Former Longhorns Star Sloan Thomas Shows Excitement for Texas WR Room's Potential

Former Texas Longhorns star Sloan Thomas spoke with KVUE reporter Cory Mose about his thoughts on the future of the team's wide receiver room.

Texas Orange team wide receiver Ryan Wingo (5) carries the ball in for a touchdown as Texas White team defensive back Kobe Black (6) chases in the second quarter of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, April 20, 2024. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

Former Texas Longhorns wide receiver Sloan Thomas had nothing but an optimistic outlook about the team's future in the WR room when he spoke to KVUE reporter Cory Mose on Thursday.

”We’re going in the right direction, and I’m ecstatic,” Thomas said. ”I couldn’t be more excited with the team and what Sark is doing there now.”

After watching former Texas wide receivers Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and Adonai Mitchell get picked up in the 2024 NFL Draft, head football coach Steve Sarkisian wasted no time in looking for premier athletes to fill those big shoes. Texas picked up five-star recruit Ryan Wingo out of St. Louis, MO back in October, being a highlight of the program’s No. 5 overall incoming recruitment class, according to 247Sports.

”They are breaking every record possible, which is also disappointing at times,” Thomas said. ”But hey, records are meant to be broken.”

Wingo strutted as the second-ranked wide receiver and overall prospect in Missouri by 247Sports and looks to bring depth and speed from his years of football and track experience. His six-foot-two-inch stature and 208 lbs of pure athleticism impressed Texas WR coach Chris Jackson, and will surely make him a notable playmaker for the Longhorns.

Joining Wingo on the list of 2024 WR commits are four-star Aaron Butler, Freddie Dubose, and Parker Livingstone. Butler and Dubose could serve as elusive yet physically defensive machines on the field, having success in both the receiving and running games. Livingstone brings a versatile profile, having football, baseball, and track experience under his belt.

Sarkisian also utilized the transfer portal to land former Alabama WR Isaiah Bond, who led the Crimson Tide with 48 receptions for 668 yards in 2023. Also coming out of the portal will be Silas Bolden from Oregon State and Matthew Golden from Houston.

Key returning players for the Longhorns include sophomores Johntay Cook, appearing in all 14 games last season with eight passes caught for 136 yards, and DeAndre Moore Jr., who played in 10 games with one 15-yard reception against TCU.

And Sarkisian still has the opportunity to acquire even more talent in the WR room, with five-star 2025 prospects like Jaime Ffrench, Dakorien Moore, and Kaliq Lockett looking at Texas.

”I can actually talk trash to other people now and have some excitement about the program again,” Thomas said. ”I’ve been with them when we’ve been down, and I’m very excited to be with them when we’re up.”