Texas Football: 3 OK State WRs the Longhorns should pursue in the portal

Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian have some work to do in the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason in terms of adding some depth to the wide receiver room. Wide receiver is one of the most important positions of need for Sark, wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Brennan Marion, and Texas to address in the portal in 2023.

Sark and the Longhorns did haul in a quality trio of wide receivers among high school recruits in the 2023 signing class. Texas signed the DeSoto five-star Johntay Cook, Houston Aldine Eisenhower four-star Ryan Niblett, and St. John Bosco (CA) four-star DeAndre Moore Jr., in the 2023 class during the Early Signing Period last month.

But I don’t know how many immediate contributors the Longhorns will be able to get out of that trio of blue-chip wideout signees in the 2023 recruiting class.

That is why the portal will play such an integral role in how Sark and Marion build out the wide receiver room this year. And one place they can turn to scout out some possible wide receiver targets in the portal at this point of the offseason is with the plethora of Oklahoma State Cowboys transfers at the position.

There isn’t a single school that I know of that was hit harder at wideout by portal departures so far this offseason. More than 80 percent of Oklahoma State’s production from the 2022 season is now gone, mostly by way of portal losses.

Stephon Johnson Jr. and the OK State transfer wideouts Texas football could target in the portal

With that in mind, here’s a look at three former Oklahoma State wide receivers that the Longhorns could target in the portal this offseason.

John Paul Richardson

Of the five Oklahoma State wideouts that have emerged in the transfer portal so far this offseason, the one that looks most likely to stick around in the Big 12 is sophomore John Paul Richardson. The Missouri City, TX, native and former three-star recruit in the 2021 class has garnered some interest from a couple of Big 12 schools out of the portal.

And the one that sticks out above the rest is the TCU Horned Frogs. Multiple analysts are currently projecting Richardson to commit to TCU out of the portal already.

But it does still appear that there are some other suitors out there courting Richardson in the portal.

And given the need that the Longhorns have for some proven production in the wide receiver room, Richardson is a target that could make sense on the transfer market for Sark and Marion.

Depending on what happens with redshirt junior wide receiver Jordan Whittington this offseason, there could be a need for Texas to add depth at slot receiver. There isn’t a single slot receiver on the depth chart with consistent and proven production other than Whittington.

If Whittington winds up declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft, I like Richardson as a possible option to get some slot depth back in the wide receiver room.

Richardson predominately took snaps as a slot wideout at Oklahoma State. Granted, he was often lined up in the wide slot, so PFF won’t show that he took all that many true slot snaps in 2022.

During the 2022 season, he reeled in 49 catches for more than 500 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Oklahoma State used Richardson as a slippery wideout in the wide slot that could make plays after the catch in the short passing and screen games. Of Richardson’s 503 receiving yards in 2022, more than 300 of them were racked up after the catch.

That type of production after the catch and elusiveness out of the slot could make for a nice target that Sark could get out in space in this offense.

*UPDATE: Whittington has announced his return for the 2023 season as of Jan. 6. With that in mind, Richardson wouldn’t be as crucial to helping Texas hypothetically fill slot depth at wideout this year.