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Emmett Mosley V Makes Strong Case For Bigger Role in Texas Longhorns Offense

Emmett Mosley V showed against Mississippi State that he will be reliable for Arch Manning in the Texas Longhorns' offense.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Emmett Mosley V (3) reacts after scoring a touchdown after making a reception during the second half against the Mississippi State Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Emmett Mosley V (3) reacts after scoring a touchdown after making a reception during the second half against the Mississippi State Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Emmett Mosley V has had up-and-down usage in the Texas Longhorns' offense during the 2026 season. Against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, during a 31-3 win in Week 9 at Darrell K Royal-Memorial Stadium, though, Mosley is making a case for more targets on offense.

Mosley went for 98 yards on his four catches, one of them a 42-yard touchdown reception where he beat Mississippi State defensive back Dre Riley on a straight go route down the sideline. On the play, Mosley's burst was off the line of scrimmage was impressive, burning Riley right off the snap.

Elsewhere in this game, though, you saw how versatile Mosley can be when allowed to dig into his route tree. Mosley also gained 37 yards on a corner route. He was used on short in routes as well to move the chains.

Mosley was everywhere, lining up not in just the slot but also on the boundary. Mosley was split out wide when he scored his first touchdown of the season. Safeties will need to focus extra attention on Mosley's verticality, which should benefit the run and short/intermediate passing games for others.

Of course, he may need to be used more in the future like he was against State out of necessity, not just because he showed that he has the skillset to be everywhere in the passing game for Arch Manning.

Emmett Mosley V Must Step Up in Offense Amid Injuries

Emmett Mosley has to step up amid injuries elsewhere in the receiving corps
Oct 31, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Emmett Mosley V (3) reacts after scoring a touchdown after making a reception during the second half against the Mississippi State Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Saturday night was like many other nights on the Forty Acres this season: filled with bad injury news. The receiving corps was hit particularly hard.

Cam Coleman exited with injury in the first half before Ryan Wingo suffered an injury of his own later in the game. It's unclear if either will miss time, but it's possible that at least one of them is absent against the Missouri Tigers in Columbia next weekend.

This is the meat of the schedule. After Missouri is the LSU Tigers in Death Valley. Get past these two teams, and there are still underperforming historical rivals in trap games: the Arkansas Razorbacks in the home finale in Week 12 and a date with the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station on Black Friday to end the regular season.

If Mosley has to be the alpha receiver, he certainly proved he could handle WR-X responsibilities. While he hasn't been the go-to target in red zone situations, perhaps Steve Sarkisian has seen the light after Mosley's breakout against the Bulldogs.

It's not an ideal situation, but Texas is uniquely positioned to survive Coleman and/or Wingo being absent for a few weeks with Mosley and emerging true freshman Jermaine Bishop Jr.

Mosley has earned the chance to be Manning's new favorite target with injuries hitting the Burnt Orange hard this fall.

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Andrew Hughes
ANDREW HUGHES

Andrew is a freelance journalist based in Austin, Texas, who has bylines on Hardwood Houdini, Nothin' But Nets, and The Sporting News. His work has been featured in The Miami Herald, Bleacher Report, and Yahoo Sports. Andrew graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in print journalism in 2017 and has been a sports fan since 1993.

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