Five prospects I have my eyes on this spring to make a big time splash for the 2024 Longhorns.

***

DL Jaray Bledsoe – Redshirt Sophomore

Bledsoe has all of the athleticism you could desire for a defensive lineman. After seeing just 85 snaps in 2023, Bledsoe certainly qualifies into the breakout category for the spring. Texas must find suitable replacements for T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, can Bledsoe jump into the rotation? Again, the athleticism is there and now that Bledsoe is north of 290 pounds, it feels like the stars are aligning to finally see an increase in on-field role for Texas this spring.

WR DeAndre Moore – Sophomore

A lot of talk around the Texas wide receiver room is around the transfer portal additions, as well as the incoming early enrollees. However, Moore is entering his second year in the system and is in the conversation for having the most refined routes of anyone on the roster. Of Moore's 92 snaps last fall, 40 came in the slot. 

DB Jelani McDonald – Sophomore

The versatile secondary member is now firmly in the boat at the safety position which is something I am very much a fan of. McDonald was previously split between linebacker, safety and potentially cornerback when he first arrived in Austin, and now Blake Gideon is in charge of molding him into a big-time ballplayer. The 6-foot-2 DB will have the opportunity to crack the rotation Texas has used at the safety spot over the last two seasons. With Andrew Mukuba, Michael Taaffe and Derek Williams looking for a fourth member, McDonald will be tasked with fending off early enrollee Xavier Filsaime for the role.

OL Neto Umeozulu – Redshirt Sophomore

We have mentioned it here on OTF over the last few months there might be some changes coming to the Texas offensive line. The left guard position will have a lot of eyes on it this spring as Hayden Conner looks to fight off Cole Hutson and Neto. The light flicked on for Umeozulu at the end of the regular season and into bowl practices last fall, now it is time to keep it on full time. If that is the case, the expectations that have risen over time now have the opportunity to come to fruition as the former Allen Eagle enters year three.

CB Warren Roberson – Redshirt Freshman 

Texas returns two starting cornerbacks on the outside with Malik Muhammad and Terrance Brooks. Though, it remains a thin room and if we have learned anything over the last couple of years, the Longhorn staff likes to rotate their DB's. Warren Roberson entered college as an extremely twitchy prospect that Texas had to pry from the grasp of TCU – a program with plenty of history in developing defensive backs. Roberson will have plenty of opportunity to make plays this spring with run against the top unit often, despite just two snaps on the field in 2023. I have a feeling we will hear his name often this spring.

The 2024 Texas roster consists of plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but it will take some interesting configurations from the staff to maximize the rotations and on-field performance.

***

Quarterback:

Quinn Ewers & Arch Manning

This is not expected to be too much of a battle. Quinn Ewers has the vocal support of Steve Sarkisian and entering year three in the Texas system, Ewers is the man for the Longhorns in 2024.

Running Back

CJ Baxter vs. Jaydon Blue + Savion Red, Tre Wisner, Christian Clark, Jerrick Gibson

At the moment we suspect the first team RB carries to be split into Baxter and Blue for the most part this spring. Though there is plenty of depth which comes with a ton of talent. At 240 pounds, Savion Red provides a build and skillset no other Longhorn possesses at the moment. Either of the freshmen can make a splash as well. Talented room, we will see how the splits work itself out.

Wide Receiver

Isaiah Bond and Johntay Cook vs. Matthew Golden, Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore

A completely new room for Quinn Ewers to throw to this spring. Only Johntay Cook has caught a pass from Ewers in a Longhorns uniform before. Outside of theorizing, it is tough to pinpoint the starting three wide receivers for the spring, meaning this group is wide open for Ewers and Sarkisian to adopt into the vaunted Circle of Trust. 

Right now, my gut tells me to lean on the receivers with experience – Bond and Golden, with Cook being the top returner from 2023.

Tight End

Gunnar Helm vs. Amari Niblack

This is a fun, interesting battle for the Longhorns. There is a clear discrepancy in the skillsets provided by both tight end. Helm has plenty of in-line experience which overshadows his role as a downfield receiver, which is a 180 from what we know of Amari Niblack. To begin the spring, you can expect to see Helm as your TE1. Will that change? We will see, but there will be plenty of competition here.

Offensive Line

LG: Hayden Conner, Cole Hutson & Neto Umeozulu

You can lock in left tackle, center, right guard and potentially right tackle for starting spots in the spring. Though we know there will be some movement at left guard. Can you expect Hayden Conner to fight off Hutson and Umeozulu? A fully healthy Cole Hutson has plenty of talent and experience to make noise here. Plus, the final month of practice from Neto Umeozulu revealed a prospect that has turned the corner here. Left guard is going to be very interesting this spring.

