Tag: isaiah bond

Three Longhorns make CBS Sports analyst’s Top 15 players in CFB

Kelvin Banks leads Texas with three Top 15 players in college football player rankings.

The Texas football offseason hype machine is firing on all cylinders. The Longhorns are viewed as having three of the best players in college football heading into 2024.

CBS Sports analyst Blake Brockermeyer ranked the Top 15 players in college football. Three Texas players made the list.

Checking in at No. 10 was Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks who drew the following explanation for his ranking.

“Banks has had a solid sophomore year and is still on pace to be one of the better tackles in the country but showed a few cracks with added responsibility and a target on him after an incredible freshman year. Still, Banks allowed only one sack and 14 total pressures in 2023 and has what it takes to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s tracking to be a first-round pick; Texas has not had an offensive lineman selected in that round since 2002.”

After Banks at No. 14 was Alabama transfer and presumably Texas’ No. 1 wideout Isaiah Bond. Brockermeyer views Bond as a good replacement for what Texas lost at receiver this offseason.

“Texas landed one of the best wide receivers in the country after losing big time playmakers Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy. Bond is a playmaker — an excellent route runner with the track speed ability to take the top off a defense. In many ways, he’s a fusion of Mitchell and Worthy. Bond led Alabama and was at his best in the clutch. He’ll be WR1 for Quinn Ewers and they’ll depart for the NFL together in 2025.”

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers earned the No. 15 ranking after a good campaign in 20233. Brockermeyer wants to see Ewers continue his progression in the upcoming season.

“Ewers took his game to another level in 2023. There are no excuses, with a loaded offense around him, to not have one of the best seasons in the country in 2024. Ewers has all the traits you want as a quarterback as a pure drop back passer with a cannon for an arm and the ability to make the off-platform throws. I’d like to see him more consistently hit the tight windows. Could be the most important player in college football with all eyes on him as Texas enters the SEC.”

We’ll have a good idea of whether or not Ewers has improved when the Longhorns face the Michigan pass defense in Week 2.

247Sports’ Bud Elliott previews Texas WR Isaiah Bond’s role in Austin

With Isaiah Bond, Texas could be reloading at wide receiver.

Isaiah Bond is set to star at Texas. The wide receiver transfer from Alabama isn’t Xavier Worthy, but he could be the next best thing.

247Sports’ Bud Elliott discussed Bond’s role in replacing college football’s fastest player, Xavier Worthy, who ran an NFL combine record 4.21 second 40-yard dash in March.

“How is Texas going to replace Xavier Worthy? Stud receiver, super speedster, now he’s in the NFL. Well, they went to Alabama. They got Isaiah Bond. You may remember Bond as the guy who caught the fourth-and-a-million heave from Jalen Milroe to beat Auburn in The Plains. Isaiah Bond didn’t put up crazy numbers in 2023. I think part of that was quarterback play. It was his first year starting. But the separation he got on routes ridiculous. Look, nobody’s really as fast as Worthy, … but Bond is probably the best approximation that you could go get.”

Elliott describes Bond as the next best option Texas could have hoped to play in the place of Worthy. He could be right. The staggering separation Bond created last season occurred against SEC secondaries. That he stood out against the conference Texas will face in 2024 perhaps makes him more of a proven commodity than the other receivers on the Longhorns’ roster.

There’s plenty of talent in the reloaded Texas receiver room. The room boasts portal additions in Bond, Matthew Golden (Houston) and Silas Bolden (Oregon State), returning talent primed to play in Johntay Cook and DeAndre Moore, a high upside speedster in Ryan Niblett and a five-star freshman in Ryan Wingo. Bond will look to become the top receiver next season.

Texas WR Isaiah Bond named a newcomer under most pressure

One writer thinks the pressure is on Isaiah Bond.

Isaiah Bond made a splash this offseason when he chose to transfer to Texas away from the Alabama Crimson Tide. The dynamic receiver is now expected to be the primary target in the Texas offense.

Bond’s new role in Austin makes one writer wonder if the pressure is on to produce for his new team. 247Sports’ Grant Hughes named Bond one of the 10 newcomers under the most pressure for the upcoming college football season. He elaborated on Bond’s inclusion on the list.

