Texas football: How Devin Duvernay became the go-to guy in the Texas passing game

Devin Duvernay doesn't consider himself just a slot receiver, but it was a move to the inside that finally let him showcase his full arsenal of talents.

The Texas senior spent his first three seasons on the Forty Acres in the rotation at outside receiver, mostly opposite Collin Johnson.

Though he was a solid contributor, his numbers never really stood out. Duvernay made the most of his opportunities with 79 catches for 1072 yards and seven touchdowns through his first three seasons.

He very well might have stayed there were it not for a strange series of events that led to him moving inside.

The Longhorns lost Darrian Brown before even starting spring practice when the running back recruit suffered an unexpected stroke.

This left the Texas running back room looking thin going into the year. After trying to get some bites on the transfer market, the Longhorns eventually decided to move slot receiver recruit Jordan Whittington into the backfield to not only address depth concerns but also add an explosive element to the running game.

The sudden need for another player in the slot combined with Duvernay's experience and a fresh infusion of young talent to the outside receiver spot with Brennan Eagles and Malcolm Epps led to a position change.

What was characterized as an "unselfish" move by Herman through fall practice has turned out to be the best thing for both Duvernay and his team.

In just four games (39 catches for 377 yards and four touchdowns) Duvernay has nearly matched his output for all of last season (41 catches for 546 yards and four touchdowns).

He has become a particularly effective weapon on third downs.

Sam Ehlinger has 38 third-down pass attempts so far this year. 14 of those have gone to Duvernay. Of those 14 targets, 12 have resulted in a first down.

For Duvernay, it comes down to taking what the defense is giving.

"It's just finding the hole in the defense," Duvernay said. "Sam has done a good job of getting us into a good play and fitting the ball in there."

For Ehlinger, it's a relationship based on mutual trust.

"I've always trusted Devin," Ehlinger said. "I mean, hasn't dropped a pass in a game. So I know if I put the ball in his area and he has a chance to go get it. He's gonna make a play. But for him to really move into slot and get more touches has helped develop that relationship."

Whatever it is, it's working so far this year. Even with No. 1 receiver Collin Johnson sitting out the last two games with a hamstring injury Ehlinger is setting a Heisman-like pace. Duvernay, who received little to no preseason hype from the national media, now finds himself on the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

Nobody is forgetting about Duvernay anymore.