ESPN dropping those Future Power Rankings through 2027 and people are sleeping on what Texas has built. The Longhorns are sitting there with a roster that ranked 4th in SP+ last season and returns more production than any other top-10 team in the country. Meanwhile everybody is falling over themselves to crown Oregon or Georgia as the next dynasty.
Arch Manning is projected as a top QB prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft class and he is still on campus. That alone should tell you where this program is headed. The Longhorns have a 5-star QB with experience, a 2026 recruiting class headlined by Dia Bell and Richard Wesley, and a coaching staff that has won 22 games over the last two seasons. The SEC schedule is brutal but the roster construction is elite.
What is the metric that matters most for sustained success? Returning production at premium positions. Texas has that at QB, edge, and cornerback while Georgia is replacing half its defense and Alabama is trying to gel a portal-heavy offensive line. The Future Power Rankings have Texas in the top tier and the data backs it up.