4 former blue-chip recruits Texas football could redshirt for 2022
Brenen Thompson, WR
Total snaps: 35
Games played: 3
One of the skill position signees in the Longhorns 2022 class that I was personally most excited to see this season was the speedy and elusive former four-star Spearman (TX) athlete/wide receiver recruit Brenen Thompson. The true freshman wideout has yet to make much of an impact on this offense, though.
Between offense and special teams, Thompson has played in just shy of three-dozen snaps this season. He’s taken at least one snap in three different games this season, including UL-Monroe on Sep. 3, Oklahoma on Oct. 8, and Iowa State on Oct. 15.
The bulk of Thompson’s snaps so far this season came as a wideout in run blocking. He’s taken seven snaps as a receiver on passing plays, the bulk of which he was lined out wide. Thompson has also taken 31 snaps as a run blocker, pretty much all of which came against Oklahoma and Iowa State.
I will say that if the situation comes about that Texas needs the added depth at wide receiver, Thompson would be one of the first underclassmen that take more reps in all likelihood. While I believe that Sark and new wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Brennan Marion would value Thompson getting a developmental redshirt year before really assuming regular snaps as a slot receiver, if the situation calls for it, they’ll probably be happy to burn the redshirt possibility.
Moreover, heading into the season it looked like Thompson would either be the backup or the third-string slot receiver behind redshirt junior Jordan Whittington. But it now looks like he’s backing up star sophomore wideout Xavier Worthy at the X or getting in the rotation on the outside for snaps on the boundary.
Sark is mixing in Thompson in a number of different looks when he’s on the field, which is consistent with some of the other smaller Texas wideouts this season. That is largely due to the void that was left on the outside when redshirt sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Neyor suffered a season-ending ACL tear in fall camp.