Should Texas football pursue KSU transfer WR Josh Youngblood?

Kansas State WR/KR Josh Youngblood got his first career kick return for a touchdown against Texas football last season, and now he’s in the portal.

Heading into the 2020 season, it looked like the answer for the Texas football program on special teams was clear. They looked to have a promising punting, kicking, and return game. Special teams was supposed to be a strength for Texas head coach Tom Herman this fall. Instead, it has become one of their biggest weaknesses of any struggle they’ve found through a difficult start through four games this regular season.

Through four games this season, the Longhorns hold a record of 2-2 (1-2 Big 12) after falling short in the annual Red River Rivalry game at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. Texas fell short against the rival Sooners by the final score of 53-45 in four overtimes. Their other loss on the season came at the hands of the TCU Horned Frogs in their Big 12 home opener back on Oct. 3 by the final score of 33-31.

A big problem throughout the first three games of Big 12 play for the Longhorns was special teams mishaps. Texas already has multiple punts blocked and returned for touchdowns, and had a punt return coughed up by junior cornerback/versatile special teams threat D’shawn Jamison. That punt that went right off of Jamison’s hands was returned for a touchdown in the eventual overtime win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders back on Sep. 26.

However, special teams is a big problem it seems that the coaching staff (however it looks at the time) will have to address next offseason. Two areas that need improvement are the timing of the punting game and the reliability of the returner. Jamison was a great part of the Texas special teams unit over the course of the last two years.

But Texas might want to have an insurance policy in place in case the inconsistencies of Jamison continue throughout this fall. A good place where they could turn is in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

More prevalent than ever, especially given this weird year of college football in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the transfer portal could have a very different impact on Herman and the Longhorns than usual. But they could turn the tables and actually use the transfer portal for more gain than loss entering next offseason if they do it right.

The most prominent name that appeared in the transfer portal thus far that could make a huge impact for the Longhorns special teams unit is the sophomore 5-foot-10 Kansas State Wildcats wide receiver Josh Youngblood. The breakout special teams threat had a huge freshman campaign under head coach Chris Klieman at Kansas State. But he is now reportedly in the transfer portal as of this week.

Youngblood received both Freshman All-American honors and AP All-American honors for his special teams work last year. He registered more than 500 total kick return yards on 14 tries last year, good for a nation leading three touchdowns. Youngblood averaged nearly 36 yards per kick return last season.

Moreover, Youngblood also looked to become a potential prominent skill position threat for Kansas State as his career moved along. During his true freshman campaign he was used in spots on offense. He registered 128 total yards from scrimmage on 20 touches, with one rushing touchdown.

Mistakes were also very rare for Youngblood as just a first year player at Kansas State. He didn’t have a single penalty called against him last season on special teams or offense. There also were no fumbles or drops on either side of the ball last year.

Considering the increasing level of frustrating mistakes that the Longhorns are making on special teams this year, there’s a lot that needs to change. They could look to make those changes both by shifting personnel on the roster and on the coaching staff. Former Oklahoma and Auburn Tigers special teams coordinator Jay Boulware is in his first year in the same role at Texas.

The results that Boulware produced on special teams with both Oklahoma and Auburn were better than those so far this fall with the Longhorns. This might just be a usual type of growing pain associated with all of the staff changes Herman made last offseason.

Going after Youngblood makes a ton of sense for the Longhorns, if he’s interested coming out of the transfer portal. Youngblood was a notoriously under-recruited three-star athlete prospect hailing out of Berkeley Prep High School in Tampa, FL. He ranked as the nation’s No. 1,398 2019 high school prospect, No. 112 athlete, and No. 192 prospect out of Florida (247Sports Composite).

Youngblood did holds offers from more than 40 schools coming out of high school. But a lot of his offers were from FCS and Group of Five schools. Texas did not offer Youngblood out of high school, but they would be wise to do so now.

The highlighting schools on Youngblood’s offer sheet back during the 2019 recruiting cycle included the Appalachian State Mountaineers, Temple Owls, UCLA Bruins, Army Black Knights, East Carolina Pirates, Cincinnati Bearcats, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Navy Midshipmen, Toledo Rockets, South Florida Bulls, and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Youngblood is sure to get more Power Five offers out of the portal.

Fixing the special teams problems will be a main task not only next offseason, but for Herman during this bye week that comes under the shroud of so much pressure and disappointment. Texas has to be better on special teams, and that’s why they should start going after players like Youngblood in the portal now.