As it prepares for the Citrus Bowl matchup with Michigan, Texas football fell short of the desired destination in Steve Sarkisian’s fifth year. But when one considers nine wins a clunker, it speaks to how far the program has come under his watch.
Just like Sark, yours truly fell short of his 2025 Texas preseason predictions overall, but didn’t pull an 0-fer. Shoot, even a broken watch is right twice a day. With that said, have a look at what I predicted back in August and what happened for the 2025 Longhorns:
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) celebrates a win over Texas A&M Aggies 27-17 during the NCAA college football game in the Lone Star Showdown in Austin, Texas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
Offensive predictions: hit and miss
Prediction: Texas football will average 38.0 points per game, give up 17.2, finish 11-1 and play for a conference title for the third straight year. They’ll beat the Aggies again, but they’ll lose at Florida.
Reality:The Horns averaged 29.6 points and gave up 19.8. They finished 9-3 and fell short of the SEC title game. Yes, they did beat the Aggies again and lost at Florida. FYI, I picked them to go 11-1 because I was so sure they would win at Ohio State in the opener and at Georgia.
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MORE CEDDY: Will Muschamp hire doesn’t fix everything for Texas football
Prediction: Texas will make the CFP as SEC champions but lose to Clemson in the semifinals.
Reality:There was no SEC title, no Clemson rematch and no CFP. The Horns did not pass GO. They did not collect $200.
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Prediction: Quarterback Arch Manning will throw for 4,020 yards with 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’ll complete 66% of his passes. He’ll also run for 545 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) celebrates after the defense stopped the Kentucky Wildcats on fourth down in overtime of the 16-13 Texas win at Kroger Field on Oct. 18, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Reality:Manning took his lumps at times, but had a strong second half of the season. He finished with 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He completed 61.4% of his passes. He rushed for 248 yards and eight touchdowns.
Prediction: Manning will become the first Texas player since Colt McCoy to represent the Horns as a Heisman Trophy finalist. He’ll finish third behind Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, the winner, and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love.
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Reality:Manning did not make it to New York. Neither did Klubnik, but Love donned a tux in NYC, finishing fourth behind winner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia.
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Prediction: The offensive line will open up holes for a running game that’ll amass 2,900 yards. More important, they’ll give up only 31 sacks, six fewer than 2024. Left tackle Trevor Goosby will earn first-team All-SEC honors.
Reality: It was a roller-coaster after running back CJ Baxter missed multiple games with injuries. Texas rushed for 2,638 yards and gave up 28 sacks. Goosby did earn first-team conference honors.
Texas Longhorns linebacker Ethan Burke (91) embraces head coach Steve Sarkisian as the Texas Longhorns seniors are honored ahead of the Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry match-up between the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 28, 2025. The Longhorns won the game 17-27.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Prediction:Cole Hutson will channel his inner Jake Majors and start every game at center.
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Reality:Hutson started eight of the 12 games, but only five at center. He missed four games with an injury and returned to start the final four at left guard.
MORE HORNS:What’s the latest on Texas portal departures? Check our transfer tracker.
Prediction:Offensive line coach Kyle Flood will still work in Connor Robertson late in games and will continue to cross-train the others with depth issues still a concern.
Reality: It happened with Hutson and Robertson, who filled in nicely at center when Hutson got hurt.
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Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner (5) looks for room to run against Texas A&M Aggies defense during the second half of an NCAA college football game in the Lone Star Showdown in Austin, Texas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
Prediction: Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter will form the best 1-2 punch at Texas since Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson. Wisner will run for 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns and Baxter will register another 925 and 12 scores. Between them, they’ll lose only two fumbles.
MORE CEDDY:Can Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed be elite?
Reality:It never popped for this duo, which missed a combined seven games. Wisner ran for 597 yards and three touchdowns while Baxter ran for 196 yards and no touchdowns. Both are in the transfer portal and will skip the bowl game.
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Prediction:The Horns will blow out San Jose State and UTEP, allowing backups Christian Clark and Jerrick Gibson to get some needed run. Gibson will become a reliable goal-line back and will finish with 340 yards and seven touchdowns.
Reality:The Horns routed San Jose 38-7 and stumbled to a 27-10 win over UTEP, but neither back was much of a factor. Gibson charted in only four games and rushed for 152 yards on 37 carries with a single touchdown. Clark rushed 35 times for 131 yards and a TD.
Prediction:The Longhorns will appear on ESPN’s “College GameDay” four times in the regular season: at Ohio State in legendary analyst Lee Corso’s final show; Oct. 11 at the Cotton Bowl for the Red River Rivalry; Nov. 15 at Georgia and Nov. 28 at home against Texas A&M.
