Multiple Texas Longhorns talents are showcasing their abilities at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

 

One of the former Texas players who had a great showing was defensive back Jahdae Barron. On Friday, Barron ran the 40-yard dash and finished in 4.39 seconds, which was sixth among other defensive backs who ran in the event.

 

After his efforts, NFL Network’s Chad Reuter put the former Texas star in the stock up section.

 

Barron also ran a 1.5 second 10-yard split, which Reuter believed improved the defensive back’s draft stock. Reuter even compared Barron to Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie.

 

Barron made his impact on the SEC last season, leading the conference in interceptions and recording 67 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack.

 

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7). Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7). Mikala Compton/American- Mikala Compton/American-Statesman /

“Barron needed to fly in the 40-yard dash after measuring on the smaller side (5-foot-10 3/4, 29 5/8-inch arms), and he did not disappoint,” Reuter said. “His 4.39-second 40-yard dash and 1.5-second 10-yard split at 194 pounds proved he has the speed to play outside against NFL receivers, a major boon for his draft stock. All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie had similar size (5-10 3/4, 193) and length (29 3/4 arms) at the 2022 combine, and Barron bested McDuffie’s 40 time (4.44).”

 

Barron was a former three-star prospect in the 2020 class, per the On3 Industry Rankings. He played 57 games for the Longhorns from 2020-24.

 

He was a Consensus All-American last season, and it is easy to see why. Over the course of his five years with Texas, he accounted for 226 total tackles, 21 TFLs, two sacks, and eight interceptions.

 

The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from April 24-26.

 

 

 

When the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing collegiate athletes to be compensated for their Name, Image and Likeness in June 2021, it forever altered the college sports landscape. At the time, there was no way to tell just how drastically NIL would come to impact the NCAA, and even now, almost four years later, it’s effects are still being felt and figured out. But in Austin, at the University of Texas, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has a pretty clear policy on whether a significant NIL deal equates to a larger chunk of playing time.

 

“I’m very upfront and honest with our guys and I understand not everybody gets paid the same on our roster, but what you get paid does not dictate how much you play in our organization,” Sarkisian told Colin Cowherd. “The players that do things the right way on and off the field, that put the team in the best position to be successful are the ones that play for us. It’s not about what you get paid through NIL, it’s about who gives us the best opportunity to be successful as a team.”

 

Related Texas Football News

Article continues below

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) looks into the crowd after the 28-14 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal game in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Friday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas.

Whether Sarkisian’s assertion is 100 percent true or only partially true is up for debate, but at the very least, nobody can say that it’s completely untrue. Proof of this is that Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and one of the biggest NIL draws in all of college sports, spent much of the 2024 season sitting on the bench behind Quinn Ewers, even as Ewers struggled by the standard set by most folks in Austin.

 

It certainly helps Texas’ cause that heading into the 2024 college football season, only Oregon and Texas A&M were shelling out more money on NIL deals than the Longhorns were, according to 247Sports. To some extent, every player worth playing on the Texas roster is likely making decent money, making Sark’s roster decisions not all that difficult.

 

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte told reporters on Wednesday night that he expects the Longhorns to continue scheduling marquee out-of-conference games in the future.

 

The SEC is said to be considering moving to a 9-game league schedule. And in the immediate aftermath of last season’s College Football Playoff selection — when Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina were notably excluded — plenty was made about the role schedule strength would play in the future. Alabama’s athletic director, Greg Byrne, said the Crimson Tide would need to “evaluate” their nonconference schedule going forward.

 

Texas leadership sang a different tune on Wednesday.

 

“Our brand should play the greatest brands in college football because we are the best,” Del Conte said, per Inside Texas.

 

The Longhorns are scheduled to play Ohio State on the road in 2025. The Buckeyes will make the return trip to Austin in 2026. After that, Texas hosts Michigan in 2027, has a home-and-home series with Notre Dame in 2028 and 2029, and a home-and-home series with Arizona State in 2032 and 2033.

 

Texas has played a marquee nonconference game every year under coach Steve Sarkisian so far. The Longhorns traveled to Michigan in 2024. They played a 2-game series with Alabama in 2022 and 2023. And they played at Arkansas in 2021.

 

Excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 season, Texas has played at least 1 out-of-conference game against another power conference opponent every year since 2009. In some seasons, Texas played multiple power conference teams prior to the start of league play. At least recently, the Longhorns have been unafraid to schedule exciting games.