Defensive Line

Nose Guard

Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins don't necessarily have the ideal bodies for the nose guard spot – someone who can plant their feet and hold their ground on a double team. Tiaoalii Savea is added to the group of Aaron Bryant and Jaray Bledsoe as well. At 372 pounds, I am a bit skeptical of what to expect from Sydir Mitchell this spring. And then of course that leads us to early enrollee Alex January who has lost 10+ pounds and comes in with plenty of hunger. This is my favorite battle of the spring.

Defensive End

Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell vs. Colin Simmons, Trey Moore and Justice Finkley

The two returning starters from a year ago are going to be pushed and tested from the moment pads get thrown on this spring. Adding Trey Moore from UTSA will provide the most immediate heat on Burke and Sorrell. Texas has not seen a pass rushing prospect with the hype and talent arrive in Austin with the level of Colin Simmons in over a decade. Plus, we saw spurts of Justice Finkley towards the end of the season, can he turn that corner to become a true contestant for a starting job? 

Linebacker

Mike Position – David Gbenda vs. Kendrick Blackshire, Liona Lefau and Derion Gullette

You can lock in Anthony Hill Jr. for a starting spot in the middle of the defense – I believe it is safe to assume it will be at the WILL backer. Now, where does the Robin to Hill's Batman come from? David Gbenda will be the first backer out of the bunch with the Texas starting 11 when spring football gets going. Kendrick Blackshire may not possess the best skillset for a three-down backer, but moving into the SEC his role is significantly larger than it would have been a year ago. Then of course what emerges out of Lefau and Gullette, two ultra-talented backers hungry to crack the starting 11.

Nickel

Jahdae Barron

Jahdae Barron is back and is rocking a new No. 7 at the nickel spot. There won't be too much of a battle here. But the question becomes, when or if Barron sees snaps at outside cornerback, who takes his spot? Austin Jordan and Jaylon Guilbeau will be battling for a third consecutive year. Plus, early enrollee Wardell Mack is getting run at nickel as well.

Cornerback

Malik Muhammad and Terrance Brooks vs. the rest of the room

Ryan Watts departs for the NFL, but luckily for the Longhorns, there were extended snaps in 2023 for guys like Malik Muhammad and Gavin Holmes. The Longhorns leaned heavier to the side of Muhammad than they did Holmes and there is reason to believe it will be the two former DFW stars to begin spring as the CB duo. Warren Roberson will enter year two as a backup and Kobe Black will be a freshman looking to make noise on the outside.

Safety

Andrew Mukuba, Derek Williams, Michael Taaffe, Xavier Filsaime

This unit is significantly more talented than we saw a year ago with the athleticism noticeably more abundant. As a result, the back half of the Texas defense should be able to bring more splash plays to the Texas defense in 2024. Now, we know the Longhorn staff likes to rotate in the backend of the secondary very often. Derek Williams and Michael Taaffe were the two DBs to play the majority of second half snaps against Washington in the Sugar Bowl last year, though it is hard to imagine Mukuba not seeing the field early and often in 2024. Pretty fun battle when you added in what is arguably the early enrollee who has made the most noise in winter conditioning so far.

The second round of the Big 12 tournament begins today in Kansas City. And that includes the No. 7 seed Texas Longhorns taking on No. 10 seed Kansas State at 6 p.m. central (Big 12/ESPN+). 

For Texas (20-11, 9-9), a win or loss won't likely change anything from an NCAA Tournament seeding standpoint. If the bracketology projections are correct, Texas is locked into an 8/9 seed win or lose today. But a win over Kansas State today would send Texas into Thursday against No. 2 seed Iowa State with an opportunity to secure a 7 seed with a win. That makes the Big 12 Tournament meaningful for the Longhorns. 

Kansas State (18-13, 8-10) enters the Big 12 Tournament playing for their NCAA Tournament lives. Headed into the game, the Wildcats will not make the Field of 68. Not only does KSU need to beat Texas today, but also needs to beat No. 2 seed Iowa State Thursday. 

OnTexasFootball takes a look at the rankings and scenarios headed into the Big 12 Tournament.

