Tag: Isaiah Neyor

Paul Wadlington, Randy Boone discuss Texas WR Isaiah Neyor’s impact

Imagine being able to alternate between receivers like AD Mitchell and Isaiah Neyor. Texas doesn’t have to imagine it.

Texas wide receiver Isaiah Neyor is back, and he’s attacking 2023 with a vengeance. The talented wideout once viewed as the piece to put last year’s offense over the top appears to be working his way back to form.

Paul Wadlington and former Texas Longhorns pitcher Randy Boone discussed what Neyor brings to the current squad. Boone led off the conversation.

“I think (Isaiah Neyor) changes the offense more than most people think.”

Neyor does change the offense. The most valuable way probably involves providing quarterback Quinn Ewers a downfield threat with consistent hands and good tracking ability. Put simply, the former Wyoming transfer who once averaged 20 yards per reception and caught 15 touchdown passes is going to put the Longhorns in the end zone.

Paul Wadlington went on to discuss Texas’ loaded receiver room.

“If you can roll Neyor, (AD) Mitchell, (Jordan) Whittington, (Xavier) Worthy in basically a constant rotation. You know, throw Johntay Cook in there, DeAndre Moore. And you just keep wearing on people … it’s exciting to think about the weapons.”

The team has an embarrassment of riches at receiver. Having two players like AD Mitchell and Isaiah Neyor with similar frame and skillset makes Texas exciting to watch in 2023. It should translate to better offensive play on the field.

Texas Football: Players with new jersey numbers ahead of 2023

Several players will be sporting new numbers this season.

The time has come where we finally know what jersey number each player on the Texas roster will be rocking in 2023. Continue reading “Texas Football: Players with new jersey numbers ahead of 2023”

Looking at how wild cards could raise Texas’ ceiling in 2023

Texas is going to be good. Wild card players will determine if it is great.

Texas returns its fair share of certainty heading into the 2023 season. Though the team seemingly always has talent, this year’s squad has developed talent. Several preseason predictions seem to confirm that notion.

The Longhorns have a high floor. We know the team is going to get reliable play at receiver, tight end, both tackles, linebacker, cornerback and safety. It’s elsewhere that will determine whether Texas is a conference title contender or simply a good team.

Earlier this offseason we singled out Quinn Ewers as the determining factor for the team’s success. If Ewers plays up to the pedigree that placed him in the same tier as five-star quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, Texas is going to win a Big 12 championship and make the playoff. That outcome should not be expected.

Several players can take pressure away from Ewers. Topping that list are dynamic wide receivers AD Mitchell and Isaiah Neyor. Both Neyor and Mitchell have been slowed by injury despite performing at elite levels when healthy. On the defensive side, All-SEC transfer Jalen Catalon should cover whatever field fellow safety Jerrin Thompson isn’t occupying.

Freshman receiver Johntay Cook. linebacker Anthony Hill and running back Cedric Baxter Jr. are among underclassmen who can make impact contributions. If they do, Texas can push toward heights the program hasn’t seen in a long while.

The Longhorns are likely going to be good this season. Wild cards will determine just how good they play.

Looking at Texas WR depth following the loss of Brenen Thompson

These six players weren’t going to be supplanted by Brenen Thompson on the depth chart.

Former Texas wide receiver Brenen Thompson is set to leave Austin, Texas. It appears he plans to transfer to The University of Oklahoma.

Thompson is an excellent athlete and has the ability to make a significant impact at his next stop. Nevertheless, there wasn’t a path onto the two-deep for the player this season due to transfer additions and one of the program’s best ever wide receiver recruiting classes.

We predicted in February that Thompson could fall in the depth chart after running track instead of participating in spring football. That wasn’t a knock against the talented player, but a reflection on how much the receiver room improves with transfer receivers AD Mitchell and Isaiah Neyor.

There wasn’t anything wrong with his decision to run track. Even so, it was head coach Steve Sarkisian’s prerogative to elevate players like Johntay Cook and Casey Cain for working with the team year round. Cook and Cain won that tie breaker and are more polished route runners presently.

Thompson wasn’t going to play many snaps at Texas this season. Here’s a look at the all but solidified two-deep of Longhorns receivers.

Texas Football: 12 takeaways from the Orange-White spring game

The offense put on a show unlike we’re used to seeing in the spring game.

