By Tony Thomas
Everything is big in Texas, especially football. Here we come up with way too early power rankings for the Power 4 teams in the Lonestar State for 2024.
Baylor Bears (#7)
2023 Record: 3-9, Conference: 2-7
Just two years removed from a Big XII championship, the Bears stumbled to just three wins in 2023. As a result, one must wonder how much longer Dave Aranda will be the head man in Waco.
Top Returnee: RB Dawson Pendergrass
As a true freshman, Dawson Pendergrass rushed for 338 yards and 5 touchdowns. In addition, Pendergrass added two receiving touchdowns, and 49 yards on three kickoff returns.
Talk about taking advantage of an opportunity, that's exactly what Baylor's @Dawson_penni did today, in just his third career game in the green and gold, as the freshman running back accounted for 135 total yards and a touchdown today in the Bears' win over Long Island. pic.twitter.com/MBPyX3BuYt
— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) September 17, 2023
Top Portal Prospect: QB Dequan Finn (from Toledo)
A 3X All-MAC selection, Dequan Finn won the Verne Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC. Finn led the MAC with 2,657 yards, 22 TDs, completed 65% of his passes, and averaged 242 yards of total offense. In addition, Finn rushed for 563 yards and seven more scores.
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🚀 @ToledoFB is not going away!
Dequan Finn is doing it all in the first half ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/bP4kuoTKo5
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 18, 2022
Top High School Recruit: RB Joseph Dodds
A 3-star recruit, Joseph Dodds rushed for over 1,600 yards his junior season.
Houston Cougars (#6)
2023 record: 4-8, Conference: 2-7
The Cougars stumbled in their first year in the Big XII, winning just four games that cost Dana Holgersen his job as head coach, and Willie Fritz (Tulane) was hired to replace him.
Top Returnee: QB Donovan Smith
Donovan Smith passed for 2,801 yards, 22 TDs, and 13 INTs. In addition, he added 428 rushing yards and six TDs. Smith posted a season-high 378 yards, three TDs, and one INT in a 31-24 loss to Texas.
Houston trainer/staffer/someone throwing a little elbow and trash talking Texas Tech QB Donovan Smith after a scramble pic.twitter.com/aWkIqUWFQ5
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) September 10, 2022
Top Portal Prospect: TE Maliq Carr (from Michigan State)
The second-leading receiver for the Spartans with 30 catches for 352 yards and three TDs. Maliq Carr posted a season-high was seven catches for 117 yards and two TDs in a win over Indiana. Carr was the #5 TE prospect nationally in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports.
Top High School Recruit: Larry Crawford
Larry Crawford is the #1 OL prospect in the State of Georgia, and the #4 OL prospect nationally.
Texas Tech Red Raiders (#5)
2023 Record: 7-6, Conference 5-4
In 2023, the Red Raiders took a step back but did get a win over a ranked opponent, a 16-13 win over #19 Kansas on the road in Lawrence, KS.
Top Returnee: RB Tahj Brooks
Tahj Brooks earned 1st Team All-Big 12 honors after rushing for 1,538 yards and 10 TDs. Brooks turned in eight games of over 100 yards rushing and scored at least one TD in seven consecutive games. For his collegiate career, Brooks has 3,052 yards and 28 touchdowns to his credit. Brooks has been named a 2024 team captain for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks has been showcasing his rugged running style against Texas all night. Impressive contact balance here.
Brooks is an underrated RB prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class. pic.twitter.com/mNf6jAe5ql
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) November 25, 2023
Top Portal Prospect: DL De’Braylon Carroll (from Rice)
In 2023, De’Braylon Carroll racked up 47 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and six QB pressures for the Rice Owl. Carroll is a product of Texas powerhouse Duncanville High School.
De’Braylon Carroll sack lunch pic.twitter.com/JSfXSdcxo1
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 2, 2023
Top High School Recruit: WR Micah Hudson
Micah Hudson is a 5-star prospect and the #4-ranked WR nationally in the 2024 class. Hudson hauled in 70 passes for 1,370 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging almost 20 yards per catch.
TCU Horned Frogs (#4)
2023 record: 5-7, Conference: 3-6
The Horned Frogs took a step back in 2023 after making an appearance in last year’s national title game.
Top Returnee: LB Namdi Obiazor
In 2023, Namdi Obiazor racked up 84 tackles, six tackles for loss, broke up two passes, and blocked a kick.
