Stewart Mandel: “Texas could contend for a Big 12 title”
Texas football really appears to have turned a corner. Even one of the program’s most vocal critics appears to be drinking the burnt orange kool aid after an impressive showing in Saturday’s Orange and White game.
Stewart Mandel, the college football editor-in-chief for The Athletic, has higher expectations for the team than he had last season. If you recall, Mandel had the Longhorns going 4-8 in 2022. Apparently he read his crystal ball backwards as Texas finished the regular season with a record of 8-4.
On Wednesday, Mandel responded to a comment posed by an Oklahoma fan who voiced concerns that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has the Longhorns heading in the right direction. The Athletic’s editor had the following to say about Texas.
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“Against my better instincts, I came away from Saturday’s spring game feeling more optimism for the Horns than I expected,” Mandel wrote. “(Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers), who was underwhelming for most of his debut season, looked noticeably more polished than at any time last fall. Texas already had a lot of weapons at receiver even before adding Georgia transfer AD Mitchell, but I was particularly impressed with the running backs post-Bijan/Roschon.”
Mandel went as far as saying Texas could compete for the Big 12 if players up front, like defensive tackles Alfred Collins and Byron Murphy II, live up to expectations. If one of the team’s most vocal doubters views the Longhorns as a contender, perhaps this is the year they break through into meaningful football into late November and beyond.
