Longhorns WR Troy Omeire 'Chomping at the Bit' to Return

Steve Sarkisian spoke to the media about Longhorns wideout Troy Omeire, and how he has progressed in his injury recovery

Few players have had a more difficult time staying on the field than Texas Longhorns wide receiver Troy Omeire, who suffered his second significant knee injury in as many seasons in 2021. 

The injury left Omeire out for the entirety of last season and will keep him out through the remainder of spring camp as well. 

However, according to Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, Omeire is anxious to get back onto the field and prove that he can be an asset to the program.

“I like the attitude,” Sarkisian said. “It’s never fun when you have the same injury back to back - two years in a row. I commend him on his attitude the second time around. I think he’s taken a positive approach to it. He’s worked really hard. I think he’s chomping at the bit to get back out on the field and get going.”

While Omeire may be itching to return, Sarkisian knows that he must be patient.

But while the Longhorns desperately need a depth and talent infusion at the position -- something the 6-foot-3, 221-pound Omeire would surely provide -- risking anything in terms of his long-term health would not be in either the player's or the program's best interest. 

“Clearly from our perspective, we want to make sure we do right by him,” Sarkisian said, “that when it’s his time to go, he’s in really good physical condition."

After all, it has been injuries, not lack of talent, skill, or mentality that has kept him off of the field. All things considered, he might be the most physically gifted wide receiver on the roster pound for pound. 

Coming out of Fort Bend Austin (Sugar Land, TX), Omeire was one of the most coveted recruits in the 2020 recruiting cycle, choosing the Longhorns over offers from Texas A&M, Alabama, Baylor, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas Tech, USC, and many others.

During his senior season in high school, he played both running back and wide receiver for Fort Bend Austin, rushing 57 times for 364 yards and five touchdowns and catching 65 passes for 906 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had 31 receiving touchdowns in three high school seasons.

Health permitting, he can theoretically do it all.

With talent like that, if Texas can get Omeire back on track, he has the potential to completely change the dynamic of the Texas wide receiver room.

And with the likes of Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, and new transfer Isaiah Neyor on the roster and expected to be the favorites to start the season, that is saying something. 

“I think mentally he’s in a much better space this time around. We need him," Sarkisian said. "We don’t have as many legs at wideout right now as we’d like. So he and Jaden (Alexis) - the sooner we can get them back, the better it is. 

"But ultimately, we want to make sure that they’re healthy and ready to go when that time comes.”

---

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Sign up for the daily LonghornsCountry.com Newsletter Today!

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Longhorns Country message board community today!

Follow Longhorns Country on Twitter and Facebook.