Ohio State Buckeyes 2025 Opponent Preview: Texas Longhorns

Ohio State's defense did a solid job of containing former Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers in last year's Cotton Bowl showdown, as he finished with under 300 passing yards while completing 59 percent of his attempts. However, the Buckeyes will now have to deal with rising star Arch Manning at the helm for Texas in week one.

The former five-star prospect has patiently waited to behind Ewers the past two season, but did see some playing time in 2024 when the veteran QB went down with an injury. This season, however, is the first year that Manning will truly hold the starting quarterback role for Texas. In the couple of games we saw Manning in last year, he proved to be a true threat in both the pass and run game, which will cause issues for newly-hired defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

In addition to Manning being a force in the run game, the Longhorns are set to roll out a two-headed running back attack with Quintrevion Wisner and C.J. Baxter. Last season, Wisner took over the majority of the workload on the ground due to Baxter suffering a season-ended injury before the season. During the stretch, the junior back finished with 1,064 rushing yards on 226 carries, while also catching 44 passes for 311 yards. Now that Baxter is set to return, the duo will form a perfect one-two punch for head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Outside of the quarterback position, Texas lost multiple veterans on the offensive line and the pass catching core to the NFL this offseason. Both starting tackles Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cameron Williams were the anchors in the trenches for the Longhorns, which means Sarkisian must rely on Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker to protect Manning. As for the pass catchers, sophomore Ryan Wingo will likely take on a majority of the workload in the passing game after recording 472 receiving yards on 29 catches in 2024.

Texas Longhorns' Defense

Similar to Ohio State, the Longhorns' defensive line was decimated by the 2025 NFL Draft, with three starters in Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton and Barryn Sorrell out of the picture this season. Luckily for defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, defensive end/linebacker hybrid Colin Simmons returns for the 2025 season after finishing with nine sacks last year. The interior of the line also received reinforcements this offseason with nose tackle Cole Brevard coming way from Penn State. Brevard ended his 2024 campaign with 5.5 tackles for loses and 1.5 sacks, which is a huge replacement for Texas.

The most important returning player on the defensive side of the ball, however, is junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. The 6-foot-3, 238 lbs. defender recorded a team-high 113 tackles last season, while also claiming 16.5 tackles for losses, eight sacks and four forced fumbles. His ability to be a force in all aspects of defense has already made him a top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft and will cause trouble for the Buckeyes.

Unlike Ohio State, the newest member of the Southeastern Conference also lost multiple key defensive backs in Jahdae Barron and Andrew Mukuba. Barron, who won the Jim Thorpe Award for his impressive run last season, played a major role in limiting Buckeyes' star Jeremiah Smith in the Cotton Bowl. This forces Kwiatkowski to rely on a mixture of veterans and young talent this year, including senior safety Michael Taaffe. The Austin, TX native finished with 78 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks in 2024 and is set for another big season for the Longhorns.