OL Neto Umeozulu and Brandon Baker

If there’s one position that looks like a weak link on this 2025 Texas roster, it’s the offensive line. Replacing four starters isn’t easy, but there are three players on the line—Cole Hutson, Trevor Goosby, and returning starter DJ Campbell—that Texas expects good things from. The real questions come at LG with Umeozulu and RT with Baker.

Both of these players were highly rated recruits, and Umeozulu is entering his fourth year on campus. There’s a very obvious path to either player excelling in 2025 just based on natural talent, an easier scheme, and the developmental chops of OL coach Kyle Flood. If Texas gets good returns from either or both of these linemen, the Longhorn offense should be an even stronger machine than last season. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the SEC.

RBs CJ Baxter, Jerrick Gibson, and Christian Clark

Okay, it’s a trio, but you can’t leave Clark out of this conversation. There are a few givens about this skill position group on the Texas team. Wingo will likely take a leap, TE Jack Endries should be fantastic, Quintrevion Wisner and DeAndre Moore Jr. will be solid returners, and Emmett Mosley will be a safe pair of hands in short-yardage situations.

What isn’t a given is the ceiling of this RB room. With basically just Wisner back there at points in 2024, the RB room lacked explosiveness and depth. They ran his wheels off in the A&M game, and it showed later in the season.

If Texas can get a true leap from any of these backs—or even two of them—this rushing attack could be lethal. To give credit to head coach Steve Sarkisian and past RB coach Tashard Choice, this is a group of four players (including Wisner) with very different skill sets. If Baxter breaks out, Texas has a do-it-all RB who can run zone and play all three downs effectively. Gibson allows them to bruise through holes in the line and turn three-yard runs into 20-yarders. Clark has the breakaway speed to make a touchdown out of nothing.

If Texas can get the kinds of returns from this group that were expected in 2024, this offense has the chance to catch up to the defense’s expectations. Running the ball is so important in college football, and assuming some positive health from Baxter and Clark, Texas should be back to a strong team with an identity in RPOs and first-down runs.

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Texas is asking a lot of players to step up in 2025—some who have been waiting for the chance and others who are maybe being asked a year early. If any of these groups has a true breakout from these seven players, Texas will add yet another strength to a team that will probably enter the season as the No. 1 roster in America. There are so many avenues to success with this group, many of which we don’t even know about yet.