Lost in the anticipation of its third ranked matchup of the season and its second on the road, Texas football announced the four captains who would represent the Longhorns against Vanderbilt.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian chose senior offensive lineman Hayden Conner, redshirt junior safety Michael Taaffe, senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins and sophomore wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. for the role. Out of these four names, only one would capture both offensive and special teams Program Players of the Game accolades following the 27-24 win in Nashville, overshadowing his veteran counterparts.
Moore stunned against the Commodores with two consecutive touchdown receptions while recording a season-best of six receptions and leading the team with 97 receiving yards. All of this came after Moore had a dormant showing during the Georgia game the week prior, recording zero receptions.
Transitioning from a freshman season where his only statistic was one kick return, Moore has seamlessly developed into a young leader, a trait Sarkisian revealed to be a product of the sophomore’s attention to a certain Longhorn alumnus.
“I thought DeAndre (Moore) did something that was very mature last season. I think he realized, ‘Okay, I’m not a frontline guy. How do I learn from the guys that do it the right way?’” Sarkisian said during Monday’s media availability. “He literally watched Jordan Whittington every day and has tried to emulate Jordan Whittington every day.”
Whittington, a former Texas wide receiver, finished out his fifth year with the program this spring and was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2024 NFL Draft. Although he only averaged about three receptions per game and totaled five touchdowns across his entire collegiate career, Whittington was primarily credited with being a positive voice in the locker room rather than a flashy playmaker.
Sarkisian said that Moore has continued to display that equivalent attitude since his quiet freshman season all the way into the beginning of this one, and now is able to claim the glory.
“We all know how I feel, and (how) everybody in our organization feels about J. Whitt and the leadership he provided (and) his willingness to do the dirty work. It wasn’t about the stats ever for him, and DeAndre came into this season in spring ball, in summer (and) in training camp with that same mentality,” Sarkisian said. “He was starting in the same role that J. Whitt was playing, and never did he lose that leadership (or) lose that energy.”
In all eight games that he has played in this year, Moore has a combined 249 yards on 17 receptions, including a program-leading five touchdown receptions.
Aside from Moore performing well on the field, Sarkisian said he also impresses the staff and his teammates with the way he carries himself.
“I know this: he has got a ton of respect in that locker room from his peers about the work ethic, what he puts into it, the team player that he is (and) his willingness to play on special teams,” Sarkisian said. “I think everybody’s happy and excited for him, but also I think he’s earned that voice because of what he does. So when he speaks up, I really think our team listens.”
