Longhorns Offensive Fall Camp Two-Deep Depth Chart Projection

Heading into a year with high expectations, the Texas Longhorns have one of the deepest offenses in the Big 12
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The Texas Longhorns are entering Year 3 of the Steve Sarkisian era, and with that, there are high expectations abound. 

Luckily for the Longhorns, they have the talent to back up those expectations, with Sarkisian utilizing recruiting and the transfer portal to create one of the most exciting rosters in college football. 

Not only that, but it is also one of the deepest, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, where despite the loss of Bijan Robinson, the Horns are projected to be as prolific as ever.

With that in mind, LonghornsCountry.com is taking a stab at projecting how exactly the depth chart will shake out for Texas ahead of fall camp - starting with the offense: 

Quarterback

Quinn Ewers 

Maalik Murphy

As much as people wanted this to be a quarterback controversy when Arch Manning committed, it was never going to be. Quinn Ewers has not only locked down the starting spot but is now garnering incredible buzz for his improvements since the end of last season. 

Murphy also had an impressive spring and cemented himself firmly as Ewers' backup entering the season. 

Manning's time will come, but not yet. 

Running back 

Jonathon Brooks

Jaydon Blue OR CJ Baxter

Replacing an NFL-caliber running back is never going to be an easy feat, let alone having to replace two. The Longhorns find themselves in camp of the latter, though, with Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson set to hear their names called in the NFL draft. Lucky for them, though, they have a deep running back room.

Leading the way will likely be Brooks, having shown flashes in limited opportunities last season when spelling Robinson and Johnson. Joining Brooks in the backfield will be Blue, who showed out in the spring game with a 31-yard touchdown where he made multiple defenders look silly. 

That said, do not overlook freshman C.J. Baxter, who is also projected to have an impact in 2023.

Wide Receiver 

WR - X

Xavier Worthy

Johntay Cook II

WR - H

Jordan Whittington

Deandre Moore

WR - Z

AD Mitchell

Isaiah Neyor

When you have Isaiah Neyor on the second string of your potential two-deep chart, you know you are spoiled at the receiver position. Once Jordan Whittington announced he was returning and the Longhorns landed AD Mitchell via the transfer portal from Georgia, it was hard to find a deeper receiver room. Oh, and Xavier Worthy is still Xavier Worthy. 

Behind them is the aforementioned Neyor, a Wyoming transfer coming off a torn ACL that will look to contribute in a big way. Casey Cain had a strong spring and with another year in Sarkisian's system, could be a name to watch. Freshman Johntay Cook II, though, is arguably the most exciting name of the group as he has the potential to be the next big thing at receiver for Texas. 

Tight end 

Ja'Tavion Sanders

Gunnar Helm

Of those who broke out for the Longhorns in 2022, Ja'Tavion Sanders was arguably the most important one. His emergence as a legitimate threat as a receiver at the tight end position opened up the Longhorns' offense and gave Ewers a safety blanket to work with. 

Now, he enters the 2023 season as one of the best tight ends not only in the Big 12 but in college football. He will look to build on a strong sophomore season, while behind him Gunnar Helm will look to take advantage of the opportunities he gets when he sees the field alongside Sanders.

Offensive line

Left Tackle

Kelvin Banks

Payton Kirkland

Left Guard

Hayden Conner

Neto Umeozulu

Center

Jake Majors

Connor Robertson

Right Guard

Cole Hutson

DJ Campbell

Right Tackle

Christian Jones

Cameron Williams

Much like other positions on the offense, there was never any doubt about who would start along the offensive line for the Longhorns in 2023. After all, when you return all five starters along the line it makes for better continuity for not only them but the offense as a whole.

Where the Longhorns could face issues, though, is the depth along the line with the guys behind the starters. In the spring game, Manning was pressured quickly and often, as the second-team offensive line struggled to keep a clean pocket. 

D.J. Campbell is coming. And so is Cameron Williams. But for now, at least at the start of fall camp, things should stay relatively the same. 


You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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Published
Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.