For perhaps the first time since he took over the Texas football program prior to the 2021 season, head coach Steve Sarkisian has a big issue befitting a top-10 program.
What blue-chip, highly talented players will have to watch from the sideline as someone else starts in his spot?
It’s an enviable problem, sure. But it’s also one that will have to be solved before the Longhorns kick off the season Aug. 31 against visiting Colorado State. Texas had 11 players drafted by the NFL in April, the most for the Longhorns in a single draft since the NFL cut the draft to seven rounds in 1994. That means competition looks stiff in the summer at certain spots, especially with several proven veterans arriving in the portal.
“For us to sit here and say this is the deepest team we’ve had, probably the most talented team we’ve had in my four years here, I can unequivocally say that,” Sarkisian said. “We lost some really good players from a year ago, but we’ve got a very deep football team, one that we’re excited about. (We) are looking forward to watching them compete this fall.”
That competition within the team itself begins with the first practice Wednesday. Let’s take a look at five key position battles.
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Left guard: Is Hayden Conner still the starter?
Hayden Conner, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound senior, gives the Longhorns one of the most proven interior linemen in the nation who has started all 27 games over the past two seasons. But former four-star recruit Neto Umeozulu should get a chance to win the starting spot at left guard. The 6-foot-4, 334-pound redshirt sophomore from the Class 6A high school powerhouse of Allen garnered some snaps with the first team this spring. Expect Conner to enter the season as the starter, but the emergence of Umeozulu could add to the options up front for Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood.
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Wide receiver: Lots of options for revamped position
Sarkisian certainly has options after a complete overhaul at receiver. Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington all joined the NFL after hauling in 172 of the 182 catches by a wide receiver last season. Texas responded by signing three wideouts — Alabama’s Isaiah Bond, Houston’s Matthew Golden and Oregon State’s Silas Bolden — in the portal as well as a five-star freshman in Ryan Wingo. Oh, and second-year players Johntay Cook II, DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ryan Niblett are all eager to shine in what Sarkisian calls “far and away our deepest receiver corps that we’ve had in four years.” Bond seems a lock to start, considering the bona fides he earned in two years with the Tide. But how will the other snaps be carved up?
Edge rusher: How does Trey Moore fit in?
Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke both return as starters at defensive end, and both excel against the run. But the pair combined for just 9½ sacks a year ago, which helped prompt the Longhorns to lure Trey Moore from UTSA. Moore proved a pass-rushing specialist last season with 14 sacks to go along with 45 tackles and 17½ tackles for a loss. But will he be an every-down end for the Longhorns despite the presence of Burke and Sorrell? And where will five-star freshman sensation Colin Simmons fit in? If Moore proves himself capable against the run, his ability to make plays in the backfield could make him a three-down player.
Cornerback: Questions beyond Malik Muhammad
Texas regularly rotated in four players at cornerback a year ago, but Ryan Watts left for the NFL and Terrance Brooks entered the portal. That leaves sophomore Malik Muhammad, returning senior Gavin Holmes and San Jose State transfer Jay’Vion Cole as the top candidates to start on the outside. Muhammad, a 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore, flashed star power as a freshman and boasts the length and play-making ability craved by defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. But who will start on the other side? Holmes had some issues last season but boasts plenty of experience with 42 career games while the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Cole showed that he plays bigger than his size in his first two seasons.
Another position that underwent an offseason overhaul, the safety spots could spring a surprise or two in fall camp. Senior Andrew Mukuba, an Austin native and LBJ graduate, started for three seasons at Clemson and has seemingly slid right into the starting role at free safety in what will be his first season at Texas. The strong safety spot could get interesting if sophomore Jelani McDonald keeps pushing classmate Derek Williams Jr., who played in 13 games as a freshman. And don’t forget about Michael Taaffe, the former walk-on from Westlake who started nine games last season and helped stabilize a position that had its struggles.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Key position battles for Texas football as summer practices begin
