Disclaimer: This article is being submitted on November 29th around 8 PM, there has been over 70 new entrants to the transfer portal and that trend likely continues all week with a large number of new entries. So if I am missing a big name that recently entered, I apologize, but I didn’t expect them to enter the portal.
As the offseason looms, the Texas Longhorns have a roster in need of talent. On the offense, there is a need at wide receiver, but the question is where will that addition come from? The key returning contributors to the Longhorns offense comes in the form of Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, and Marcus Washington. Kelvontay Dixon or Troy Omeire (out with injury in 2020 and 2021) could see an increased role next year as well, but the returning group could use some additional talent.
In a best case scenario, Texas could find that talent in their recruits with a commitment from four star talent, Brenen Thompson or any other options still in play as the recruiting season continues on.
Luckily for the Longhorns, they can just pay for a Rivals subscription and get all the information they’d ever need to be prepared heading into the offseason! (joking of course) However, the transfer portal is filled with intriguing talents that are looking for an opportunity, and Sarkisian’s offense is well known nationwide for its prominent receiving production with the right weapons in place. Could the next Jameson Williams walk through those Texas locker room doors this offseason?
Other Portal Peeks: QB
8. Xavier Williams (Alabama)
One of the biggest selling points for the future of Sarkisian is to be able to get “his guys” and while the ideal scenario means that he’s filling up his roster with high caliber recruits and former players producing in large volume, it can also mean guys who have experience in his scheme even if they didn’t see the field much. For reference, Keilan Robinson also came in from Alabama after not seeing a single snap in all of 2020.Now enter Williams, the former 4 star was recruited by Sarkisian as a prospect, but arrived when he was off as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. He returned and spent two seasons with Williams before taking the job with the Longhorns. Depending on their relationship and Sarkisian’s opinion on him as a player, Williams could be a great add to the room that is mostly looking for an outside veteran to help immediately for the offense.
In terms of evaluation, there are few plays out there for me to really get a sense of what Williams will bring to the table if he arrives in Austin for the 2022 season. However, with Sarkisian as the offensive coordinator he should have a bigger idea of what Williams has in his toolbox. In a limited sample size, there was certainly one thing that could be noticed, Williams has impressive contact balance with the ball in his hands. Below are a couple of gifs of two catches he made against Florida and Notre Dame where he makes extra opportunity off of first contact.
While the second play doesn’t result in any yards gained, he puts up an impressive fight against what I have counted a 6 guys pulling and 10 guys surrounding, so I’ll chop it up as an impressive play.
In the final play I’ll show, Williams is able to work inside against his assignment and get low for the grab in order to pick up a first down. Plays like this and ball adjustment like Williams shows in this play will be great to have on the outside for whoever is the QB next season.
There is a lot of mystery surrounding Williams as far as what he would be in a larger role, and if Sarkisian isn’t pursuing him then it’s probably the right call. He needs to bring in talents he believes in. However, Williams could be a great addition as a veteran for the room with scheme familiarity while the young batch of receivers from this class get adjusted to the college level.
Prediction if not Texas: West Virginia, Florida State, Miami (FL)
7. Theo Wease Jr (Oklahoma)
The news of Lincoln Riley heading to USC has seemed to send a shockwave throughout college football. But the center of that is right in Norman. Countless commitments have fallen through, numerous players have expressed their sadness, and a number of rumors are now flying on potential transfers. One of those rumors is heavily surrounding Theo Wease, the former 5 star recruit in the class of 2019 who rotated around in his freshman season, started all 11 games in 2020, and now has sat out all of 2021 due to a leg injury. Wease had some interest in Texas as a recruit but it ultimately never turned into much, could things be different this time?Wease offers an impressive frame, at 6’2 200 pounds, but he also offers some solid ability to create separation. Here in 2020 against Baylor, he breaks off from the defender on a comeback route and is able to convert it into a big gain after the catch.
While Wease isn’t a burner, he is a smart player. Here in the Cotton Bowl last year, he got a shallow drag route and turned it into a big touchdown after finding holes from his blockers. While these plays can be seen as simple, it takes the play IQ to make those plays look simple, and Wease manages to do that very well.
Wease came into Oklahoma in a room filled with talent and was able to find a full time starter spot. He was able to do it with reliable play on the outside, something Texas desperately needs. Here you can see he can makes things happen with the ball in his hands, picking up extra yards by making the defender miss, and plowing forward into traffic to pick up an early first down.
The concerns from evaluation with Wease is that he isn’t the most explosive wideout. He needs to improve in terms of either play strength or burst in order to take the next steps as a receiver. He has the size and natural talent to find ways to get open, but he lacks the elite skill to push him over the top. He’s still inexperienced, so it could easily come, but based on his 2020 tape that was the big takeaway.
