NFL bound Xavier Worthy an example that Sarkisian receivers produce early

Steve Sarkisian’s track record of high performing underclassmen receivers bodes well for talented receiver room.

If you’re writing off the Texas Longhorns’ 2024 receiver room you might want to vet those doubts. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian produces stars right away at receiver and it is likely he will do it again.

NFL departure Xavier Worthy and likely to declare tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders are proof of that fact. Both players went off in their first full season as starters at Texas.

Worthy had perhaps the best freshman season any Texas receiver has amassed in 2021. He did so with two quarterbacks who haven’t done much at the college football level since that season. Worthy put up 981 yards and 12 touchdown receptions on 62 catches as a freshman before eventually becoming the focal point that defenses game planned to stop in 2023.

Ja’Tavion Sanders had similar success as a redshirt freshman in 2022. In his first season as a starter, Sanders caught 54 passes for 613 yards and five touchdowns. Sanders will likely leave for the NFL with high draft aspirations.

Perhaps you’re noticing a trend. So far under Steve Sarkisian’s leadership young receivers come to Texas, get developed, produce immediately and go to the NFL.

Next in line for the Longhorns are more talented and highly touted players in five-star wide receivers Johntay Cook and Ryan Wingo. Never mind that the team brings in Houston transfer Matthew Golden who had 12 touchdown grabs in two seasons at Houston.

There’s no reason why Cook and Wingo can’t enjoy the same success Worthy and Sanders had right away as receivers in Austin. We have already seen Cook take the top off of a defense before in limited playing time.

Some places have to worry about receiver development. Texas is not that place. And with two-year starter Quinn Ewers trending to return behind a veteran offensive line with up to four or five double-digit game starters, those talented receivers should have time to get open.

The Texas defensive interior and linebacker are cause for concern for the team, but the offense should keep rolling. Steve Sarkisian develops productive receivers and often has them productive right away. We’ll see which player emerges for the team in 2024.