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Texas Named as the No. 1-Ranked LB Unit in College Football

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex O'Reilly | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 2:46 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns are coming off a strong season where they reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Under head coach Steve Sarkisian, they have reached the semifinals of the CFP two seasons in a row. Next season, the team will be looking to take a step forward and reach the national championship game.

The Longhorns appear poised to be one of the top teams in the SEC again next year. Part of the reason they are projected to have success is because of their strong defensive unit, their defensive line in particular. On Friday, Pro Football Focus tweeted out that Texas has the No. 1-ranked linebacker unit in college football.

"PFF’s #1 Linebacker Unit in College Football: Texas Longhorns."

PFF listed Anthony Hill Jr, Trey Moore, Liona Lefau and Brad Spence as the team's top returning LBS.

Hill, Moore and Lefau are all returning after strong seasons with the Longhorns. Spence transferred to Texas after two seasons with the Arkansas Razorbacks. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The defense, and the defensive line in particular, will be asked to provide a stable presence for the team next season. The Longhorns are undergoing significant change as QB Arch Manning is taking over the starting role with Quinn Ewers departing for the NFL.

While there is a lot of confidence in Texas that Manning will succeed, he is unproven as a full-time starter. As a result, having a strong defensive unit will help Manning adjust to his new workload.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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