2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship

Tuesday, March 12
Game 1: No. 12 UCF 77,  No. 13 Oklahoma State 64 (Season over for the Cowboys)
Game 2: No. 11 Cincinnati 90, No. 14 West Virginia 85 (Season over for the Mountaineers)

Wednesday, March 13
Game 3: No. 5 BYU vs. No. 12 UCF (ESPN2), 11:30 a.m.  CT/10:30 a.m. MT
Game 4: No. 8 TCU vs. No. 9 Oklahoma (Big 12 Now on ESPN+), 2 p.m. CT
Game 5: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Kansas State (Big 12 Now on ESPN+), 6 p.m. CT
Game 6: No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 11 Cincinnati (ESPN2), 8:30 p.m. CT

Thursday, March 14
Game 7: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. Winner Game 3 (ESPN2), 11:30 a.m. CT
Game 8: No. 1 Houston vs. Winner Game 4 (ESPN), 2 p.m.  CT
Game 9: No. 2 Iowa State vs. Winner Game 5 (ESPN2), 6 p.m. CT
Game 10: No. 3 Baylor vs. Winner Game 6 (ESPN or ESPN2), 8:30 p.m. CT

Friday, March 15
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 (ESPN or ESPN2), 6 p.m. CT
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 (ESPN or ESPN2), 8:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, March 16
Game 13: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12 (ESPN), 5 p.m. CT

Big 12 and the NCAA Tournament 

The Big 12 is a near lock to be a nine bid league. The most of any conference this year. The record for bids by one conference is the Big East in 2011 with 11. 

1 seed - Houston
3 seed - Iowa State
3 seed - Baylor
4/5 seed - Kansas 
5 seed - BYU
6/7 - Texas Tech
7/8 seed - Texas
10/9 seed - TCU 
10/9 seed - Oklahoma

Texas NCAA Tournament seeding scenarios

The Longhorns are going to be a No. 7 or No. 8 seed barring a run to the Big 12 Tournament Championship Game. The majority of bracketology projections continue to have Texas as a No. 8 seed, currently. 

Joe Lunardi has Texas a No. 8 seed. One projection (Jerry Palm), has Texas a No. 9 seed. 

The metrics for Texas have the Longhorns as a possibility to be a No. 7 seed

NCAA Men’s Basketball NET Rankings (March 1)
Texas is No. 25 in NCAA NET headed into the Big 12 Tournament. The Horns moved up 15 spots in the last two weeks from No. 40 prior to the win in Lubbock.

The Longhorns are 5-9 in Quad 1 games, 3-1 vs. Quad 2, 5-1 vs. Quad 3 and 7-0 vs. Quad 4. 

Kansas State is No. 70 in NCAA NET, and would be a fourth Quad 2 win for the Horns.

Should the Horns advance to Thursday, Iowa State would be a Quad 1 win opportunity on a neutral court. Iowa State is No. 9 in NCAA NET. 

T-Rank 
Texas is No. 19 in Bart Torvik’s rankings currently, up from No. 23 prior to the win over Oklahoma. 

2024 Ken Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings
Texas checks in at No. 23 after being No. 25 prior to the victory over Oklahoma. 

The Texas Longhorns April 6 unofficial visitor list will rivals just about any recruiting day or weekend since Steve Sarkisian has been in Austin. 

The list is already impressive, and more names will be added in the next couple of weeks. The list already includes 17 4-star prospects combined in the 2025 and 2026 cycles. 

2025 Visitor List

K.J. Lacey, QB, Saraland (Ala.) High #AllGasNoBrakes
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Note: Will also visit April 6, attend the Texas spring game April 20.

Rickey Stewart, RB, Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Spring unofficial visit: Texas April 6

Kelshaun Johnson, WR, Hitchcock (Texas) High
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Official visit schedule: Penn State May 31-June 2, Texas Tech June 7-9, Texas June 14-16, USC June 21-23

Jaime Ffrench, WR, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Note: Also making official visit June 21-23

Kaliq Lockett, WR, Sachse (Texas) High
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Official visit schedule:  USC June 7-9, Texas June 21-23

Nick Townsend, TE, Dekaney (Texas) High
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Official visit schedule: Arizona State April 19-21, Texas June 21-23

John Mills, IOL, San Francisco (Calif.) St. Ignatius 
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Official visit schedule: Washington May 31-June 2, Texas June 14-16

Tyler Thomas, IOL, Dickinson (Texas) High
Official visit schedule: Texas A&M June 14-16, Texas June 21-23

Chace Sims, DL, Richmond (Texas) Randle
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Floyd Guidry, DL, Spring (Texas) High
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Official visit schedule: TCU May 3-5

