Five Texas Longhorns Included on Top 50 Players List

The hype around Texas' 2025 season roster continues to grow as anticipation heightens among college football fans awaiting the debut of the Longhorns new full-time starting quarterback Arch Manning.

It's not just Manning that makes this upcoming team exciting, with Texas boasting some of the best players in the country at their positions.

Pro Football Focus recently released a list of its top 50 overall players in college football this season, including five Longhorns among the selections.

Five Longhorns Make PFF's Top 50 List

Here are the five Longhorns on PFF's Top 50:

No. 8 - Colin Simmons, edge

No. 14 - Anthony Hill Jr., linebacker

No. 26 - Michael Taaffe, safety

No. 46 - Malik Muhammad, cornerback

No. 50 - Arch Manning, quarterback

The highest-ranked Texas player comes on the defensive side of the ball, with Simmons being the only Longhorn listed in the top 10, coming in at eight. Simmons had an outstanding debut season with the Longhorns, recording 31 solo tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, nine sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles.

Simmons also received the Shawn Alexander Freshman of the Year award. Now back for his second year, Longhorn fans may see their star EDGE have an even more impressive sophomore season.

After Simmons came Hill Jr. at 14 on PFF's top 50. After finishing the 2024 season as one of the best linebackers in the nation, Hill was granted AP second-team All-America honors last season and is currently projected as a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Another playmaker for Texas on the defensive side, the Longhorns will be a scary sight for opposing offenses.

It was almost entirely defensive players for Texas on PFF's top 50 list, including Taaffe at 26 and Muhammad at 46. Taaffe is a fan favorite amongst the Longhorns, but also one of the most impactful returning safeties in the nation.

According to PFF, Taaffe was the fourth most valuable safety in the nation last season, and his five interceptions and 11 forced incompletions over the past two years rank top 25 amongst FBS safeties.

Muhammad returns from an impressive Texas secondary last season that was arguably the best in the nation. Though that same secondary saw the departure of defensive backs Jahdae Barron and Andrew Mukuba Sr., Muhammad should continue to be a weapon for Texas's defense. According to PFF, Muhammad was targeted on 12.1 percent of his coverage snaps and forced 17 incompletions in his past two seasons.

The only surprise for CFB fans about the last Longhorn on PFF's top 50 may be his ranking on the list, with Manning coming in at 50. Despite Manning currently being one of the favorites for the Heisman in 2025, PFF still felt it was too early to place him higher than the final position on the list.

The nation caught a glimpse of what Manning was capable of last season, recording 939 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns and completing 68 percent of his passes after coming in for an injured Quinn Ewers early in the season and subsequently starting two games.

Texas tied Alabama for the most players on PFF's top 50, with each program having five. Topping the list was Ohio State's star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.