Pair of Texas Longhorns Land in Joel Klatt's Top-10 Player Rankings

Klatt Gives Reasoning Behind Rankings

"In his two starts, I think that's where his potential popped, he reminded me a lot of Trevor Lawrence, an athletic guy that didn't beat you with his athleticism but could beat you with his arm," Klatt said. "People roll their eyes and say, 'Hey, man, let him do something, is he really that good?' My answer is yes, if you watch the film, if you see the way that he plays, the way that he moves, the throws he can make, Texas could be a more dangerous offense because of Arch Manning."

Anthony Hill has been one of the most consistent pieces of the Longhorns' defense since he arrived on campus, racking up 180 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks over two seasons. Now Hill is seen as one of the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft and a potential first-round pick.

"He does it all for Pete Kwiatkowski's defense, he's entering his junior year now, and this is a guy I think can have one of those pop years where he can easily be a Butkus guy," Klatt said. "He's not just a tackle machine; he can fill up the stat sheet with production behind the line of scrimmage with those tackles for loss and sacks, and he'll be the focal point of that defense."

The Longhorns were not the only team with multiple players on the list, with Clemson leading the way, featuring three players, and tied with Texas was Alabama with two. Another team with the same number of players as the Longhorns was their Week 1 opponent, Ohio State.

The Buckeyes occupied the two top spots in the list, with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith ranked No. 1 and safety Caleb Downs ranked No. 2, adding additional hype to the season opener clash between the Longhorns and Buckeyes on Aug. 30.