Texas Football: Transfer WR Tarik Black starting over Brennan Eagles

Texas football had an unexpected choice at the starting X-wide receiver position for the season opener with senior grad transfer Tarik Black.

There were a few surprises that emerged from the initial release of a depth chart for the Texas football program ahead of the start of the 2020 season. Maybe the biggest of those surprise moves for the first depth chart of the 2020 season for Texas was the nod for former graduate transfer and rising senior wide receiver Tarik Black as the starter over rising junior Brennan Eagles.

The 6-foot-3 and 220 pound former four-star Michigan Wolverines recruit Black was the initial nab out of the NCAA Transfer Portal for head coach Tom Herman and the Longhorns. He was a big get to make the transition easier for recently promoted wide receivers coach Andre Coleman.

The news became public that Black would be getting the start at the X-wide receiver spot over Eagles on the evening of Sep. 7. The cap to Labor Day Weekend was when this first release of a Longhorns depth chart for the season opener at home on Sep. 12 against the UTEP Miners came about.

Either Black or Eagles will be attempting to replace what the towering 6-foot-6 former Texas receiver Collin Johnson brought to the table for this offense in the last few years. Last season with Michigan, Black caught 25 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown. He brings 40 career catches for 507 yards and two touchdown catches to the table for Texas this fall.

Meanwhile, Eagles was the most productive returning wide receiver for the Longhorns this year. He was figured to be the next primary target for star senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the passing game. But Black is no slouch and apparently proved he was worth getting the start over Eagles in fall camp.

Eagles registered 32 receptions for 522 yards and six touchdowns last season. He was a big play threat in some games last season, averaging north of 16.0 yards per catch. But his team-leading nine drops last season also proved to be a difficult point to overcome this year.

Texas opens up their season next weekend on Sep. 12 against UTEP out of the Conference-USA, with kick off set for 7 p.m. CT. Then they open up Big 12 play on the road on Sep. 26 against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.