Texas WR Earning His Way Into Rotation: 'Very Impressed'

Texas Longhorns receiver Ryan Niblett is staking his claim headed into the regular season.

Texas White team wider receiver Ryan Niblett (18) celebrates making a catch for a first down 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 TODAY NETWORK

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns have a deep and talented receiving room as they head into the SEC, but second-year wideout Ryan Niblett is proving he belongs.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian met with the media Monday and revealed that Niblett has earned himself playing time ahead of the regular season after continuing to impress on both offense and special teams throughout training camp.

Sarkisian admitted that Niblett's recent play has made the Longhorns 7-deep at the receiver position, as multiple wideouts will be vying for reps each and every Saturday.

Texas Longhorn wide receiver Ryan Niblett (18) catches the ball during their second day of preseason practice at the Denius Fields on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

"It's a tough deal, man," Sarkisian said of figuring out how to manage the WR rotation. "As I've said, we have six guys that I feel very comfortable with playing in the game. And I would say coming out of Saturday, I would say seven. Ryan Niblett has really come on here in the last week and a half, and [I] have been very impressed with him, not only offensively, but also on special teams. And so that's a credit to him. I told him that today on the field, I was really proud of him, because he just continues to work."

Despite Niblett's growth, he remains buried on a depth chart that features three talented transfers in Silas Bolden, Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden along with second-year receivers Johntay Cook II and DeAndre Moore Jr. Five-star freshman Ryan Wingo showed off his ability in April's spring game with four catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns, as he looks set to live up to the hype by the 2025 season.

Last season as a freshman, Niblett appeared in three games but didn't register a catch. Expect that to change during the 2024 campaign, but it could still take an injury or two for the former four-star recruit to see significant targets.

If No. 4 Texas can build a big lead in the regular-season opener against Colorado State on Aug. 31, Niblett could be due for a solid turnout on the stat sheet to begin his sophomore year.