Loaded Longhorns Offense With Four Players To Watch for 2024 NFL Draft
The Texas Longhorns passing offense was 56th in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season, situated just ahead of UCF and Michigan State and behind Troy and Cincinnati.
However, Pro Football Focus named four Longhorns skill position players to keep an eye on ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft: quarterback Quinn Ewers, wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell and tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders.
Ewers is looking to bounce back after his first season in Austin since transferring from Ohio State.
Last season, the Southlake, TX. native missed three games with a sprained clavicle, but in 10 games, he completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 2,177 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.
"He still flashed his ridiculous arm talent, as his 6.6% big-time throw rate stood sixth among Power Five quarterbacks," PFF's Max Chadwick wrote. "The issue is his decision-making and accuracy. Ewers’ 65.2% adjusted completion rate was the eighth-worst in the Power Five. If he can rein it in, he has the talent to join Williams and Maye at the top of the draft."
Worthy was still the Longhorns' No. 1 option out wide last season despite a dip in production.
The Fresno, CA. native hauled in two fewer passes, had 221 fewer receiving yards and three fewer touchdowns in comparison to his First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year campaign in 2021.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian said on March 6 that Worthy played half of the 2022 season with a broken hand.
Chadwick wrote that the drop in production could have also been due to Worthy becoming more of a "downfield receiver in 2022."
"His average depth of target was 17.6 yards last season, which was the seventh highest in the Power Five. That dwarfs his 13.4-yard figure in 2021. By making him more of a downfield threat, Texas took away one of Worthy’s best attributes: his ability after the catch," Chadwick said. "As a true freshman, Worthy’s 526 yards after the catch were the 10th-most in the Power Five. He fell to 41st this year with 324 yards after the catch. The Longhorns should prioritize getting him more touches in the open field and letting his suddenness shine as a route-runner."
Mitchell transferred to Texas from Georgia after 21 games in two seasons as a Bulldog — 15 in his freshman season and only six last season as he dealt with injuries.
Despite the limited action in 2022, he hauled in nine passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns — one each in the Peach Bowl and national championship last year.
His 6-4, 195-pound frame is much different to that of Worthy's 6-1, 164 pounds, but don't think that will limit his athleticism.
In the spring game, Mitchell made an amazing one-handed catch running across the middle of the end zone for a touchdown.
"He’s yet another bigger receiver on this list, standing 6-foot-4. Even at that size, he sinks his hips very well in his routes and is still pretty sudden," Chadwick wrote. "Mitchell only has 562 career yards to his name after missing nine games in 2022 due to an ankle injury. If he can remain healthy, he should become more of a household name this season."
Sanders, a top-30 recruit and No. 1 athlete in the class of 2021, shined last season in his first-ever offensive collegiate action after his freshman season was primarily spent on special teams and the field goal team.
Last season, he led all Big 12 tight ends with 54 catches and 613 yards en route to a First Team all-conference selection and being named a John Mackey Award semifinalist, which is given to the nation's best tight end.
According to PFF, Sanders is the third-best returning tight end for 2023 behind Georgia's Brock Bowers and Minnesota's Brevynn Spann-Ford.
"He began to live up to that billing in his sophomore season, catching 32 combined first downs and touchdowns in 2022, which trailed only Dalton Kincaid, Michael Mayer and Bowers among FBS tight ends," Chadwick said. "His 613 receiving yards also trailed only Bowers among returning Power Five tight ends. He’s a freak athlete at 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds and is the early favorite to be TE2 behind Bowers."
You can follow Casey Smith on Twitter @casey_smith2419
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