Texas Longhorns players to know ahead of College Football Playoff

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For years, the idea that "Texas is back" has been thrown around with the Longhorns nowhere near competing for a national championship. 

Under Tom Herman, Texas made it to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2018 before Herman was unable to meet expectations in Austin. Herman was fired after the 2021 season, giving Steve Sarkisian his third chance to be a head coach. 

Steve Sarkisian, head coach of the Texas Longhorns, celebrates with his team after winning 26-16 over the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium on Nov. 18, 2023 in Ames, Iowa. (David K Purdy/Getty Images)

In just his third year at Texas, Sarkisian has returned the Longhorns to national prominence, going 12-1 in 2023 and bringing the Big 12 Championship back to Austin for the first time since 2009. 

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Texas will face Washington in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, with kickoff scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET.

Let’s take a look at a few Texas players to watch with the College Football Playoff semifinals just days away.  

One year ago, not many people would have believed that Quinn Ewers would be the player leading Texas back to college football relevance.

Now, Ewers is not only the leader of an offense playing for a chance at a national championship, but he’ll be one of the frontrunners for the 2024 Heisman Trophy should he return to Austin for his junior season, which is believed to be the case. 

Ewers is coming off an all-time performance in the Big 12 title game against Oklahoma State, where the sophomore QB set records on the field. 

Ewers set a Big 12 title game passing record,