Tag: Silas Bolden

Quinn Ewers building chemistry with new WR weapons

While the talented trio is still building chemistry with their new quarterback, they bring plenty of experience to the table

When the Longhorns open the 2024 campaign against Colorado State, the wide receiver room will look very different than a year ago. During the offseason, Texas turned to the transfer portal to bring Quinn Ewers new weapons, which led to the additions of Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond, and Silas Bolden.

While the talented trio is still building chemistry with their new quarterback, they bring plenty of experience to the table. That has stood out to Ewers in practice.

“I think experience plays a huge role and that sort of thing. But you know, at the end of the day, we have to form our own chemistry,” Ewers told Sports Illustrated. “Last year, it was Year 2 for me and those wide outs — except for (Adonai Mitchell), he was a transfer — but it was year two for most of those guys, and I had to kinda figure out their timing on, you know, how long it takes them to run 12 yards and break out or break in.”

Last season at Alabama, Bond showed that he could be a productive piece, recording 48 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns. Bolden was vital to the Oregon State offense, hauling in 51 catches for 718 yards and five touchdowns. He also made an impact on the ground, rushing for 84 yards and finding the end zone twice.

Rounding out the list is Golden, who had 38 catches for 404 yards and six touchdowns for the Houston Cougars last season. All three of the Longhorns’ new receivers made an impact in their old programs and will now look to build on their success in a tough SEC conference.

While they will all be under more pressure than ever before, it is a challenge they are ready for. Over the last few weeks, Ewers’ focus has been figuring out their timing so the offense can hit the ground running this weekend.

Looking at how the Longhorns could win in different ways in 2024

Texas might be constructed differently but the high volume of wins could be the same in 2024.

There are several ways to win a football game. The Texas Longhorns proved that in 2023 winning both lower scoring battles and shootouts.

What’s true of game styles can also be true of roster construction. Texas will likely have different strengths and its players will have different skillsets in 2024.

Many Texas supporters are wringing their hands over the vacancies left by departing impact defensive tackles T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. To be clear, Texas wasn’t going to find comparable impact players at defensive tackle for the upcoming season. Having two players of that caliber is a unique luxury. The Longhorns defensive line was going to have to win elsewhere after the two players left.

It’s fully possible Alfred Collins becomes an all-SEC player at defensive tackle despite not having Murphy or Sweat opposite him. Yet while the team might lack on the interior, its edge rush should be the best its been since Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat played defensive end for Texas.

The team has four players who have compiled a five-sack season and adds five-star edge rusher Collin Simmons to the defense. UTSA transfer Trey Moore put up 14 sacks over the past season. With an edge rush as potent as Texas could have in 2024, it might simply need gap pluggers at defensive tackle. The Longhorns have that on campus.

Texas is going to win games differently on offense as well. The skill players will be different and so will be their style of play. Presently, there is no tight end as dynamic as Ja’Tavion Sanders though we like what Gunnar Helm could bring at the position. There is no big frame proven wide receiver like Adonai Mitchell on the team. There are, however, several dynamic receivers to get the football.

Houston transfer receiver Matthew Golden not only has strong speed, route running and catching ability, but has the experience to back it up. He knows how to run to open grass and put a strain on a defense.

Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond powerfully explodes out of breaks unlike any Texas receiver I have seen. Bond, Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden and former five-star Johntay Cook should take the top off defenses as they did last season. Albeit, Cook saw less opportunity despite making the most of his playing time. Perhaps none of them run routes as seamlessly as Worthy, but they should find ways to get open.

Texas is going to win games differently in 2024. It won’t have the defensive interior it had last season, but it should be better at defensive back, edge, offensive line, and quarterback with starting quarterback Quinn Ewers’ trajectory of improvement. The team will still be strong at wide receiver and linebacker.

Winning differently won’t change the column in which Texas puts its wins. The team will look to embrace a different style of play in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s fourth season in Austin.

Texas adds another transfer wide receiver to talented 2024 room

Texas adds another wide receiver to the 2024 roster.

Only days after adding Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, Texas has landed yet another significant contributor. Texas is seemingly becoming a loaded 2024 wide receiver room Tuesday night in Oregon State transfer Silas Bolden.

An experienced wide receiver, Bolden has seen action across each of the last four seasons at Oregon State, amassing a combined 80 receptions for 1,076 yards and nine touchdowns.

