Texas Football: 3 wideouts that will benefit from WR coach Chris Jackson

Brenen Thompson

Among the speediest and most agile playmakers that Texas has in the wide receiver room in 2023 is redshirt freshman Brenen Thompson. The former four-star recruit out of Spearman, TX, is a really potent weapon for Sark, Jackson, and the Longhorns in the passing game.

But Thompson didn’t get put to use very often during his true freshman campaign last fall.

While Thompson did get at least one offensive snap in eight different games during the 2022 season, that only resulted in two targets in the passing game. He hauled in one of those two targets for 32 receiving yards and no touchdowns. The sole reception on the season for Thompson came in the loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys on the road on Oct. 22.

Thompson also got some experience in run blocking from the receiver position. He took just over 30 snaps as a run blocker in 2022, which was good experience for him to get under his belt.

I would consider the 2022 campaign one that brought mixed results for Thompson. As a whole, I expected him to be targeted more often in the passing game and at least get a little bit more run on special teams. Yet, he only got seven special teams reps in the season that was.

If Thompson wants to become a bigger part of the offense in 2023, he’s going to need to make some strides in a few key areas. And the addition of Jackson as Texas’ wide receivers coach should help in some of those spots.

First and foremost, Thompson must be able to put on some weight to add some muscle mass to his frame. That would allow him to compete better with some of the more physically imposing defensive backs in the Big 12 and eventually the SEC. At the moment, Thompson sits around 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds. He would ideally add at least 10 pounds of muscle mass to his frame this offseason.

However, Jackson obviously wouldn’t be the one primarily focusing on Thompson’s weight goals. That would fall on the S&C program.

The areas where Jackson can help are Thompson’s route running and adjustment to the level of competition in the Power Five. Thompson didn’t have the most technically precise and/or diverse route tree coming out of high school. He was often just given the ball in space and told to make things happen in the open field.

And while he could still be utilized in that regard at Texas, he’ll need a more structured route tree heading into his second year at the collegiate level.

Jackson’s time as a high-level private wide receiver trainer along with his experience coaching receivers at the NFL level should be experience that translates well in terms of helping to develop Thompson’s technicality in route running and fundamental footwork.

That type of NFL experience that Jackson has under his belt should also be able to help guide Thompson along when it comes to further adjusting his game to the competition level in the Power Five. He made a big jump from 3A Spearman High School to joining Texas last year. It’ll continue to be a work in progress in terms of getting Thompson up to speed with the level of competition in the Big 12 and SEC.