Three bold predictions for Texas' 2023 season

3-4 minutes 7/22/2023
Prior to most Texas football seasons, fans begin talking themselves into why that year will be the one to bring the Longhorns back into national contention.
Outside of the season that ended with them winning the Sugar Bowl over Georgia in 2019, every year since then has underwhelmed. However, heading into the 2023 season there is a different sense of energy around Texas and it isn’t just from Longhorns fans.
Texas was picked as the favorite to win the Big 12 title and their roster is full of experienced and proven players all over the field. Their schedule is extremely favorable in the sense that they have a chance to secure what will look like a massive win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, while the rest of the Big 12 appears to be down.
I wouldn’t go as far to say the stars are aligning for Texas, but this is about as close to aligning for the Longhorns as we have seen in over a decade.
With so many expectations for Texas this season it has inspired some bold predictions. Here are three of my boldest predictions for Texas in 2023.
Quinn Ewers is a Heisman finalist
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Despite having favorable odds to win the Heisman, it still feels bold to say that Ewers will end up being one of the finalists. I say this because it would take a record breaking passing year for Ewers to truly be considered. The reason for this is the fact that typically when quarterbacks win or are considered for the award they have an ability to create with their legs, and that is something that is not synonymous with Sarkisian coached quarterbacks. While Ewers has the ability to move around, it is not something we have seen from Texas quarterbacks under Sarkisian. You would have to go back all the way to 2008 to find the last Heisman winning quarterback didn’t have at least 100 yards rushing on the season when Sam Bradford won the award. While it isn’t a deal breaker, it just means that Ewers will need to have nearly perfect games and video game numbers to standout when quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Bo Nix have their legs to boost their stock.
AD Mitchell leads the team in receiving
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Last season we saw Ewers and Xavier Worthy struggle to be on the same page at times, and while blame can be passed in both directions both are expected to have big years. However, I think the combination of speed, route running, and size will help Georgia transfer AD Mitchell emerge as Ewers’ favorite and most productive target. Defenses will have to pick their poison when it comes to this receiver corps, so wish them luck.
Texas beats Alabama by double digits
This prediction is inspired by the fact that Quinn Ewers was absolutely dicing up this Alabama defense before going down with an injury in 2022. While the Crimson Tide will again have a stout defense, their quarterback situation is worrisome and Texas can take advantage of that. I trust Texas’ offense to put up points at a rate that Alabama’s offense cannot keep up with. This would give Texas a significant win on their resume, and it would also be the biggest confidence boost imaginable.