The former Beaver has also rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns on 21 attempts during that span, as well as ranking as one of the Pac-12’s top kickoff returners the last two years, which included a conference-best 27.2 yards per return during the 2022 campaign.

As for the 2023 campaign, Bolden was the Beavers top wideout this past fall by accounting for 54 receptions, which translated to 746 yards and five touchdowns. Bolden also rushed for two more scores, as well as averaged 23.1 yards per kickoff return.

Now joining a loaded Texas offensive picture in 2024, Bolden, alongside the aforementioned Bond, adds experience and depth to a talented Longhorns wide receiver room that is set to replace the likes of Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell.

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Texas lands commitments from two transfers on Tuesday

BOOM! Silas Bolden and Kendrick Blackshire commit to Texas on Tuesday, bolstering the roster for 2024.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is riding a wave of momentum. Continue reading “Texas lands commitments from two transfers on Tuesday”

Texas is expected to host former Oregon State WR Silas Bolden

Silas accounted for 746 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

With Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Jordan Whittington all declaring for the NFL draft, the Texas wide receiver room will have a lot of new faces in 2024. Continue reading “Texas is expected to host former Oregon State WR Silas Bolden”

Auburn offers Oregon State transfer WR Silas Bolden

Auburn has entered the mix for transfer wide receiver Silas Bolden.

Auburn has already landed two transfer wide receivers this cycle but [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is not done looking for help. On Wednesday, the Tigers offered former Oregon State wideout [autotag]Silas Bolden[/autotag], who entered the portal on Tuesday.

He is coming off a strong junior season for the Beavers, where he caught 54 passes for 746 yards and five touchdowns. He added two rushing touchdowns and also returned a punt for a touchdown.

The 5-foot-8, 157-pounder is originally from Rancho Cucamonga, California, and signed with Oregon State in 2020 as a three-star prospect. His stock has risen after three years with the Beavers and he has reported nine offers since entering the portal, including ones from USC, Michigan State, Mississippi State and Auburn.

Auburn has already signed two transfer wideouts this cycle in Robert Lewis (Georgia State) and Sam Jackson V (Cal), but is looking for more experineced optiuons to pair with their impressive class of incoming freshman.

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Michigan State football offers Oregon State star transfer WR Silas Bolden

Michigan State football offers Oregon State star transfer WR Silas Bolden

One of the most exciting players on Oregon State’s offense under new MSU coach Jonathan Smith was wide receiver Silas Bolden. Bolden recently entered the NCAA transfer portal, and Michigan State football extended an offer to Bolden on Wednesday night.

Bolden caught 54 passes for 746 yards last season for the Beavers.

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USC gives former Oregon State receiver an offer in the transfer portal

USC, already with multiple Oregon State transfers, tries to get another.

The transfer portal has been busy for USC and a lot of other college football programs. Malachi Nelson entered in a bit of a surprising move. On Tuesday, the Trojans landed Tufts (Division III) receiver Jaden Richardson in what could be a very underrated signing.

Now, the Trojans have offered Silas Bolden, an Oregon State transfer who just entered the portal. Bolden announced the offer from USC on his X account on Tuesday night. Bolden had just entered the portal on Tuesday and USC wasted no time making an offer for him.

Bolden just finished his junior season with 718 yards and five touchdowns on 51 receptions in an expanded role for Oregon State, but the departures of Jonathan Smith to Michigan State and DJ Uiagalelei to Florida State have sent a lot of changes throughout the roster in Corvallis under new head coach Trent Bray. It’s very understandable that Bolden would want a fresh start. Lincoln Riley has noticed.

The Trojans are active in the portal and need to augment their 2024 roster heading into the Big Ten.

Sun Bowl: Oregon State without top receiver for second half

This won’t help Oregon State’s chances.

Oregon State’s offense struggled mightily to move the ball in the first half of Friday’s Sun Bowl against Notre Dame and that task will get even more difficult in the final 30 minutes.

The Beavers have officially ruled receiver Silas Bolden out for the second half due to injury.  Bolden had three receptions for 28 yards in the first half (Oregon State totaled just 103-yards in the first half).  He also led the Beavers with 51 receptions for 718 yards and five touchdowns this year.

Notre Dame is looking for their 10th win of the season, something they’ve accomplished five times since the 2017 season.