Texas Longhorns Considering 3 Veterans For Kick and Punt Return Duties

Texas Longhorns football may have some positions on the team set in stone, such as quarterback with Arch Manning, but it is still looking to fill some holes in the team's roster. Some of these holes include the punt and kick returner positions, with special teams coordinator Jeff Banks mulling over a few veteran players for the spot.

The top candidates at the moment for the two positions are wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., defensive back Ryan Niblett, and running back Tre Wisner.

“Three veteran guys that we trust, and that’s the big word. Trust," Banks said, according to Inside Texas.

Who Could Take Over at PR & KR

Wisner has had the biggest role with Texas among the three candidates for punt and kick returner. In his second season with the Longhorns in 2024, Wisner took on a starting role at running back, mixing carries with former Texas back and current Dallas Cowboy Jaydon Blue. Wisner saw his role increase after former five-star CJ Baxter suffered a season-ending injury during summer training camp.

Wisner broke out in a bigger role in the backfield, rushing for 1,064 yards and 5 touchdowns for Texas this past season. He is expected to continue his contributions, likely set to either split or take a majority of the snaps to start the 2025 season as Baxter returns to the gridiron this year.

Ryan Niblett has now played three positions for Texas, including wide receiver, running back and, most recently, defensive back. Niblett already has experience on special teams, making three tackles with Banks' unit last season. He also took reps at running back, totaling 23 yards and a touchdown on the season. Perhaps in a kick and/or punt returning role, Niblett can break out for Texas.

DeAndre Moore is the final candidate up for either special teams position, as he enters his third year with the Longhorns. As a sophomore, Moore caught 39 passes for 456 yards and seven touchdowns. His touchdowns tied former tight end Gunnar Helm for the second most on the team last season. He could look to fill the shoes of Silas Bolden, the Texas receiver who took a bulk of the punt-returning duties in 2024.

Bolden returned 30 punts last season, averaging 10.5 yards per carry, and recorded a touchdown on return against Arizona State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Bolden then signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in April after completing his senior season in 2024.

Fellow wide receiver and first-round draft pick Matthew Golden handled a majority of the kick returns, averaging 20.36 yards per attempt on 14 attempts. He was selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers.

Texas' decision on who will take over at either special teams return position will come in the next month as the team prepares to face Ohio State in week one of the college football season.