Texas Football: Kelvontay Dixon has a ‘leading role’ at WR

As the trek to figure out the depth chart for new head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Texas football continues on into fall camp, clarity is coming around this week. Sark and his staff are gearing up for a crucial 2021 campaign that could be the last for them competing in the Big 12. That’s why establishing a solid foundation in this edition of fall camp is huge. Texas has a few looming position battles that are still playing out to configure this depth chart ahead of Week 1.

A lot of Longhorns fans will be watching the way that this wide receiver room is shaped in fall camp. Texas is definitely going to have some new faces stepping up in the spotlight for Sark and second-year wide receivers coach Andre Coleman. The receiving corps lost some key players this offseason by way of a few sources.

Namely, Sark and the Longhorns lost depth in the receiving corps by way of the NFL Draft and the NCAA Transfer Portal. There’s some names to watch in fall camp to step up in newfound opportune roles. One name to watch in the receiving corps in fall camp in particular is the former four-star recruit and sophomore wideout Kelvontay Dixon.

Kelvontay Dixon finding new opportunity with Texas football in fall camp

According to a report from Horns247 on Aug. 9, Dixon is getting reps occasionally with the first team in a “leading role” on the outside in fall camp. Dixon and redshirt freshman wide receiver Troy Omeire are reportedly getting the bulk of the looks on the outside in camp.

It is not all that surprising that Omeire is getting many first-team reps in fall practice. But it is more moving that Dixon is getting some of those key first-team reps. Fall drills usually present an opportunity for someone like Dixon to rise above the rest. And that could be exactly what is happening early in fall camp this offseason.

Dixon has a new opportunity with the Longhorns receivers for two reasons. The first is all of the departures from that spot of the receiving corps this offseason from key wideouts such as Brennan Eagles (NFL Draft), Kennedy Lewis (no longer with the team), and Malcolm Epps (transferred to USC), among others.

And the second major reason is that Omeire is still trying to work his way back from the knee injury he suffered in camp last year.

In one of the starting spots on the outside in this receiving corps for Sark and the Longhorns, it could come down to Omeire and Dixon for the leading role in Week 1. Since the Longhorns open up the regular season in less than four weeks, there isn’t much time for either to establish themselves too far above the other.

There were some reps that Dixon got last fall under former head coach Tom Herman and ex-offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. He registered just over 75 receiving yards on three catches (good for 26.3 yards per catch), and one receiving touchdown.

The lone receiving touchdown last season for Dixon came on a long pass for more than 70 yards on his only catch in the Alamo Bowl win over the Colorado Buffaloes.

Sark and the Longhorns are set to open up the regular season slate on Sep. 4 at home at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium against Louisiana. Texas will be looking to improve upon the mark of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12) that the team posted last season under Herman.