Theo Wease Jr is an extremely intriguing name to watch in this transfer cycle with his proven production, and sought after recruiting process. While I have my concerns with him through evaluation, he’s proven to be a reliable weapon for what was one of the best passing offenses in 2020. Wherever he lands in 2022, he will likely find a way to contribute in a major way.
Prediction if not Texas: Stays, Texas A&M, USC, or Alabama
6. Jadan Blue (Temple)
If I told you the Texas Longhorns had a chance at pulling in a school record holder for receptions in a season (91 in 2019) at an FBS school, you probably wouldn’t need to hear much else in terms of being sold on the guy. Jadan Blue is a strange case for the Temple Owls, as the star wideout dominated in 2019, and kept a similar pace in 2020 with 41 catches over just six games. Then in 2021, Blue became a third option in the offense, posting just 30 catches in eight games.Jadan Blue is one of the more intriguing receiver options in the portal with the production he has already shown. Even at a G5 program, Blue had plenty of opportunities to go against Power 5 competition and proved he belonged. In the gif below is in the 2019 Military Bowl against North Carolina where Blue worked for the first down then shakes a tackle and finds space to take the ball for a huge gain.
Blue is a solid-sized receiver at 6’0 190 pounds, and he has the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. Here was a 2020 touchdown against Memphis where he brought the game back within one possession on a simple bubble route with little help in terms of blocking, he still uses his athleticism to get by the defense and put up the touchdown.
When it comes to Jadan Blue, the decrease in production is certainly an eyebrow raiser. His decision to leave Temple could also be in hopes of being a bigger focus in whatever offense he joins which may not be better than third for the Longhorns. Still there is plenty of promise and experience on his resume that should have many colleges inquiring about him this offseason, could be interesting to see how involved Sarkisian and company is in trying to get him to Austin.
Prediction if not Texas: Maryland, Penn State, or Rutgers
5. Javon Baker (Alabama)
The Alabama wideout group is a tough one to dissect. Projecting what players will look to enter the portal or stay committed can at times be a shot in the dark. However, Javon Baker appears to be lower on the totem pole when it comes to the future of the Alabama wideout room and that could lead to him looking for oranger pastures.Much like Xavier Williams, Javon Baker would step into Texas with scheme familiarity which is a huge plus. Williams is listed at 6’2 206 pounds so he offers a nice frame to find opportunity on the outside. With that size, is a great ability to use it. Here Javon Baker adjusts and goes up to make a tremendous grab while working deep against Southern Miss.
Obviously, the game is well in hand and Southern Miss isn’t up to par with Alabama, but the ability to make a full body extension and adjust for that catch is a great flash of potential and is much needed opposite of the speedy Xavier Worthy. Jump ball ability isn’t all that Baker offers though, he has the athleticism and quickness to make plays with the ball in his hands. Here you can see a catch against Miami in the season opener where he finds space in the short game, and is quick to turn it upfield into additional yards after the catch.
Baker is still a bit of an unknown from the outside, but if Sarkisian likes what he saw everyday at practice, then Baker could be a tremendous add to the offense. Ultimately, there are plenty of small sample size guys that can be a bit of a gamble, but Baker has a total package in terms of size, physicality, and burst to make plays and I think he fits in exceptionally well to a potential trio that also features Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington.
Prediction if not Texas: Stays, Auburn, or Arkansas
4. Mycah Pittman (Oregon)
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Mycah’s brother is current Indianapolis Colts WR, Michael Pittman. A man that Sarkisian once flipped off of UCLA to open his options and ultimately commit to USC. Unfortunately, the two never were on the same team, but there is probably some connection and familiarity there.Pittman has a much smaller stature than his bigger brother, coming in at just 5’11 200 pounds, but Pittman still finds ways to win with his excellent speed and acceleration. Pittman finds ways to create space as a receiver and that’s how you make the job of your QB very easy, below Pittman absolutely cooks his defender with a simple drag route and takes it 66 yards for a huge gain.
Getting open and creating space is nice, but Pittman can make magic happen once the ball is in his hands too. Here’s a post route reception he had against UCLA where he shows excellent contact balance that should result in plenty of yardage after the catch if he gets more usage at wherever he lands next.
As great as the plays that turn into production are, each player should be evaluated snap to snap. Mycah Pittman was a highly regarded recruit that hasn’t taken off as expected. While there are certainly concerns, watching the tape can explain some reasoning behind it. For instance in this UCLA game, Pittman runs a great corner creating plenty of separation and Brown sails it. No quarterback will be perfect, but some receivers just don’t have that rhythm with their QB, and Pittman hasn’t seemed to have it with Brown.
Pittman’s frame fits the mold of a Sarkisian WR just fine, but he doesn’t have a lot of work outside of the slot so far, and that could potentially cause issues. However, I believe Pittman shows enough polish and toughness that he could succeed all over the field, and in the Texas offense I think he could fit in quite well.