Reality:The Horns appeared only once and that was on opening weekend against Ohio State. The show visited the state of Texas twice: for Texas Tech’s Nov. 8 win over BYU and Texas A&M’s recent CFP loss to Miami.
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Prediction: Transfer tight end Jack Endries will catch 48 passes for 650 yards and six touchdowns.
Reality: After catching six passes for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first two games, Endries never approached that dominance over the next nine. He finished with 28 catches for 311 yards and the aforementioned two touchdowns.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (1) catches a pass from Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) to score a touchdown in the third quarter of the Lone Star Showdown, the rivalry match-up between the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 28, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Prediction:Ryan Wingo will score three touchdowns of 50-plus yards.
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Reality:Wingo was the big-play guy on this offense. He caught four passes of 50-plus yards, two of which went for touchdowns.
Prediction:Manning and Wingo will connect on an 80-yard touchdown against San Jose State.
Reality: It didn’t happen against the Spartans, but they hooked up for a 75-yard score on the first play from scrimmage against Vanderbilt.
Prediction: DeAndre Moore Jr. will become Manning’s go-to guy. He’ll catch 55 passes for 817 yards and seven touchdowns. Parker Livingstone will be a breakout contributor with 35 catches for 480 yards and four touchdowns. Newcomer Emmett Mosley V will catches 29 passes for 300 yards and two scores.
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Reality:Moore never settled in as the alpha-dog wideout. He caught 38 passes for 532 yards and four TDs. Livingstone grabbed 26 passes for 491 yards and six TDs. Mosley caught 23 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
Prediction: Manning will decide to return for one more season and the Horns will open up 2026 as the preseason No. 1.
Reality: At the time of this posting, Manning is reportedly coming back for another year.
Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (0) celebrates an interception during the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
And now for the defense
Prediction: This will be the final year you’ll see linebacker Anthony Hill, Jr. safety Michael Taaffe and edge rusher Colin Simmons on the same football field and the Longhorns will be elite on the defensive side of the ball.
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Reality:This was an easy one. Taaffe was out of eligibility at the end of the year and Hill announced his intention to enter the NFL draft after three seasons.
MORE HORNS: Is safety Jelani McDonald leaving or staying?
Prediction:Hill will cement his legacy as the best Texas linebacker since Derrick Johnson with a national-best 134 tackles with 11 sacks. He’ll also join DJ as a Butkus Award winner.
Reality: Hill finished with 70 tackles and four sacks. No Butkus, but he did turn pro as expected.
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Prediction: Simmons will fall seven sacks short of Kiki DeAyala’s school-record 22½.
Reality: Simmons finished with 11 sacks.
Prediction:The Westlake connection of Ethan Burke and Colton Vasek will notch seven and five sacks, respectively. Burke will force four fumbles.
Reality:Burke netted three sacks. Vasek had none. Burke forced one fumble.
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Prediction: The team will finish with 55 sacks, seven more than 2024.
Reality:The Horns had only 38 sacks.
Prediction:Linebacker Liona Lefau will emerge from Hill’s shadow and make one of the biggest plays of the season: a pick-six in the A&M game. He’ll finish with two picks and four sacks.
Reality: Lefau had no interceptions and one sack.
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Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrates an interception during the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Prediction:Malik Muhammad will finish with four interceptions. He’ll be named first-team All-SEC.
Reality:Muhammad had two interceptions and was named second-team all-conference.
Prediction:DBU architect Duane Akina’s return to campus will result in an increase in interceptions from last season’s national best of 22 to 26.
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Reality:The interceptions dropped from 22 to 13. Akina’s return was a short one. He was fired at the end of the regular season.
Prediction: Safety Michael Taaffe will become a two-time All-American and will lead the Horns with five interceptions. He’ll also register three sacks and three fumble recoveries.
Reality: Taaffe was named AFCA All-America. His two interceptions were second on the team to Jelani McDonald’s three. He had a single sack and no fumble recoveries.
Special teams weren’t too special
Prediction: Texas State transfer Mason Shipley will be an upgrade from Bert Auburn. He’ll make 30 of 36 attempts and will bang through three from 50-plus yards. Veteran Will Stone ranked fifth nationally last year with 56 touchbacks; he’ll kick 62 through the end zone this fall.
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Reality:With the offense struggling at times, Shipley didn’t have as many opportunities. He made 18 of 22 field goals. He was 1 of 4 on tries of 50-plus yards. Stone had 49 touchbacks.
What about next year?
Preseason No. 1 in 2026? We’ll see. With Manning on one side of the ball with Goosby protecting his blind side and Simmons on the other, the Horns have a nice start, but the portal will be the key to this whole thing.
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