Xavier Ukponu, DL, Denton (Texas) Guyer
OnTexasFootball ranking: 3-star
Official visit schedule: Oklahoma State April 12-14, Florida May 31-June 2, Texas A&M June 21-23

Hayden Lowe, EDGE, Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Official visit schedule: Texas June 14-16

Smith Orogbo, EDGE, Alief (Texas) Hastings
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Elijah Barnes, LB, Dallas (Texas) Skyline
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4–star
Official visit schedule:  Nebraska April 26-28, SMU May 10-12, Texas June 21-23

Jonah Williams, S, Galveston (Texas) Ball
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Kade Phillips, DB, Missouri City (Texas) Hightower
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star
Official visit schedule:  Texas A&M June 7-9, LSU June 14-16, Texas June 21-23

2026 Visitor List

Troy Huhn, QB, San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Chris Henry, WR, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Maden Williams, WR/ATH, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Bryce Perry-Wright, DL, Buford (Ga.) High
OnTexasFootball ranking: 4-star

Plenty of updates on top targets and a breakdown of the March and April unofficial visit dates, as well as June officials.

Texas finished the 2023 season ranked as the No. 12 ranked scoring defense (18.9 PPG). Having to replace Jaylan Ford, Byron Murphy, T’Vondre Sweat and Ryan Watts won’t be easy, but there is promise here.

One sentence summary of the offense: Plenty of opportunities for folks in the front seven to carve out snap share of their own in 2024, it starts this spring.

***

Defense Line

Replacing T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Muprhy and even Trill Carter will prove to be a large task for new Texas DL coach Kenny Baker in year one. Luckily, there are bodies here, the question becomes how much will you be able to rely on each individual body? Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton have the most run time of any in the room. The addition of Tiaoalii Savea is big as well in terms of getting bodies who can defend the run.

Texas must see Jaray Bledsoe and Aaron Bryant turn into rotational pieces this fall – Bryant was at the end of the year to be fair. Can Alex January impress the staff in his first spring? And for Sydir Mitchell, the question is at 372 pounds, can he play at that weight. I am holding out hope but am not entirely encouraged.

Last Note: What was the biggest strength of the Texas defense in 2023 is now its biggest question mark.

Defensive End

Returning Ethan Burke, Barryn Sorrell and Justice Finkley is very encouraging. But adding UTSA transfer Trey Moore and five-star Colin Simmons can turn this room from a solid department to a strength of the team. This is five-man rotation I am expecting to see in the spring make most of the noise.

Other questions include what does J’Mond Tapp turn into heading into year three? Is Colton Vasek finally healthy enough to see a full two months of ball? Zina Umeozulu and Billy Walton serve as great depth and developmental pieces as well.

Last Note: I love the makeup of this room, but now it is about turning pressures into sacks and creating those negative plays off the edge.

Linebacker

I won’t lie to you, this is a position that has seen an increase in skepticism since the end of the season for me. Yes, Anthony Hill Jr. has the tools and makings of an eventual All-SEC player, but who else will join him as reliable pieces in this room? I don’t quite know right now.

David Gbenda had plenty of encouraging moments in 2023 but there is vulnerability in the passing game and teams already targeted him when he had extended snaps a year ago. The Longhorns added Kendrick Blackshire out of the portal, but again, he has his limitations at 263 pounds when dropping into coverage.

Out of this group, I am the most bullish on Liona Lefau and believe by the end of fall camp we could see him as the second linebacker on the field next to Hill come week one.

Last Note: I don’t want to overlook S’Maje Burrell or Derion Gullette either. But right now, there are questions marks at the LB spot that I think stretch beyond the depth side of things.

Nickel

Jahdae Barron put together a masterclass at the position a year ago and returns for what should be one final go-round as a Longhorn. Luckily for Texas, this position has plenty of depth and could allow for some movement for Barron to other spots on the field. Both Barron and Jaylon Guilbeau have cross-trained at outside. Austin Jordan is back for year three in the system as well and if worse comes to worst you could potentially see Andrew Mukuba spun down from the safety spot.

True freshman Wardell Mack has been receiving some run here in offseason workouts.

Last Note: At the end of the day, this spot was a strength on the field with Barron’s intelligence in 2023 and should continue to be reliable for PK’s scheme in 2024 and beyond.

