Each football team’s roster depth cannot be measured. It’s subjective.

Just how good are the backups anyway? Well, you can’t tell until the starters come off the field.

If the first four games are any indication, No. 1 Texas has eye-popping depth up and down its roster. That might be the secret ingredient to success in its first year of SEC play.

“They’re not counting their reps. They’re making their reps count,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “And I think that that we've got a team full of guys that are selfless, that that pull for one another, that understand the value of having the depth that we have.”

Take any position you want, and the Longhorns can showcase multiple talents.

WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE: Follow A to Z Sports’ Texas Longhorns channel on YouTube.

Texas might have the best 1-2 quarterback punch in college football. Quinn Ewers was sidelined last week with an abdominal strain, and he’s listed as questionable for Saturday’s SEC opener against Mississippi State (1-3, 0-1 SEC). But the Horns have backup Arch Manning at the ready.

Here’s what Texas QB Quinn Ewers must do to convince Steve Sarkisian he should play in SEC opener

Quinn Ewers did practice on Monday, but his status for Saturday’s game is still questionable

At running back, the Horns lost projected starter CJ Baxter and backup Christian Clark during training camp. But Jaydon Blue, Quintrevion Wisner and Jerrick Gibson have the Horns ranked eighth in rushing among SEC schools (189.8 yards per game)

The receiver room is arguably the deepest in the conference. Isaiah Bond has been clocked among the fastest players in college football. Matthew Golden, Silas Bolden and Ryan Wingo are all making contributions.

The Longhorns have rolled in multiple offensive linemen, too. “When it comes to the trenches, people get banged up. That’s the nature of the game,” center Jake Majors said. “And when you can have guys roll in and there’s no drop off in the level of play, that’s what allows you to play in these tough conferences like the SEC.”

Defensively, it’s even more impressive. The Longhorns have multiple players who can handle multiple positions in the defensive backfield. The Horns were without Derek Williams Jr. last weekend against Louisiana-Monroe but didn’t miss a beat. ULM managed only three points.

The linebackers are really flexing their muscles these last few games. Veteran Anthony Hill Jr. got his first interception and nearly had a pick-six if not for a penalty. Sophomore Liona Lefau, who played mostly on special teams last season, made a tackle for a safety, and freshman Ty’Anthony Smith is turning heads with speed.

This is no fluke, the Texas defense is real, ready for the SEC after another strong showing vs. ULM

After four games, the Longhorns are among the top-five defensive units in college football

“Coach Sark says it all the time. He's built the team whereas regardless if its the ones, twos, threes or fours that you’re going to get the best of Texas,” senior linebacker David Gbenda said. “And the standard is the standard.”

Up front, Texas went heavy into the portal after losing two NFL draft picks and haven’t missed a beat. But keep tabs on edge rusher Colin Simmons, who has two sacks so far as a freshman. The Horns are allowing just 96.3 rushing yards per game and have the fifth-best overall defense among all FBS teams.

“Honestly, from our perspective of us speaking about the young guys, it makes me excited, and really I’d say appreciative of what we’ve had in previous years and what we built to us talking about the younger guys coming in,” Gbenda said. “Because in previous years, we weren't having the same conversations.”

It’s all that veteran experience and athletic depth that will make the difference in the long grind of the SEC season and into the College Football Playoffs.

“These last four weeks, it was really nice to see a lot of the young guys play,” Hill said. “So it feels real good. I feel like we're ready to roll.”