LB Namdi Obiazor (@namdi4k) has been a tackling machine this season! The rangy OLB shows instincts to slip blocks in traffic w/ range in space & smooth tracking ability to mirror & close on opponents! @ShrineBowl #ShrineBowl @TCUFootball #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/ifYL4z4BIP
— Noah K.M. Chang (@NoahKMChang) October 28, 2023
Top Portal Prospect: TE Drake Dabney (from Baylor)
The 2nd leading receiver for Baylor in 2023, Drake Dabney caught 33 passes for 552 yards and five TDs, including a season-high four catches for 105 yards and one TD.
https://twitter.com/DabneyDrake09/status/1736166669897121885
Top High School Recruit: QB Hauss Hejny
As a 4-star dual threat QB, Hauss Hejny passed for 2,773 yards, rushed for 1,041 yards, and 40 total touchdowns in his senior year. For his prep career, Hejny accounted for 7,483 total yards and 79 total touchdowns.
Texas A&M Aggies (#3)
2023 record: 7-6, Conference: 4-4
The 2023 season was one of chaos and bedlam for the Aggies, with QB Connor Weigman going down with an injury and then the administration showing head coach Jimbo Fisher the door with a multi-million-dollar buyout. The Aggies have since hired former Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko as the new head coach.
Top Returnee(s): Running backs Amari Daniels, Le’Veon Moss, and Rueben Owens.
Amari Daniels, Le’Veon Moss, and Rueben Owens combined for 1,401 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 2023.
Interesting note: Texas A&M freshman Rueben Owens II (40) played significantly more snaps than Amari Daniels (14) and Le'Veon Moss (9).
Part of that was because of the blowout, but still … and I liked what I saw from Owens as a runner.
Also: Great block here from Crownover. pic.twitter.com/21sLxEolWT
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) September 7, 2023
Top Portal Prospect: Nic Scourton (from Purdue)
Nic Scourton earned 2nd team All-Big Ten honors after racking up 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Nic Scourton (@NicCaraway3) of @BoilerFootball with the chop/spin sack. Beats the over-setting tackle & RB chip with the spin move inside. Executes a textbook “gator roll” tackle for the sack! #passrush #boilerup
S/O @CoachCook73 for the clip! pic.twitter.com/EZdScGe9g2
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) September 12, 2023
Top High School Recruit: OT Blake Ivy
Blake Ivy was the #10 offensive tackle in the nation and the #15 overall recruit in the State of Texas.
SMU Mustangs (#2)
2023 Record: 11-3, Conference: 9-0
AAC Champions
The Mustangs begin play in the ACC this fall, a result of the chaotic conference realignment from last summer. SMU scored 38 points per game on their way to 9-game winning streak that led to an AAC championship.
Top Returnee: QB Preston Stone
Preston Stone is the highest rated recruit ever at SMU, and had a breakout year for the Mustangs in 2023, passing for 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns, and six INTs. Stone suffered a broken leg in the final regular season game vs Navy.
https://twitter.com/TSV__1/status/1698012511730372717
Top Portal Prospect: DL Omari Abor (from Ohio State)
4-star transfer from Ohio State, Omari Abor committed to the Buckeyes out of Duncanville (TX) High School. Abor recorded one tackle and one tackle for loss in 2023.
Top High School Recruit: RB Derrick McFall
Derrick McFall is 4-star prospect out of Tyler, TX as a running back prospect, but showed elite receiving skills with 48 catches, 818 yards, and nine TDs. Flipped to the Mustangs from UCLA.
Texas Longhorns (#1)
2023 record: 12-2, Conference: 9-1
Big XII Champions
The Longhorns started the 2023 season 5-0, including a win over Nick Saban and Alabama. After losing the Red River Rivalry to arch rival Oklahoma, Texas reeled off seven consecutive victories enroute to a Big XII title and a berth in the College Football Playoff, which ended with a loss to Washington.
Top Returnee: QB Quinn Ewers
Quinn Ewers passed for 3,479 yards, 22 TDs, and six INTs, completing 69% of his passes. In addition, he added five rushing TDs. Missed two games with a shoulder injury. Ewers did not throw an INT until week 5. Against Oklahoma State in the Big XII title game, Ewers threw for 452 yards, four TDs, and 1 INT. In the National Semifinals vs Washington, Ewers threw for 318 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort.
https://twitter.com/LuckIsMadeFF/status/1665348952298778626
Top Portal Prospect: LB Trey Moore (from UTSA)
Trey Moore was terror of defense for UTSA, racking up 45 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, one INT, and one forced fumble. Moore was named 1st Team All-AAC and the AAC Edge Rusher of the Year.
UTSA's Trey Moore knows how to get after the QB — this dude can DO IT ALL 😤pic.twitter.com/rgbyZi71IA
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) July 10, 2023
Top High School Recruit: LB Colin Simmons
A 5-star recruit and ranked in the Top 30, Colin Simmons recorded three straight seasons of double-digit sacks, including 10 sacks in 2023, and 22.5 in 2022. In the 6A Texas state championship game last December, Simmons recorded three sacks and was named the games defensive MVP.