“Texas’ offense has to replace two potential Day 1 NFL Draft picks Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell, and is putting a lot of that responsibility on Bond. Like other programs on this list, its championship-or-bust for Texas after star quarterback Quinn Ewers opted to spurn the pros and return to Austin. He’ll have plenty of new toys to play with next season, and Bond is expected to be the de facto No. 1 target despite entering his junior season with less than 900 yards receiving in his career.”

Pressure is one way to look at what is presented to Bond. Now the receiver will be tasked with being the alpha of a brand new receiver room.

In contrast, the Alabama transfer now gets the opportunity to play in Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense. He should be afforded plenty of time to get open alongside a Longhorns offensive line that has excelled in pass protection the last two seasons. The line returns four starters.

In addition, Bond will catch passes from a third year veteran in starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. The two appear to be on the same page in spring practices.

The pressure might be there for Bond, but that’s nothing new since moving from Alabama. Texas will look to fully utilize the downfield passing threat in 2024.

Wide Receiver Preview: Looking at tough decisions on Texas depth chart

Texas has a good problem in having too many quality receivers to start.

Position battles in the Texas wide receiver room are far from settled. The competitive position group is versatile and set to produce three quality starters.

For head coach Steve Sarkisian, the team may have to strike the right balance between playing transfer portal players and playing the players that committed to Sarkisian and established the current culture in Austin.

At the start of camp, second year receiver Johntay Cook passed the eye test as much as any of the Texas pass catchers. He no longer looks like the undersized freshman that took the field in 2023. Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond rivals Cook for the role of primary receiver in the Texas offense.

Bond went for 668 yards and four touchdowns on 48 receptions last season. Cook had eight catches for 136 yards in 2023. While both put up explosive plays in their last campaign, Bond’s experience could be the tiebreaker in regard to who gets the football with the game on the line.

Regardless of which player gets the most targets, Bond and Cook appear to be the dynamic duo that will get the most opportunities out of the receiving corps. Several others are set to contribute.

Houston transfer Matthew Golden and second year player DeAndre Moore Jr. have seen plenty of buzz for their efforts over the course of the offseason. Both seem to be in the process of reserving targets of their own for the upcoming season.

Golden is the more accomplished of the two players with 13 touchdown receptions and 988 yards in two seasons at Houston. But Moore’s work ethic and consistency have lifted him into playing time consideration through the first few practices of spring.

Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden was viewed as a player who could add a dimension to the Longhorns offense. Bolden hauled in 54 receptions for 746 yards and five touchdowns for Oregon State last season. He has ground to make up, but Sarkisian and company could be holding a spot for him in the receiver rotation.

Freshman wide receiver Ryan Wingo is an interesting player to watch. The five-star talent from Missouri looks the part. Presumably he could contribute right away if called upon to play, but we don’t expect he will have to contribute. It would be because he earned the opportunity.

Second-year speedster Ryan Niblett is noteworthy for his ability to present a downfield vertical threat and run after the catch. Niblett, like Bond and Cook, has the type of speed to leave defenders in the dust. Like Bolden, Niblett could be a weapon in presnap motion or as a receiver in bubble screens.

Texas’ receiver room does not have players as proven as last season’s receiving trio of Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington. That said, it boasts the firepower to have a more explosive and productive offense than it did in 2023.

On3 Sports asks their biggest question for Texas football in 2024

We look at On3’s biggest question for Texas football in 2024.

The Texas Longhorns, like every other football team, have questions heading into the spring. They just might not have as many questions as others.

On3 Sports identified a big one in their questions for every SEC team. They ask if Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will click with his new receiver corps.

Jesse Simonton had the following to say of the Longhorns’ challenge of translating talent to offensive fit for several productive transfer players.

“The Longhorns will enter next season ranked in the Top 3 of most preseason polls, but aside from quarterback Quinn Ewers, Steve Sarkisian’s offense will be breaking in totally new personnel. NFL Combine stars Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell are gone. Same for tight end JT Sanders. Former 5-star Johntay Cook will see an increased role, while newcomers Isaiah Bond, Silas Bolden, Matthew Golden and tight end Amari Niblack must all be immersed within the offense. Does Ewers find a new go-to target? Can the group develop the requisite chemistry and timing to continue to be one of the most electric offenses in the country?”

