The State of Texas Dominates AP Top 25 With 5 Teams Ranked

ROCKWALL, Texas (TXAN 24) — Texas is well represented in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25, with five Lone Star State programs ranked among the nation’s best entering the 2026 college football season.

The five Texas programs in the AP Top 25 are:

No. 5 — Texas Longhorns

No. 8 — Texas A&M Aggies

No. 12 — Texas Tech Red Raiders

No. 19 — SMU Mustangs

No. 23 — Houston Cougars

Texas accounts for five of the 25 spots in the preseason poll, giving the state one of the strongest concentrations of ranked programs in the country.

The rankings also showcase Texas’ presence across multiple conferences, with the Longhorns and Aggies representing the SEC, Texas Tech and Houston representing the Big 12, and SMU representing the ACC.