Previewing Texas’ wide receiver room heading into 2022 season
July 21, 2022
Following a season in which Texas finished middle of the pack in many FBS passing statistics, several offseason additions have generated excitement to see how the changes affect the passing game heading into next season.
Much has been made about the quarterback battle, with head coach Steve Sarkisian praising sophomore Hudson Card and redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers’ progression throughout the spring. However, the most impactful development in Texas’ offense this season may be a different position group: the wide receivers.
Texas hired Brennan Marion this past December as the new wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He spent last season coaching wide receivers at Pitt, which culminated in the Panthers finishing among the top ten nationally in pass yards per game at 337.4 and passing touchdowns with 44, all while developing sophomore Jordan Addison into last year’s Biletnikoff Award winner.
With a new receivers coach in place, here’s a look at Texas’ top targets for Card or Ewers heading into the 2022 season:
Junior Jordan Whittington
Whittington returns after battling injuries throughout his career, and he’s feeling healthier than ever. A refreshed Whittington should fit right in as Texas’ go-to slot receiver this year.
“I changed pretty much my whole routine to where (I) 100% commit myself to staying healthy and taking care of my body,” Whittington said during a media availability on March 31.
Sarkisian took a moment to praise Whittington’s work ethic in returning from injury during Big 12 Media Days on July 14.
“Here’s a guy who’s gotten hurt every year,” Sarkisian said. “Here’s a guy who last season was leading our team in receiving and didn’t blink, fought back and has worked his tail off to come back from injury. (He’s) had the best offseason he’s had in his career and has put himself in position to be a great teammate for us to go win a championship this fall.”
Sophomore Xavier Worthy
Worthy burst onto the national scene last year. As a freshman, Worthy torched Oklahoma for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Despite his success, Worthy is hungry for more.
“Coach Marion came over this year,” Worthy said during a media availability on April 2, “He basically (told) me that last year didn’t count, it’s what you do this year that counts.”
Worthy earned a spot on this year’s Preseason All-Big 12 football team as voted on by media members who cover the conference, signaling the young receiver could be in for another fruitful sophomore campaign.
“He’s always working, and I think the reason for that is because he’s not satisfied,” Whittington said on March 31. “He wants to be way, way better, and I think it’s gonna be a really great year for him.”
Junior Isaiah Neyor:
The transfer from Wyoming has created buzz for his combination of size and speed, standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 210 pounds. He turned 44 receptions into 878 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Cowboys last season, and he figures to be a heavy contributor this fall as one of the top receivers in the transfer portal after last season.
“If we’re going to be a successful team, all of these offensive weapons that we have, they’ll all be really productive because we’re going to need all of them to be as successful a team as we can be,” Sarkisian said at Big 12 Media Days.
While those three are the safe bets to start next season, other players will undoubtedly contribute. Alabama transfer Agiye Hall arrived recently for summer workouts and was a highly coveted prospect out of high school. His two catches in last year’s National Championship game displayed the potential that Marion will try to cultivate.
Tarique Milton is another transfer from Iowa State and provides much-needed depth and experience with 1,519 career receiving yards. Brenen Thompson arrives as a freshman and may already be the fastest player on the team, having won gold in the Texas Class 3A 100-meter and 200-meter championships this past spring.
