Analyzing Texas football’s 3 most important offensive players in 2022

Heading into the 2022 season, the Texas football program and head coach Steve Sarkisian have hope that better days lie ahead than what we saw from them on the field during the 2021 campaign. Texas does have reason for optimism heading into this season, but there will be ample hurdles that await this team in the next few months.

Sark and the Longhorns face a big challenge in the difficulty of the last two games of the non-conference slate. After Texas faces the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at home on Sep. 3 in the regular season opener, difficult matchups against the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and defending Conference-USA Champion UTSA Roadrunners will round out the non-conference slate.

An area where the Longhorns need to find a good rhythm right away lies on the offensive side of the ball. With all of the young and unproven players that Texas has among the projected starters on offense heading into the regular season, it’s imperative that this group finds their footing as soon as they can.

With Alabama awaiting them in Week 2, Texas’ inexperience on offense will be put to the test pretty quickly. Although, there is so much talent present on this offense that the floor shouldn’t be very low this fall.

The most crucial offensive players for Texas football to find success in 2022

Here’s a look at an analysis of the three most important offensive players for the Longhorns in 2022.

Jordan Whittington, WR

The obvious answer among the most important wide receivers for the Longhorns this fall is star sophomore Xavier Worthy. But I do believe one of the biggest x-factors in this wide receiver room this fall could be the health of redshirt junior Jordan Whittington.

The former elite five-star recruit has yet to make it through a full season fully healthy during his three years in college to date. But the good news is that Whittington has played in more games year-over-year thus far. If that trend continues, Whittington will be looking at nearly playing a full season for the first time in his career.

Moreover, with the former Wyoming Cowboys redshirt sophomore transfer wide receiver Isaiah Neyor out for the entire season after suffering an ACL tear in the first scrimmage of fall camp, the presence of Whittington becomes that much more important. Texas is going to need another threat at wideout that remains healthy this season alongside Worthy.

Having Whittington healthy means that there is another dynamic wideout that opposing defenses have to spend extra time preparing for and devoting resources to. Whittington’s versatility will also give Sark and new wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Brennan Marion another weapon to move to the outside when needed in place of Neyor.

Whittington does about everything well, and he is an immensely potent target out of the slot. He was one of the 15 highest-grade slot receivers in the Power Five last season. That type of presence is obviously extremely valuable for Texas on the offensive side of the ball this fall.