Ewers’ ability to sync routes with new receivers will be worth monitoring in the upcoming season. While some viewed his lack of production with receiver Xavier Worthy as a red flag, detractors may not take into account how difficult it is to hit 4.21 second 40-yard dash speed in stride.

While it took time to consistently connect with Worthy on passes downfield, it took Ewers and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell all of one offseason to become one of the better duos in the Big 12. The question is, which players on the current roster will be Ewers’ top targets in 2024?

Texas WR Isaiah Bond among Bleacher Report’s breakout players for 2024

“Bond should immediately become the No. 1 option for Quinn Ewers in a rebuilt Texas offense.”

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian struck gold in the transfer portal this offseason. Continue reading “Texas WR Isaiah Bond among Bleacher Report’s breakout players for 2024”

Texas ranks No. 7 in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings

Despite a small portal class, the Texas Longhorns have the No. 7 team portal ranking per 247Sports.

The transfer portal is as active as it has been in its short existence. The Texas Longhorns are one of the teams most taking advantage of the portal.

Despite just a handful of portal additions, the Longhorns rank No. 7 in the country in team portal rankings per 247Sports.

The team’s portal class goes includes safety Andrew Mukuba (Clemson), wide receiver Matthew Golden (Houston), edge rusher Trey Moore (UTSA), wide receiver Isaiah Bond (Alabama), linebacker Kendrick Blackshire (Alabama), wide receiver Silas Bolden (Oregon State) and tight end Amari Niblack (Alabama).

Two teams from the Longhorns’ new conference top the portal list. Ole Miss, who transformed its starting lineup with several impact additions ranks as No. 1 in the portal rankings. Texas A&M, who filled several roster vacancies out of need, added 23 players through the portal.

Oregon, Florida State and Colorado round out the top five teams in the portal class. Teams will look to capitalize on their portal additions in 2024.

247Sports ranks Texas No. 1 for best QB-WR duo in college football

Quinn Ewers and Isaiah Bond could be lethal in 2024.

It’s no secret that Texas will field one of the top offenses in college football for the 2024 season. Continue reading “247Sports ranks Texas No. 1 for best QB-WR duo in college football”

Texas has two of the Top 10 transfers in the SEC according to On3 Sports

Texas’ transfer portal haul stacks up with the best of the SEC.

The Texas Longhorns are reloading in the transfer portal. Another sporting outlet is taking notice of the team’s strong portal haul. Continue reading “Texas has two of the Top 10 transfers in the SEC according to On3 Sports”

CFB analyst Josh Pate discusses Texas’ transfer portal haul

“When it comes to talent acquisition, Texas is rolling.”

Texas is reloading. The Longhorns look to be near as talented as they were last season with more experience at key positions. Most notably, starting quarterback Quinn Ewers and several offensive linemen enter their third seasons as starters in Austin.

This year’s transfer portal haul is what impresses one college football analyst. Josh Pate of 247Sports shared the following thoughts on how the Longhorns have filled needs outside of key returning players.

“When it comes to talent acquisition, Texas is rolling. They got six out of eight kids as blue chippers out of the (transfer) portal. They added three wide receivers. This was imperative. AD Mitchell is gone, Xavier Worthy is gone and they went and added three receivers that will be immediate impact guys.”

The receiving corps won’t be the same. You don’t lose unique NFL talents like Worthy and Mitchell and replace them with the same skill sets. Those players are one of a kind. The receiving corps should still be excellent. Pate continued, acknowledging what Texas added at receiver in the portal.

“I’m excited to see what (Alabama transfer wide receiver) Isaiah Bond is in that offense. They also got (Amari) Niblack, the tight end from Alabama. And so, they backfilled their pass catchers fairly effectively. Now, they gotta pan out. And as we have seen, portal acquisitions do not pan out at as high a hit rate as traditional recruiting for obvious reasons. But Texas has been really good at this.”

There are no guarantees when it comes to transfers. A handful of transfers have not panned out at Texas. Nevertheless, the Longhorns have done well in utilizing portal players like Ewers and Mitchell in recent seasons.

Texas appears to be reloading. It will look to put things all together in 2024.