With the loss of many Texas football leaders to the transfer portal or the NFL draft during the offseason, fans wonder who will fill the large shoes of Longhorn legends like Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat. While there are many veterans that have risen to the occasion and a few transfers that have already made big moves for Texas, The Daily Texan compiled a list of a few more young Longhorns that have potential for a breakout season.
DeAndre Moore Jr.
The sophomore wide receiver and California native showed his promise appearing in 10 games his freshman season, including the Sugar Bowl against Washington. While there aren’t a lot of stats under his bio, Moore had something very useful last season as a first-year that could help him immensely this season: Whittington as a mentor. Despite having such an accoladed leader, Moore acknowledges he is a different player than Whittington and is ready for Texas to see that.
“(Whittington) was a really great teacher for me,” Moore said. “At the end of the day, I am DeAndre Moore, and I have my own skill set, but he showed me the ropes. ‘Okay, young kids, you do this this way. Do that this way.’ So it’s kind of great.”
Trey Moore
Last season, Texas heavily relied on Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat for pass-rush pressure on the interior. However, with both of them moving on to the NFL, Texas needed a defensive edge to take over, and junior transfer Trey Moore should do exactly that this season. Moore has already had impressive seasons competing against lower level competition at UTSA.
The transfer holds a Roadrunner season record with 14 sacks in last year’s season, ranking him third nationally, and 18 tackles for loss of yards in 2022. The three-time AAC Defensive Player of the Week has the ability to disrupt offenses, which is exactly what the Longhorns need this season.
Amari Niblack
Junior tight end Amari Niblack holds great potential to have a good season with Texas. Texas fans might recognize Niblack from last year’s game against Alabama after his 39-yard touchdown against the Longhorns. His play-making clearly caught Texas’ eye as they scooped him up quickly once he joined the transfer portal.
Last season, Niblack had around 16 yards per reception and held four total touchdowns and 327 yards. Many Texas analysts have compared the transfer to the NFL’s and Longhorn ‘23 alumnus Ja’Tavion Sanders because of his combination of speed and strength.
Ryan Wingo
Freshman wide receiver Ryan Wingo was a highly sought after five-star prospect for the class of 2024 and has already started his collegiate stat sheet. Wingo made his way onto the field last week against Colorado State and caught four passes for 70 receiving yards, the team high. Wingo also showed his potential in the spring game with two touchdowns.
In high school, the St. Louis native was ranked in the top-five wide receivers for his class and No. 28 overall. In his senior season he only appeared in seven games due to an injury; however, he still managed to hold 569 receiving yards.
For a wide receiver room missing a lot of the star power it held last season, Wingo brings a young, moldable, yet already strong presence that will help Texas this season. DeAndre Moore Jr., while only being a sophomore, is ready to help out younger players like Wingo, the way Whittington helped him.
“We really just sat and learned from those guys (Whittington and Worthy), and now we can help teach, not only, you know, the transfers that are coming in, but the young dudes,” Moore said. “Wingo, Parker (Livingstone), Freddie Dubose, Aaron Butler, as well.”
While Texas has loads of new talent, junior defensive back Michael Taaffe expressed that all the new faces on the Longhorn roster are putting in work and are ready to make a name for themselves in the Texas program.
“All the new guys have been showing out, the transfers and the early enrollees and the freshmen that got here in the summer,” Taaffe said. “They’ve been stepping up very, very well, and I’m super proud of those guys.”