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Why Texas Longhorns' 2026 WR Trio Could Be Even Better Than Its Famed 2023 Group

Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman and Emmett Mosley V haven't played a snap together yet, but the Texas Longhorns' new-look receiving trio has the potential to rival — and perhaps surpass — one of the best groups of the Steve Sarkisian era.
Leo Barnes|
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Texas Longhorns

Texas' 2023 offense featured one of the nation's most dangerous receiving trios in Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington — three players who are still playing professional football.

Three years later, Steve Sarkisian has constructed a similar trio with Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman and Emmett Mosley V,  a group with the potential to be even more dangerous than its 2023 predecessor.

The Similarities

The clearest comparisons are Wingo and Worthy as well as Coleman and Mitchell. While they're certainly not carbon copies, each pairing shares a similar archetype.

Coleman will line up primarily at X this season. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound boundary threat has proven his ability to win contested catches and use his size against opposing defensive backs.

Sound familiar? That's probably because the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Mitchell was doing much of the same in 2023.

Wingo's path to his role is a little less straightforward

After playing a majority of his offensive snaps at X last season, the junior plans on transitioning to Z. 

Although Wingo led the Longhorns in receiving last season, the role didn't always utilize him to the best of his abilities, frequently putting him in contested-catch situations during a season in which drops also limited his production.

At Z, Texas should have more opportunities to utilize Wingo's speed and explosiveness in space.

Rather than consistently rely on him to win contested catches — a benefit considering his sub-33% contested-catch rate last season — Sarkisian will be able to use pre-snap motion to create opportunities for Wingo to stretch the defense much like Worthy did three years ago.

Mosley V and Whittington — Two Slot Receivers Who Aren't the Same

Part of what gives the 2026 trio a higher ceiling is what Mosley V brings from the slot.

Whittington was the physical, run-blocking, chain-moving glue guy of the 2023 trio. 

While Mosley V has similarly been commended for his physicality and blocking ability, he brings a different skill set built around route running, separation and creating opportunities downfield.

Although Mosley V's stats compared to Whittington's may not tell that story, it's worth noting that Mosley V missed the first four games of the season and didn't begin to break out until the second half of the year.

Receiver

Season

Rec.

Yards

Y/R

TD

Xavier Worthy

2023

75

1,014

13.5

5

Ryan Wingo

2025

54

834

15.4

7

Adonai Mitchell

2023

55

845

15.4

11

Cam Coleman (AUB)

2025

56

708

12.6

5

Jordan Whittington

2023

42

505

12.0

1

Emmett Mosley V

2025

28

408

14.6

3

A Higher Ceiling

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mosley V's potential as a pure receiving threat isn't the only reason the 2026 trio could outmatch its predecessor.

While Wingo shares Worthy's explosiveness, his 6-foot-2, 214-pound frame and experience at both X and Z give Sarkisian additional flexibility, giving him the option to alter Wingo's responsibilities when a matchup or situation calls for it.

Put the three together and Texas has clearly defined roles without being entirely restricted by them: Coleman as the big-bodied X, Wingo as the explosive Z with experience elsewhere and Mosley V as a physical yet shifty receiving threat from the slot.

The 2023 trio's skill sets were more distinct. In 2026, those roles blend a little more, potentially giving Sarkisian fewer limitations and more exploitations when attacking opposing defenses.

Still, that's only the trio's ceiling. The 2023 group has the accomplishments; the 2026 trio still needs to prove it can match them.

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Published
Leo Barnes
LEO BARNES

Leo Barnes is a junior journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a senior sports reporter for The Daily Texan, where he currently covers the men’s basketball beat. Born and raised in Austin, Barnes roots for all things Texas, as well as the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Cowboys.

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