For three years, the Big Ten has dominated college football, but one analyst believes the Texas Longhorns are ready to seize the crown. In a new feature for CBS Sports, Brad Crawford ranked the “10 Most Complete Rosters in College Football,” placing Texas at the top. The Longhorns' wide receiver corps got the nod as their strongest unit, but the overall depth across all three phases is what sets them apart.
“If there’s a team that appears capable of checking every box on the national championship checklist in 2026, it’s Texas,” Crawford wrote. “The buzz around the Longhorns isn’t just about star power, it’s about completeness — the rare blend of elite talent, depth and physical maturity across all three phases despite losing six starters in April’s NFL Draft.”
Rounding out the top 10 are Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Notre Dame, Miami, USC, LSU, Indiana and Alabama. Texas boasts a roster loaded with names like Cam Coleman, Raleek Brown, Hollywood Smothers, Ryan Wingo, Emmett Mosley V, Colin Simmons and quarterback Arch Manning. The buzz around the program has even sparked talk of Manning possibly staying in Austin beyond 2026, but that’s a decision for another day.
However, not everyone is ready to crown the Longhorns just yet. College football fans took to social media to push back against the idea that raw talent alone decides championships. “Championships are won on the defensive and offensive lines. I like where we sit this year,” one Oregon fan wrote dismissively. Another pointed to Indiana’s stunning 16-0 run in 2025, saying, “Cignetti 5-2 vs teams on this list.” A third fan predicted, “So Oregon-Indiana in the title game.”
Indiana’s national title last season came out of nowhere, proving that a team with the right chemistry and coaching can topple even the most talented rosters. The Hoosiers lost several key pieces to the NFL, making a repeat unlikely but not impossible. Still, the traditional powers remain lurking, and it wouldn’t be a shock if one of them — like Texas — finally breaks through.
The debate over talent versus intangibles isn’t new. Recent commentary from figures like Kirk Herbstreit has highlighted concerns about the state of the game, while others like Dabo Swinney have called for more structure. For now, Texas fans can dream of a title, but as always, the games are played on the field, not on paper.
With the 2026 season approaching, the Longhorns have all the pieces to make a run. Whether they can put it together when it matters most remains the biggest question in college football.