Cornerback

Count me in as a huge believer in the Texas cornerback room for 2024. This spring should be very fun for all involved, though most specifically for guys like Malik Muhammad and Terrance Brooks who will be going against an elite WR group. Gavin Holmes will certainly benefit from this as well. Holmes had a solid 2023, and I have been told this offseason he has brought an incredible mindset to offseason workouts to take an extra leap in the spring.

I am very curious to see how Warren Roberson performs this spring. Roberson is incredibly twitchy and has enough length to be problematic at the line of scrimmage. That then leads me to freshmen bunch of Kobe Black and Wardell Mack and what kind of run they get early. Not expecting a whole lot this early, but I do believe they will benefit from the level of talent they will face on a day to day in camp.

Last Note: Plenty of talent on to be optimistic about the future of this unit. Big leaps are in order for the two returning starters.

Safety

What was probably the most concerning part of the 2023 roster has had a completely face-lift and is now in a position to be the most improved position on the team headed into the SEC. Led by Andrew Mukuba out of the transfer portal and a second year Derek Williams, this unit has significantly more athleticism than a year ago. Add in the ever-so important Michael Taaffe, and I am once again a believer in this position group.

Early enrollee Xavier Filsaime has arguably made the most noise of anyone who made it to campus at the turn of the semester. There is a lot of promise from the McKinney native. Jordon Johnson-Rubell is up to 190 pounds already. He has a tremendous football IQ which leads me to think he will be a viable option at either the centerfield S spot, or a potential move to nickel later on.

OnTexasFootball touched base with a number of Texas offers and targets in the 2025 cycle Monday. We get Tuesday started with some nuggets and notes from the various conversations. 

Dorian Brew, CB, Conroe (Texas) High

The 6-2, 197 pound cornerback with 10.7 FAT 100 meter speed told OnTexasFootball last night that he has an official visit locked in to Ohio State June 21-23. He also said he believes his Texas visit date is locked in, but a family member has those details. That date is likely to be June 14-16. 

Brew will be on the road this weekend with a trip to Oregon. He also plans to attend the LSU Spring Game April 13, and will be on campus at Ohio State this spring as well. A visit to Texas in April is also likely. The Longhorns Spring Game date of April 20 is a possibility.

Ohio State, Texas and LSU continue to be the three schools that are consistently talked about with a pari of sources close to the recruitment. Brew's father was an All-American sprinter at LSU, and an Olympian. His mother is in the Ohio State Hall of Fame (track and field). 

John Mills, IOL, San Francisco (Calif.) St. Ignatius 

The OnTexasFootball 4-star offensive lineman remains a top target for Texas at guard in the 2025 cycle. Mills, 6-6 and 325 pounds, has added two more official visits to his calendar. OnTexasFootball broke the news a while back that Mills would visit Texas June 14-16, as well as Washington May 31-June 2. 

Mills told OTF Monday night that he will officially visit California May 23-26, and USC June 21-23. Florida, Nebraska, Michigan and a couple of others are also in play for official visits. 

Mills will also be at Texas April 6 for the Longhorns big visit weekend around spring practice. His spring unofficial visit schedule is packed with Nebraska March 23, California March 30, Texas April 5-6, Michigan April 7-8 and Washington April 13. 

Jarquez Carter, DL, Newberry (Fla.) High

One of the first week in March offers by Texas defensive line coach Kenny Baker made a visit to Miami (Fla) last weekend. Carter, 6-2 and 280 pounds, will be at UCF March 15, and plans to visit Florida State, Tennessee and Ohio State in March. He also has Alabama and Colorado Spring Game (April 27) in April. 

Carter didn't rule out a visit to Texas, but there is not a date being targeted as of Monday afternoon. 

Derry Norris Jr., DL, Port Orange (Fla.) Spruce Creek

OnTexasFootball continues to hear that a spring visit to Texas is likely by the 6-3, 270 pound versatile defensive lineman. This is a recruitment to watch for the Longhorns if they make a big spring push. 

The current April 6 visitors list on the defensive line includes Chace Sims (Richmond, Texas/Randle), Floyd Guidry (Spring, Texas/High) and Xavier Ukponu (Denton, Texas/Guyer). 

Alief (Texas) Hastings EDGE Smith Orogbo was offered by area recruiter Jeff Banks January 22, 2024. Since that time, he has built a relationship with the Texas staff - Banks, Pete Kwiatkowksi and Steve Sarkisian. 

Orogbo, 6-5 and 215 pounds, told OnTexasFootball Monday night that he has locked in a visit to Texas April 6. That will be one of two big visit weekends around spring practice next month. 

