Texas Leads Southwest Region Preseason Football Rankings

From Houston to Austin, preseason football talk is picking up across Texas in mid-July, and a new regional ranking from USA Today puts the Longhorn State at the center of the conversation. Texas leads the Southwest region preseason football rankings, giving the region an early snapshot of which programs enter the 2026 season with the most attention.

The ranking is a preseason assessment, so it reflects expectations before games begin rather than results on the field. For readers in Houston, the list offers a useful measuring stick for how Texas programs stack up against schools across the broader Southwest heading into the fall.

Texas tops the Southwest region preseason football rankings

USA Today’s Southwest region preseason football rankings place Texas in the top spot. The article frames the Longhorns as the headline program in a region that includes several established football brands, with the preseason order designed to highlight which teams appear strongest before Week 1.

The source article shared the regional ranking format but did not provide extensive game-by-game detail in the summary available through Google News. Based on that reporting, the key verified point is clear: Texas opens preseason regional coverage as the team to beat in the Southwest.

Why the regional list matters in Texas

Preseason rankings shape early national discussion, television attention and the tone of offseason coverage. They do not decide championships, but they influence how teams are judged from the first kickoff. A high placement can also raise expectations for marquee games and conference races once the schedule starts.

For Houston-area readers, that matters because college football interest here stretches well beyond one campus. Alumni groups, sports bars and local households track the major Texas programs closely each fall. A regional ranking that starts with Texas at No. 1 adds another benchmark as the season approaches.

More detailed movement in these rankings will come after actual results begin to replace preseason projections. The next meaningful shift will arrive once teams start playing regular-season games and national voters update their views based on wins, losses and strength of schedule.

This article is a summary of reporting by USA Today. Read the full story here.