Through the first week of practice, it's quite hard not to pen the Texas Longhorns as one of the leading teams in the nation. Granted, in a controlled environment, teams manufacture the optimal opportunities for their players to shine and struggle during team scrimmages. But from Arch Manning, looking every part like a Heisman contender and living up to the family's quarterbacking legacy, to defensive lineman Justus Terry and the entire defensive line impressing early, this is every bit one of the great teams in the country. Tabbed as the No. 4 team in the nation by the Coaches' Poll, internally and externally, the eyes of the world are upon Texas. The Exception Remains What It Has Been Dec 31, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs with the ball against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectSince the breakthrough in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2023, the Longhorns have reentered the national spotlight and have remained under the lights ever since. No. 1 preseason for the first time in history, always one of the teams picked to head to either the Four or 12-team college football playoff, to being in conference contention — the list can go on. Safe to say, it's been an exhausting couple of years around Austin. Add the natural intrigue of Manning, being a third-generation Southeastern Conference quarterback tabbed as a generational prospect in the past two NFL drafts, among the other first-rounders filling out the roster. The noise has been there, and it's not going to end anytime soon, so the message? Simply, blocking out the noise from the outside world.“We make sure we stay in tunnel vision,” senior safety Jelani McDonald said. “Just making sure we are on top of everything, from our weight, our plays. … just making sure we’re (technically) sound and taking care of the small things.” For the players who’ve been in on the Forty Acres, a part of the past couple of runs as depth guys to now being bestowed the honor or curse, depending on how you look at it, of being the best hasn’t been such a daunting task as perceived. National preseason watchlists at the end of the day are just names on a piece of paper. In a team game, individual awards only mean so much. “I don’t really look too much into that,” senior Ryan Nibblet said. “I try to be present in today. I try and focus on today and make it the most important day.” Of everyone who knows how to remain present in the current moment, it's edge rusher Colin Simmons, whose maturation over the last season has cleared his mind for a big junior campaign. In part, Simmons is just the arbiter of growth — the entire Texas team did itself last year. From head coach Steve Sarkisian's perspective, he expects his players to know what’s to come because the returners have already been through the gauntlet. Not just the things on paper, like the daunting schedule that awaits in a little under a month, but the little things that affect the grand scheme of a season. The demands of taking practice seriously, how they are treating their bodies, even the most menial acts of getting the right amount of rest. “I think all that it goes from your preparation from a football perspective. It goes to how we practice, and then it goes to a recovery standpoint,” Sarkisian said. The Longhorns have a healthy ratio of seasoned returners who were really able to click later in the season, which, in due part, brings them back into the spotlight. Then there is the obvious future being fostered for the next crop of players ready to impact the program in one or two years. For how young on paper this team is for another season, the talent has not dried up by any means. It’s going to take the veterans, who’ve been there and done that, to prepare the younger guys with less experience to turn down the outside heat, while keeping their competitive flame burning hot. Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow