Ahead of a highly anticipated season where they are already national title favorites with a top Heisman contender in Arch Manning, the Texas Longhorns made history with their place at No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25 for Aug. 4.

If the poll is any indication, Bret Bielema's peers think much more highly of the Illini this season than a number of experts

Allar was a 5-star recruit and the No. 3 overall player in 247Sports' ranking for the 2022 class. He's by far the best QB of the Franklin era. The Ohio native made positive strides under first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. His completion percentage rose from 59.9 to 66.5, and he averaged 8.4 yards per attempt compared to 6.8 in 2024.