Steve Sarkisian Updates Progress Of Texas Longhorns Receivers Room

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian has been very impressed with his receivers room through spring camp.

Texas LonghornsWide receiver Matthew Golden during football spring practice at the Frank Denius / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

AUSTIN - The Texas Longhorns spring football camp is off and running, and with that, the coaching staff has gotten a fresh look a new and returning personnel alike.

Obviously, one of the biggest areas of change for the team has been in the wide receiver room, where standouts Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington are all off to the NFL.

In replacement of those stars, players like Johntay Cook and DeAndre Moore are expected to take on bigger roles, while a new flock of receivers has also entered the fold, including transfers Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden, Silas Bolden and Ryan Wingo.

On Tuesday, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian gave his impressions of the receiver room so far through spring camp, and what he has liked about his new-look group, starting with Bond.

Texas LonghornsWide receiver Matthew Golden during football spring practice at the Frank Denius / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

"Isaiah you definitely see the flashes. You see the big play ability. You see the speed element he provides," Sarkisian said. "There are still nuances schematically that a little bit. But he's a little bit more familiar just because of the time at Alabama and some of the carry-over systematically, but you see it there."

Bond of course, comes in as arguably the most high-profile addition of the group, having helped lead the Alabama Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff last season as the team's No. 1 wideout.

However, Sarkisian has also been impressed with Golden, who the Horns got an upclose look at last season, when he caught seven passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-24 Texas win.

"Matt Golden was a little bit slowed early on because of a previous injury that he came to us with from Houston, so we had to kind of pace him back into play," Sarkisian said. "I thought the last couple of days, we're starting to get the real version of Matt Golden. He's got very strong hands, he's a smart player, he's sudden. We see the returnability, so we feel very comfortable in (Golden and Bond)."

Not to be overlooked, however, is five-star true freshman Ryan Wingo, who was one of the cornerstones of the Longhorns' top-five 2024 recruiting class.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo during football spring practice at the Frank Denius / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

As comes along with being a freshman, Wingo has had some growing pains here and there overall. That said, Sarkisian has been extremely impressed with what he has seen so far from the St. Louis (MO) native, and is excited to see how he progresses through the rest of camp.

"At the receiver spot, the one guy that really jumps out is Ryan Wingo," Sarkisian said. "From a true freshman perspective, when he's out there, it doesn't feel like a true freshman. He plays fast. He makes plays on the ball... He looks very comfortable right now as a guy who should still be in high school right now out there playing with all of our guys."

Longhorns fans will get their first glimpse of the new wide receiver group on April 20, when the Horns take the field for the annual Orange-White Game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.