3 Texas Longhorns Who Deserve More Opportunities Against Florida

The Texas Longhorns suffer their first loss of the season, losing the 122nd edition of the Red River Rivalry to the unranked Oklahoma Sooners, 27-24, in ugly fashion on Saturday afternoon.

The Longhorns will now have to go back to the drawing board as they drop to a 4-1 record and 1-1 in conference play this season, and they'll welcome the unranked Florida Gators to Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium as Texas returns home after being away for a while.

Texas will undoubtedly need to make a few changes following its loss to Oklahoma, and with those changes pending, head coach Steve Sarkisian should look into getting these three players more opportunities when the Gators roll into Austin.

Derrek Cooper, RB

]Texas Longhorns running back Derrek Cooper — Texas Longhorns running back Derrek Cooper (5) runs against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half at Cotton Bowl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Longhorns struggled to consistently run the football against the Sooners, which isn't much of a surprise against a challenging Oklahoma defensive line. However, the one Texas running back who did have success was freshman Derrek Cooper.

Cooper received just eight carries but still ended the game as the Longhorns' leading rusher, gaining 41 yards and averaging 5.1 yards per carry on minimal attempts.

The young running back received six carries in the first half with great production, accumulating all 41 of his rushing yards; however, in the second half, his role was drastically cut as he got the ball just twice.

When the Longhorns face Florida, Cooper needs to receive more carries as his physical downhill running style flashed that it can be productive against one of the best defensive lines in the SEC.

Jermaine Bishop Jr., WR

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Jermaine Bishop Jr. (4) scores a touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at Cotton Bowl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Longhorns have gradually increased the role of freshman wide receiver Jermaine Bishop Jr., which adds another threat for the Texas offense.

And against the Sooners, the five-star wide receiver reached the end zone for the first time in his Texas career.

Bishop Jr.'s only catch of the game went for 15 yards, and a late fourth-quarter touchdown in which he got wide open on his route and made a slick move to avoid a would-be tackler and get into the end zone.

Texas has plenty of mouths to feed on the offensive side of the ball, but Bishop Jr. brings a game-breaking ability that allows him to make a big play out of nothing, and with increased opportunities, could allow him to show that off more.

Richard Wesley, DE

The Longhorns have one of the most dangerous pass rushes not just in the SEC but in the country, with dominant edge rusher Colin Simmons leading the charge.

Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp can add another weapon to his pass rush by giving increased snaps to freshman edge rusher Richard Wesley. Against Oklahoma, Wesley recorded one quarterback hurry, which impacted one of Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer's pass attempts.

According to PFF, Wesley only received two snaps against Oklahoma, and on one of those, he disrupted the quarterback. If the freshman receives more opportunities to rush the passer, the Longhorns could have another threat off the edge against Florida.

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