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