Prediction if not Texas: USC
3. Khafre Brown (North Carolina)
One of the luxuries of next season for the Texas Longhorns is the game-changing speed and playmaking ability of Xavier Worthy. The ability to beat the defense over the top and create scores in space is an elite trait that not many receivers can offer. However, there is a transfer portal option in Khafre Brown who has similar traits in that regard.Brown seemed poised to be the next star receiver at North Carolina after the departures of Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, but the production wasn’t there and most of the targets went to Josh Downs. However, I think the issue is more scheme based than it is on Brown. Much of the Tar Heels offense is quick action RPO type passing, which can involve anyone but a majority of the slot work goes towards Downs on the inside while Brown was outside. In the deep passing game, Howell was scrambling more often than not due to the lack of offensive line play, limiting the opportunity to send shots deep, which is Brown’s bread and butter. Below is a play by Brown in 2020 against Wake Forest where he gets across the field and gets behind the coverage. Once the ball gets to him, he takes off and cannot be caught. While Worthy has certainly shown these traits at a higher production rate, a mix of both on opposite sides of the field could open this offense up and help all parties involved.
Here is one of Brown’s only major plays from 2021, and while the production didn’t match expectations, you can see the game breaking speed is still as good as advertised. Brown needs just a little space to change fields, and with a Texas offense that had issues stalling, a player like Brown opposite of Worthy could really open up the offense and help production go a long way.
Brown’s speed and quickness isn’t some fluke, he is consistently going to be one of the fastest guys on the field. Below is a great play on a shallow route that he turns into open field against a strong Texas A&M defense. Brown has the size and separation skills to work on all levels of the field, perfect for an already versatile Longhorns WR room.
My concerns with Brown’s production are far less than other receivers on this list. I think the flashes and natural talent show that he should be able to produce well enough if given the opportunity. Obviously the question will be how does he work with whoever is under center for Texas next year, but I think you can’t go wrong adding Khafre into the mix.
Prediction if not Texas: Tennessee
2. EJ Williams (Clemson)
When EJ Williams arrived at Clemson, there was a need for production out of the wide receiver spot. Justyn Ross was out with a career threatening injury, and many in the Clemson WR room weren’t stepping up. As a true freshman, he contributed 24 catches for 306 yards.Now with many names like Beaux Collins, Ajou Ajou, Frank Ladson, Joseph Ngata, and potentially more rising up the charts, Williams could find himself at the bottom of the totem pole, and would be one of the top options from my evaluation.
With Trevor Lawrence at QB, EJ was really coming into his own as a wideout and seemed poised to make a major stride in 2021. Here is a play in the ACC championship game from 2020, where Williams put together 4 catches for 80 yards, including this play over the middle that he too to the endzone to put Clemson up two scores.
EJ has a tremendous frame to go along with his skillset as well, standing 6’3, Williams has a tremendous catch radius and frame that allows him to keep defenders out of his frame and bring in catches on the regular. Here was a spectacular highlight grab against Notre Dame in 2020 to pick up a huge gain.
And winning with size helps when you can make catches in traffic. Here against Pittsburgh, Williams shows his redzone ability getting his body positioned to make the catch and keep the defender out from making a play on the ball.
In terms of concerns with EJ, he certainly regressed in terms of production this season, only recording 8 catches over the course of the year, but he flashed way too often in 2020 tape for me not to think this would be near the top of the priority list for anyone in the portal seeking a wideout should he decide to enter. Williams also has a tendency to be a bit of a body catcher, but his size and fluidity more than make up for it while he can grow to eliminate that issue from his game.
Prediction if not Texas: Stays or Alabama
1. Jadon Haselwood (Oklahoma)
Haselwood has had about as strange a career as you can imagine with Oklahoma, after building momentum to end 2019, he seemed poised to break out in a major way for 2020, but only had four catches on the year. He bounced back well in 2021 though, posting 39 receptions for 399 yards and six touchdowns. Now the highly touted recruit enters the transfer portal with hopes of continuing his growth as a player, and building on his production.
When it comes to Haselwood, the easiest thing to identify with him on tape is his absurd catch radius, Haselwood has vines for arms and more often than not he can naturally go and pluck balls well out of frame at an NFL level. Here is an example of that as Haselwood works across the field and Williams zips a pass well over him. Even when dealing with a defender on his back Haselwood goes and makes the grab.
His arms aren’t the only thing he does naturally, Haselwood is great at positioning himself to make the catch. Again in the TCU game, he handles physical coverage and works his body over to where he can make the grab despite it being a small window. The throw was great, but the adjustment by Haselwood is huge to make this play happen.
