Tag: texas football roster

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 depth, OL noted as reasons for confidence in 2024 squad

Depth is standing out for Texas early on in the spring.

The Texas Longhorns have championship depth this spring. It is one of the more substantive characteristics of the 2024 squad.

Inside Texas’ Eric Nahlin discussed the team’s depth among several other strengths the Longhorns possess in his latest spring update.

The depth shows up most noticeably along the offensive line where Texas has too many starters than starting spots. That’s not the first time we’ve said that about a position group for the team this offseason.

The post-spring portal window could lead to attrition on the roster. The offensive line in particular boasts several players capable of taking a starting role. Even so, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has done well in retaining players the past two offseasons.

Texas might have experience and continuity in spades, but, save for defensive line and linebacker, the team’s depth could extend past the second string across the board. Through the first few spring practices, depth is one of the reasons Sarkisian and company are confident the Longhorns could be even better next season.

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.

Running Back Preview: Looking at who will contribute for Texas in 2024

How much will Texas split carries in 2024?

Running backs highlight much of the history of Texas football. More rushing success could be on its way this season.

There’s an impressive track record of bell cow backs carrying the team on the field. This year could see multiple backs contribute.

Cedric Baxter Jr. and Jaydon Blue return for another season after carrying the rushing attack after Jonathon Brooks’ injury. In Baxter and Blue, Texas has what could be a top one-two punch in the SEC.

Regardless of what coaches say, it’s easy to see a world in which both backs share carries fairly evenly. Albeit, Baxter might be the first to receive carries with Blue seeing several touches as a change of pace back.

The above two players aren’t the only ones in contention to get the football. Elite running back prospect Jerrick Gibson showed up physically ready for the college game. And if last year with a freshman CJ Baxter is any indication, Texas isn’t afraid to play its young players early.

Gibson and fellow freshman Christian Clark have high ceilings at Texas, but could be ready to play this season.

Second-year running back Tre Wisner could also carve a role for himself in the offense. Wisner isn’t built like your typical running back but has a versatile skill set that could provide value this season.

The Texas running back room has at least five players who could positively impact games if called upon to play. No room is completely injury proof but this position is close. We’ll follow how the room takes shape this spring.

Texas WR DeAndre Moore’s progress worth monitoring in spring football

How much has DeAndre Moore improved since last offseason?

The Texas wide receiver room isn’t as proven as last season, but it might be as talent-rich. Continue reading “Texas WR DeAndre Moore’s progress worth monitoring in spring football”

LOOK: Texas football players, coaches during the first day of spring practice

Here’s a look at the best photos from Texas’ first day of spring practice on Tuesday.

Texas held its first practice of spring ball on Tuesday. Continue reading “LOOK: Texas football players, coaches during the first day of spring practice”

Texas defensive tackle room a unit to watch in the spring

We look at who could step up in the absence of T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy at defensive tackle.

Defensive tackle is the biggest question mark for the Texas football team in 2024. It’s a question because of what it lost at the position. Continue reading “Texas defensive tackle room a unit to watch in the spring”

Musical Chairs: The toughest Texas position battle for 2024

Texas has two starting positions for three plus starters on defense.

The Texas edge rushing room is loaded in 2024. In fact, it’s so loaded that out of three potential all-conference talents one will start games on the bench.

The room starts with Barryn Sorrell who was the lone certainty at the position group an offseason ago. Sorrell led the Texas pass rush with 5.5 sacks in 2022 and was a good player for the team last season with four more sacks for the year.

Among other returning players is Ethan Burke who broke out early last season. Burke put up sacks against Rice and Alabama to start the year before finishing with 5.5 sacks of his own. Albeit, it’s his closing speed and ability to make the shoestring tackle on potential explosive runs that carves some of the most value from the edge position.

Then there’s the addition of Trey Moore who is being billed as perhaps the best player on the team by one source. While there’s some concern as to whether or not his 14 sack season and 22 career sacks at UTSA will transfer to major college football, reports from offseason workouts make one wonder if those concerns are valid.

We haven’t yet mentioned five-star freshman Colin Simmons who comes in looking to make an immediate impact. Justice Finkley, Colton Vasek, Tausili Akana and J’Mond Tapp are among the others looking to make a splash.

Texas has as difficult a decision in who to start at edge as it has anywhere else. That said, it won’t lack for quality depth in 2024. While it’s uncertain who will start at the position, expect heavy rotation and perhaps without much drop off from starter to backup.

Opinion: Texas’ size projects well into its new conference in 2024

Connor Stroh and Sydir Mitchell headline Texas’ list of big humans following weigh-ins.

Texas is built to dominate in the trenches. It’s evident in recent weigh-ins by Longhorns football players. Continue reading “Opinion: Texas’ size projects well into its new conference in 2024”

Former Texas QB Chance Mock praises Texas’ size, athleticism

Chance Mock sees a big difference between the players the Longhorns and Aggies currently have.

Texas is building explosive athletes. Former Longhorns quarterback Chance Mock is taking notice. Continue reading “Former Texas QB Chance Mock praises Texas’ size, athleticism”