 

Next season’s matchup between Texas and Ohio State in Columbus could very well be a matchup between the top teams in the AP poll. Ohio State is the defending national champion. Texas will be coming off a second straight CFP semifinal appearance and opening the Arch Manning era. The 2025 matchup will kick off the new season on Aug. 30. Ohio State is a 3.5-point favorite in that game, according to an early lookahead line from bet365.

 

 

After joining the Texas Longhorns in 2023, quarterback Arch Manning instantly became one of the biggest names in all of college football.

Whether it was for his play or his relation to NFL legends Peyton and Eli, Arch Manning was the top prospect in the class of 2023 (247Sports).

In an online interview with Sprung that was posted on TikTok, Arch Manning revealed some problems he has been dealing with on campus.

He was then asked if it might be different at smaller schools before the quarterback admitted that he had to reject a “visit” to Alabama due to his popularity.

He received many different offers from major college football programs across the country, but the top three contending teams came down to Texas, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Arch Manning is now anticipated to take over under center to start the 2025 season after Quinn Ewers left for the 2025 NFL draft, which has further increased his popularity and the buzz about him.

Arch Manning remarked, “It’s like my friends who travel to Alabama want me to come visit.”

“I’m not sure whether that’s the right course of action.

Tuscaloosa. Austin is pleasant, though.

There are areas where you can sort of escape, and no one is aware of football. You’re merely another man.

Ultimately, Arch Manning chose Texas over Alabama and Georgia, crediting coach Steve Sarkisian for helping him come to a decision. “I can relate to [Sarkisian] because he’s younger,” Arch Manning told 247Sports in 2021. “It seems like we’re friends almost.

I like him a lot. He’d be a cool guy to get to play for.

Hopefully, he doesn’t get too many job offers and stays there. He’s a good guy.

I really like everyone I’ve met and have enjoyed building relationships and meeting different guys.”

The Longhorns’ Cotton Bowl rematch against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, August 30, will mark the start of the Arch Manning era.

 

This week marks the start of the NFL Combine, and additional draft projections on the future of three-star Longhorns have emerged.

One more spoof Ahead of the NFL Combine starting on Thursday, the 2025 NFL Draft has been released, and this one comes directly from On SI. SI contributors predicted that three Texas Longhorns will be selected in the first round come April, out of a program-record 14 who were invited to the Combine.

In his second mock draft of the year, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network is the most recent to project Banks to the Windy City.

“The Bears need to devote their offseason to upgrading the group playing in front of Caleb Williams,” Jeremiah stated.

“Banks has the skill set to play tackle or guard.”

In recent weeks, there has been increased interest in the possibility of Banks switching to guard in the NFL. He is capable of doing so, and this season he was named the greatest interior lineman in the country, earning him the Outland Trophy. Banks wasn’t the only Longhorn to be selected in the first round, as is sometimes the case in these mock selections.

The second Texas player off the board in this instance is standout defensive back Jahdae Barron, who is selected by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 17 overall.

Barron is too amazing to ignore, but I’m sure the Bengals would take a defensive tackle into consideration here

. Additionally, when Cincinnati is on the clock in Round 2, there will still be skilled defensive tackles available.

Despite Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase having stellar seasons, Cincinnati’s defense was nothing short of terrible this season, and it was the primary reason the team missed the playoffs aside from NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson.

It would greatly benefit the team as a whole to acquire Barron, the nation’s best defensive back and this year’s Jim Thorpe Award winner.

A third Longhorn, typically wide receiver Matthew Golden, is selected in the third round in many mock drafts, but Jeremiah only had two this time.

Still, Steve Sarkisian’s group was well represented.

 

 

 

Following Quinn Ewers’ decision to enter the draft, the Texas Longhorns are set to start Arch Manning as their quarterback for 2025.

 

Manning is entering his third season with Texas. At 19, the six-foot-four, 225-pound athlete has thrown for 969 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 115 yards and four touchdowns.

 

Manning will be eligible to enter the 2026 draft, but he could postpone his NFL plans until 2027 after starting multiple seasons for the Longhorns.

 

In June, Texas earned the commitment of a quarterback who will compete for the job when Manning heads to the pros.

 

Per On3, Dia Bell ranks No. 5 for the 2026 class and earned a five-star grade.