Haselwood’s size isn’t limited to short yardage looks, while he isn’t a burner, he runs in the 4.5 range as a receiver, and with his frame that allows him to make major plays. Here you can see him reel in a jump ball, then get open field to take off and pick up additional yardage. Sarkisian could use Haselwood’s speed to keep the offense unpredictable on route work and get everyone involved in major ways, Haselwood brings a presence that defense would need to heavily account for in a number of ways.
All in all, Haselwood hitting the transfer portal is a major splash and one that could end up as the biggest acquisition when looking at this in this postseason. The production in 2020 is concerning, and he has yet to explode like many thought he would, but the traits are there for Haselwood to be elite. Perhaps a WR guru like Sarkisian could help him unlock that talent and take his final steps to becoming one of the top wideouts in college football.
Prediction if not Texas: Georgia, Auburn, or Alabama
Other Potential Options:
Mark Pope (Miami FL) - Versatile weapon transferring out from Miami. Some drop concerns, but Pope has solid deep speed and proven production that he could fill into a Joshua Moore type role and play level fairly easily.
Dee Wiggins (Miami FL) - 6’3 195 pound receiver who posted 51 catches over the course of two years at Miami before having a down season in 2021. Solid speed to size ratio could make him a talented weapon on the outside, decent blocker as well to contribute in multiple ways.
Jeremiah Payton (Miami FL) - 4 star recruit that shined in practice but never produced on the field for the Hurricanes. Was highly coveted by many major schools, and could still have potential to boom into a big time producer. Quality size to play all over the field, listed at 6’1 175.
Jake Bobo (Duke) - Big 6’5 215 pound wideout with the ability to go up and get the ball. Despite Duke having an inefficient offense he was still able to reel in 74 catches on 801 yards. Could be a great red zone target with ability to succeed in other ways too.
Christian Leary (Alabama) - Unsure if he enters, but the wideout has mostly filled into the running back rotation for Alabama. If he is looking to be utilized as a full-time receiver he could look to enter the portal and find a home elsewhere, Texas Special Teams coach Jeff Banks played a heavy hand in his recruitment.
Koy Moore (LSU) - Slot receiver type who had 22 receptions as a true freshman in 2020, got overtaken at slot by Trey Palmer in 2021. Could use a fresh start. Flashed nice play strength to make catches in traffic, might be limited to the slot though which could fit weird with Whittington primarily playing in that role.
Vontae Shenault (Colorado) - Brother of current Jacksonville Jaguar, Laviska Shenault, Vontae looked promising after posting 17 receptions in 4 games last season, but has only seen action in three games this season. Seems to be at odds with the new coach, being suspended three times since Dorrell arrived at Colorado, from DeSoto, TX.
Emery Simmons (UNC) - Another North Carolina wideout who was poised to take over and the production just didn’t match up. Seemed to be right in line to replace Dazz Newsome, but only posted 11 catches in five games this season. Slot build and play could make him a weird fit with current personnel.
Jalen McMillan (Washington) - I don’t expect him to enter the portal, but if he does he could quickly become a top priority for the Longhorns staff. Was recruited heavily by Sarkisian as a recruit, has a nice lanky body and fluidity to create separation. 36 receptions on the year in a bad passing offense. New coaching staff entering may make him consider leaving.
Miles Marshall (Indiana) - Seemed poised to be the top guy for 2022, but decided to enter the portal. 6'4 212 receiver with a steady increase in production each year.
Sam Crawford (Tulsa) - Stout WR with a 6’1 200 pound listed frame, ability to work in all areas of the field. Has posted 114 catches for 1,623 yards in the past three seasons, but production has dropped over that course of time. Had 59 catches for 777 yards his sophomore year.
Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda (New Mexico State) - 6'0 185 pound wideout that put up 36 catches for 567 yards, still has time for multiple years of eligibility. Moved up to NMSU from Saddleback College, could look to continue rising.
Jalyn Witcher (Presbyterian) - Freshman phenom at the FCS level that is too fast for everyone else. We often see a few guys make the jump up from the FCS level, and Witcher is putting up legendary numbers (80 catches, 1120 yards, 12 TDs) as a true freshman, could be a great additional deep threat to add into the offense.
Wide receiver is probably one of the biggest question marks that remain as we head towards the offseason, and hopefully we gain clarity soon in the form of an Evan Stewart commitment one way or another. Regardless, the Texas staff should be doing their due diligence and reaching out to guys so that at worst we have another veteran added to the mix.
This season was up and down in the passing game, and the issues of depth became clear when Jordan Whittington went down and missed time. For the Longhorns to help their 2022 QB, and relieve some stress this offseason, they need to add an option for the outside, and whether it’s one of the options discussed above, or someone who is found in the portal unexpectedly, let’s hope they can contribute in a big way.
Regardless, the transfer season is in full swing, as today alone was enough to overflow an entire football roster, and there are many more to come. Here at Orangebloods, we'll have you covered for all of it! See you soon for the Portal Peek on what may be Texas' biggest need, the offensive line.
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