Texas Football: 3 personnel changes to make during the bye week

Kelvontay Dixon gets reps in place of Joshua Moore

The one player on this list that I would still say should get a hefty amount of reps after the bye week, despite losing some snaps overall, is the redshirt junior wide receiver, Joshua Moore. It would be fine for the Longhorns to get more speed out on the field in the form of the former blue-chip recruit and redshirt freshman wide receiver Kelvontay Dixon.

Dixon really has yet to get a significant number of snaps in any game in Big 12 play so far this season. He got 13 snaps on offense in the loss to Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, Moore got just south of 60 snaps on offense.

The reps should be adjusted at one of the outside receiver positions for the Longhorns to get at least 35-40 percent of the reps to the speedier and more adept intermediate route runner in Dixon.

Imagine the type of speed that the Longhorns could have at the wide receiver position a few years down the road if they eventually land a commitment from the elite five-star Frisco-Liberty prospect Evan Stewart in the 2022 recruiting class. Texas could have a trio of Dixon, Brenen Thompson, and Stewart at wideout. That seems like a perfect fit with the Sark offensive scheme.

Moreover, Moore had a fantastic 2020 campaign and showed a lot of potential for what could be ahead for him. Texas is trying to use Moore as a quick wideout that can separate in intermediate routes between the numbers. That’s not where he thrives. He’s quick in tight spaces and is able to pick up four or five yards on short balls after the catch. Moore is also gifted in opportunities where he can nab contested balls.

Former Texas head coach Tom Herman was willing to take the risk last season to toss more contested balls Moore’s way. Moore came down with seven catches on 20 contested balls last season. But that also led to two interceptions.

That’s not really Sark’s style. Moore only has two balls that were contested, and he didn’t come down with either. But none of those resulted in interceptions.

Moore could still be good in this offense, but his role needs to be adjusted. He’s a good second or third option for Thompson in the passing game if other targets are covered. Moore could still be the best receiver on 50/50 balls for Texas this year.

For the time being, it could be worth splitting the reps at one of the outside receiver spots between Moore and Dixon to see where that goes.