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Who is Texas' next Heisman Trophy finalist? We think he's on this roster | Bohls, Golden

kirk bohls and cedric golden, austin american-statesman
·2 min read

Texas hasn't had a Heisman Trophy finalist since 2009 when Colt McCoy finished as the runner-up. The 2023 Heisman was awarded to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels on Saturday night, and that got us wondering: Is Texas' next Heisman finalist currently on the roster, and if so, who is it?

Texas quarterback Arch Manning hasn't had a lot of opportunities this season, but the freshman is in line to be the Longhorns' starter in 2024 or 2025, when he'll be guiding the team through the SEC. That league had produced three Heisman winners in four years heading into Saturday night's ceremony.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning hasn't had a lot of opportunities this season, but the freshman is in line to be the Longhorns' starter in 2024 or 2025, when he'll be guiding the team through the SEC. That league had produced three Heisman winners in four years heading into Saturday night's ceremony.

Kirk Bohls: CJ Baxter has already shown freshman flashes

With so many headliners departing the Forty Acres after this season, there might be fewer ready-made stars on the 2024 roster. But a clear one is CJ Baxter, the explosive true freshman tailback who actually started ahead of Jonathon Brooks in this year’s season opener against Rice and the final three games of the year after Brooks tore an ACL.

Bohls: My Heisman vote was an easy one this year, thanks to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels

In his first game replacing Brooks, against Iowa State, Baxter ripped off 117 critical yards rushing and had five of his 22 pass receptions, and he showed he had the toughness as well as the speed to be a more than capable fill-in.

With Brooks’ injury coming so late in the season against TCU and his future availability in question, Baxter revealed he can carry the load and pushed himself into Heisman contention behind a strong offensive line.

Cedric Golden: 2025 will be Arch Manning's year

If a current Longhorn becomes a Heisman finalist, who will it be? I know Quinn Ewers could come back for a third season on campus, but if there’s a Heisman candidate on this roster, his name is Arch Manning and his New York debut would happen in the 2025 season. By then, coach Steve Sarkisian will have some dynamic receivers to be on the other end of those spirals.

Ewers will face a tough challenge because if he comes back, he would presumably not have pass catchers Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy and Ja’Tavion Sanders at his disposal because I expect they will all bolt for the pros after the season. Manning will still succeed because of the nice offensive line that will be in front of him, including future All-American Kelvin Banks Jr. at left tackle, but will have to develop some chemistry with players who are not on the roster right now, newcomers from recruiting or the transfer portal.

Golden: LSU's Jayden Daniels was must-see TV this year, that's why he got my Heisman vote

If upside means anything, Manning will be at the peak of his powers in Year 3, though an SEC schedule might make winning a Heisman a tougher task. Still, the league has produced three winners in the past four years: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in 2019, Alabama wideout DeVonta Smith in 2020 and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young in 2021.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football team has a couple of potential Heisman Trophy finalists