Orogbo has one official visit scheduled, SMU May 17-19. He also plans to make unofficial visits to Oklahoma state and Nebraska for the Cornhuskers Spring Game. USC is another likely visit destination. 

The Houston area fast riser enter his junior season with one offer - Arkansas State. Since that time, he has added 29 offers. That offer list includes 21 Power 5 offers. SEC programs that have offered are Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Florida, Missouri and Arkansas. USC and Miami have also offered.

Today, we will start with the offensive side of the ball when it comes to previewing spring football.

One sentence summary of the offense: There are plenty of new toys around Quinn Ewers who returns for year three behind loaded, veteran offensive line.

***

Quarterback

Quinn Ewers is headed back up the weight roller coaster after a strong winter in the weight room. He returns to Texas for year three in the system and will enter the upcoming season as one of the favorites for the Heisman trophy. For Quinn this fall, the key for me is to hear about his total control of the offense. Take true leadership of the new faces at the WR spot and continue the path of development.

As for Arch Manning, this will be the most we will get to see from the former five-star prospect in a Texas uniform. Manning will no longer have to wait for third team reps as we saw his freshman season. I am fully of the belief Manning would be able to succeed in the Texas offense should he be asked to this season. Should be another opportunity for development this offseason.

Last Note: I have been told several times this offseason Ewers' command/leadership of the team has improved significantly since the conclusion of the season.

Running Back

There is no hiding the talent in this Texas RB room – something we have said for several years now. CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue are expected to be the 1–2 punch though it is going to be very interesting to see how the rest of the room falls in place. What role does Savion Red carve out at 240 pounds? Can Tre Wisner increase some of his share in the room as well?  Plus, what happen with the two freshmen and do they create some noise this spring. Regardless, a very fun room to look at and plenty of big time talent.

Last Note: The path for any of the backup RBs to carve out a role for themselves heading into the spring is to become a plus in pass protection. That is the biggest weakness in this room.

Wide Receiver

The talk of the offseason has been surrounding the portal additions of Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and Silas Bolden. While only Bond and Golden will be on campus for the spring season, this room is going to have plenty of competition in what was expected to be a wide open target share. Johntay Cook is the leading incumbent from the 2023 team and is one guy I have penciled into the starting 11 at the moment. 

Of the early enrollees, there has been plenty of praise in direction of Ryan Wingo and should he get up to speed with the playbook and situational football in the spring, you can expect to see the new No. 5 on the field in the fall. One other Texas wide receiver I am keeping a close eye on is DeAndre Moore who will be entering his second year in the program.

Matthew Golden was still receiving treatment on his foot as recently as the end of last week.

Last Note: The speed in this room is going to be noticeable from the get-go. Question is now, which of these receivers will play unselfishly without the ball, something Texas has asked their WRs to do a lot under Sarkisian.

Tight End

You can expect to see Gunnar Helm as the first tight end used this spring. That goes for a number of reasons, but mostly the familiarity with the system. Helm has had a strong offseason and is up to 250 pounds currently. What is going to be very fun is the combination of Helm and Amari Niblack on the field together. There is an ideal balance of talent and skillsets between the two which will pose as a challenge for seemingly every defensive coordinator Texas faces this upcoming fall – first it will be Pete Kwiatkowski during the spring.

Juan Davis is the slimmest of the bunch which gives me pause for a possible increase in his snaps this spring. Whereas, this will be a big spring in the development of Spencer Shannon.

Niblack too was in a boot earlier this winter, though the belief is he will be good to go for the beginning of spring. 

Last Note: Nice complementary aspect with this unit here. Question turns to if there will be too much a tipped hand with personnel usage.

Offensive Line

The makeup of this offensive line is ideal for not only Quinn Ewers, but for Steve Sarkisian as his program enters the SEC. With four of five returning, there is plenty of familiarity and talent with this bunch. It should not be out of the range of possibility to see this unit in the Joe Moore Award finalist group next fall. Though for the spring, the question turns to which of the guys in the 2nd group challenge for a starting spot.

Texas has plenty of depth here at the moment. With guys like Cole Hutson and Neto Umeozulu eager to get into the starting five, what movement do we see on the interior? Will there be true movement from Hayden Conner to right tackle to push Cam Williams? What about Brandon Baker or Trevor Goosby? So many options and possibilities here.

Kelvin Banks is up to 325 pounds and DJ Campbell is coming down a bit in his own right. 

Last Note: On paper, this is the best Texas offensive line in the past 15 years. Should be a very strong spring season.