Texas Football: 3 problematic UTEP Miners for Longhorns in Week 1

3) Problematic Miners for Texas football: Jacob Cowing, WR

Texas is actually going to have their hands full with two of the top UTEP wide receivers this weekend. The likes of redshirt junior cornerback Josh Thompson (getting the surprise start over junior corner Jalen Green) and junior standout corner D’shawn Jamison will have a load to cover on Sep. 12 when they have to take on the wide receiver combination of sophomore Jacob Cowing and senior Jacob Garrett.

The agile 5-foot-11 and 170 pound Cowing had one of his most productive games to date in UTEP’s win over Stephen F. Austin last weekend. He registered seven catches for 116 yards and no touchdown catches. That was good for an average of 16.6 yards per catch.

Last season, Cowing registered 31 receptions for 550 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. That was a pretty good true freshman campaign for a wideout that isn’t in a usually high-powered offense. UTEP could have a more potent passing game in 2020 than they did in 2019.

And Garrett registered five catches for just over 50 receiving yards and one touchdown in their season opening win over Stephen F. Austin. He’s now just shy of 500 receiving yards for his career, with four touchdowns.

This wide receiver duo doesn’t have huge production necessarily yet, but this UTEP passing game was never one that produced big numbers under current head coach Dana Dimel. Cowing could be an emerging Group of Five star the Longhorns have to face in Week 1.