3 most intriguing position battles at Steve Sarkisian and Texas's fall camp
Coming off a season-ending in the College Football Playoff, Texas has momentum. But entering the SEC means the Longhorns have significant questions to answer. A season-ending injury to running back CJ Baxter complicates things as well.
Here are three significant battles that will be ongoing throughout fall practice as Texas prepares for the 2024 season.
3 most intriguing position battles at Texas
1. Running back
The loss of the aforementioned Baxter is huge. Baxter was a potential all-SEC player, as he rushed for 659 yards and five scores as a freshman in 2023, behind Jonathan Brooks.
With him out of the mix, junior Jaydon Blue is the likely next man up. Blue ran for 398 yards and 6.1 yards per carry in limited time last season.
There are some other options for Texas. Freshman Jerrick Gibson wasn't in for the spring, but given his recruiting reputation, he could see some time. There are other young players and while Blue is clearly ahead of the pack, the race for the relief spot behind him is equally interesting and impactful.
2. Wide receiver
Texas lost starters Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy. So they have replaced them with about seven starters. Texas brought in top-quality receivers from Alabama (Isaiah Bond), Oregon State (Silas Bolden), and Houston (Matthew Golden). They also have Ryan Niblett, DeAndre Moore Jr., Johntay Cook II and five-star recruit Ryan Wingo.
Frankly, the question here is less about starting than about playing. It's hard not to imagine Texas going to some sort of rotation of the top 4-6 receivers. All three transfers will be tough to keep off the field, but then so will the players who would normally be behind them. It seems likely that one or two players get trimmed from a rotation, but this is a unique situation. It is a good problem to have.
3. Edge rusher
This is a complicated situation. Texas has two solid players in this position: Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke. Both started last year and performed well. Sorrell had 37 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, while Burke had 41 tackles and 9.0 tackles for loss.
But then Texas recruited UTSA edge Trey Moore in the transfer portal. Moore had 14 sacks last season. He probably didn't come to Texas to sit on the bench. Neither did five-star freshman Colin Simmons, who might be the best pure pass rusher in the freshman class nationally.
Somebody's going to start, but as with receivers, how will they rotate these four excellent options?
Which Texas position battles will you be watching through fall camp? Share your thoughts on the situation below in our comments section!