The Texas Longhorns put their 2023 squad on display in Saturday’s Orange and White game. While we don’t want to make too much of the meaningless scrimmage, it looks like a handful of offensive players could be special.

The Texas offense went off in Saturday’s game. The most noticeable contribution came from the trio of Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and AD Mitchell. Heading into the scrimmage, it seemed apparent that the wide receiver room was the strength of the team. That’s a testament to the work head coach Steve Sarkisian has done in receiver recruiting.

When Sarkisian took over at Texas, the cupboard was bare at receiver and offensive linemen. Those positions have vastly transformed as we saw firsthand in Saturday’s exhibition.

Texas’ top two quarterbacks made a number of plays as the offense looked better than usual in spring games. Quinn Ewers looked to have improved at the quarterback position, while Maalik Murphy proved able to step in and win games at the quarterback position.

Let’s look at our takeaways from the spring game.

Texas Football: Grading each position group prior to spring game

We grade each position on the football team.

Texas has a stacked roster heading into the 2023 season. We feel strongly about that fact. Barring a colossal breakdown in the Orange and White game, that judgment of the roster won’t change.

The biggest development of the 2023 spring sessions has been the emergence of defensive tackle Alfred Collins. Bobby Burton and Paul Wadlington of Inside Texas detailed his improvement in a podcast episode last week.

If Collins can step into his potential, the Texas defense can be disruptive and destructive in the upcoming season. While much of the focus for the current roster will go to the offense, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski might have a unit capable of carrying the team.

While there are plenty of strong position groups, there are a handful of question marks heading into the 2023 season. With that in mind, let’s grade each position group heading into the spring game.

Texas Football: What we want to see in the spring game

What to watch in the annual Orange-White game on April 15.

Spring football is in full force across college football. And while there’s not much we can glean from the sessions, we would still like to see progress in a few areas.

Some are of the belief that spring practices are wholly unimportant. For the cemented starter that might be true. For those pushing for starting roles, the sessions could have significant bearing on depth chart positioning.

Sophomore offensive lineman Cole Hutson won a starting spot last spring. Hutson won a starting bid in a room that included five-star lineman DJ Campbell and highly regarded freshmen Neto Umeozulu, Malik Agbo, and Cam Williams among others. 2023 early enrollees will look to follow Hutson’s blueprint by putting in the work prior to fall camp.

Here’s a look at what we want to see from Texas’ annual Orange-White game on April 15.

Steve Sarkisian updates Texas WR Isaiah Neyor’s health

Isaiah Neyor is back on the practice field running routes.

Texas wide receiver Isaiah Neyor is making his comeback. The talented pass catcher made his way onto the practice field and looked good running routes and catching passes.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said the following of Neyor’s ramp up toward playing in the 2023 season.

He looked as good as he’s looked. His rehab has gone really well for him, not only physically but mentally. Any time you have surgery like that, as much as it is the physical rehab, it’s the mental rehab … I think that gradually working him back in at the rate that we’re going is a good sign for where we need to be come the fall.

Neyor is a true X-Factor for the football program heading into a pivotal third season with head coach Steve Sarkisian. In many ways, he presents some of the offense’s greatest upside because of his versatility. Texas hopes he will return to the player he was prior to his injury.

Dates to know for the Texas football offseason

Put these offseason dates for Texas football in your calendar.

The Texas football season is year round. Running backs coach Tashard Choice updated fans on how the Longhorns will spend their offseason and how supporters can participate in offseason activity.

This offseason figures to be less eventful than the last despite plenty of talented players pushing for playing time. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has more reason for faith in his quarterback Quinn Ewers than he had in a neck-and-neck quarterback battle with Hudson Card. Now, the team can focus on fine-tuning its lineup rather than opting for an overhaul.

Multiple players will garner fans’ attention led by freshman quarterback Arch Manning. The Louisiana product likely won’t see as much playing time this season, but spring will give fans a first look at Arch in burnt orange.

Jalen Catalon, AD Mitchell and Isaiah Neyor figure to be the biggest impact additions for the team this year. Their impact will be worth monitoring over the spring and fall.

Here are a few dates to know about the Longhorns’ offseason timeline.

Forecasting what could prevent Texas football from reaching 10 wins

We look at what could keep the Longhorns from reaching 10 wins.

Texas should win 10 games in 2023. I predicted as much in my way-too-early record predictions. Continue reading “Forecasting what could prevent Texas football from reaching 10 wins”