 

“From an arm talent perspective, Texas commit Dia Bell is as good as anyone in the 2026 cycle,” Charles Power, On3’s director of scouting and rankings, wrote. “He’s the definition of a natural thrower.

 

“His ability to manipulate the football and throw consistently catchable footballs from multiple arm angles is a treat to watch. He can dice up defenses on Friday evenings and makes special throws. He’s someone that has tons of upside especially as he develops and fills out his frame down the line.”

 

American Heritage Patriots quarterback Dia Bell (3).

American Heritage Patriots quarterback Dia Bell (3). Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dia Bell is the son of former NBA player Raja Bell. He plays high school football and basketball for American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida.

 

Dia Bell threw for 2,597 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024. He added 561 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

 

 

Today ended the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team’s more than 20-year-long stretch of being ranked first in the AP Poll.

With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Longhorns are ranked #1 for the first time since February 16, 2004.

Texas has defeated nine opponents in the Top 25 this season, including a run of victories in February against teams ranked in the Top 10, including No. 2 South Carolina, No. 8 Kentucky, and No. 5 LSU.

South Carolina’s 57-game winning streak in the regular season—one of the longest in sports—was ended by the Longhorns’ victory over the Gamecocks.

During that time, the Moody Center has sold out twice, prompting superstars like Kevin Durant to call out players like Madison Booker who are advocating for Austin to become a WNBA basketball destination.

During the last three games, Booker, a sophomore sensation, has averaged 18.3 points per game, 9.7 rebounds, and made 17 of 19 free throws.

She was the first freshman to win the Big 12 Conference’s Player of the Year honor the previous season, and she came in as ESPN’s No. 12-ranked recruit in the class of 2023.

Before the end of her sophomore year, she became one of only four players in Texas history to surpass 1,000 points in her career.

Following a season-ending injury last year, Rori Harmon returned as a fifth-year senior and was recently included to the watchlists for both the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Eight more points would make her the first player in Texas women’s basketball history to reach 1,200 points and 600 assists.

Under longstanding coach Jody Conradt, that 2004 squad possessed a comparable amount of star power.

It included Tiffany Jackson-Jones, the 2004 national freshman of the year, who was selected by the New York Liberty in the first round of the 2007 WNBA draft.

Additionally, the club included two WNBA third-round selections: Jamie Carey (2005, Phoenix Mercury) and Stacy Stephens (2004, Houston Comets).

After reaching the Final Four the previous year, they lost 71-55 to LSU in the Sweet Sixteen, disappointingly falling short of expectations.

Texas has only advanced to the final four three times, in 1986, 1987, and 2003, and hasn’t taken home a national title since 1986.

But under head coach Vic Schaefer, it has had frequent participation in the NCAA tournament, including three trips to the Elite Eight in 2021, 2022, and 2024—something it hadn’t done since 2016 prior to his hiring.

 

 

Arch Manning (Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via

After working his way up the depth chart at Texas, it’s officially Arch Manning’s time to shine. With Quinn Ewers heading to the NFL, the former Five Star Plus+ prospect will officially get the keys to Steve Sarkisian’s offense.

 

The hype built around Manning ever since he stepped foot on Texas’ campus in Fall 2023. But as fans clamored for the son of Cooper and nephew of Peyton and Eli to get more playing time, he instead worked to earn not only the trust of his coaches, but also his teammates.

 

Along the way, Sarkisian said Manning didn’t cut any corners or do anything different because of his last name. The young quarterback went about business as usual.

 

“At the end of the day, I think one of the things a quarterback has to do – and I think it goes kind of unnoticed at times,” Sarkisian told Kay Adams on Up and Adams. “A quarterback’s real job is to instill belief in his teammates, instill belief in the coaches, instill belief in an organization and then, instill belief in a fan base. And Arch does all those things. Like, hey, here he is.

 

“Again, it’s not because of the name. It’s who he is on a regular basis.”

 

After Manning arrived at Texas, Sarkisian made it clear the recruiting process was as “normal” as any he’d seen. But that sense of “normalcy” didn’t stop when he signed his National Letter of Intent. It continued through Manning’s freshman season as he tried to earn his stripes and build relationships with his coaches and teammates.

 

All the while, though, he also made sure to compete. With elements of his relatives in his game – notably his grandfather’s athleticism – Manning held his own.