Texas Football: New WR AD Mitchell is already ‘turning heads’ in workouts

All of the non-special teams NCAA Transfer Portal pickups for Texas football in the 2023 class are on campus ahead of the start of spring ball. Texas already has the likes of the former Georgia Bulldogs sophomore wide receiver AD Mitchell, Arkansas Razorbacks redshirt junior safety Jalen Catalon, and Wake Forest Demon Deacons redshirt sophomore cornerback Gavin Holmes on campus in the midst of the winter conditioning program.

Of the trio of portal players for the Longhorns that are already on campus, the one that has the brightest spotlight and the most excitement surrounding his addition to the program this year is probably Mitchell. The two-time National Champion should be an excellent fit at boundary receiver in this offense under head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Mitchell is going to be able to sure up Texas’ wide receiver depth chart at the boundary spot. He’ll bring more assurance to the table at this spot as redshirt junior wide receiver Isaiah Neyor continues his recovery process after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in fall camp last year.

And it sounds like Mitchell is already making a huge impression early in his time on campus. We’re constantly hearing that Mitchell looks the part and is blowing some people away in and around the program in terms of the first impressions he’s made in winter workouts.

Texas football already seeing new WR AD Mitchell make a big splash in winter conditioning

According to a report from Horns247 this week (paid content), Mitchell is “already turning heads in workouts and throwing sessions” during the winter conditioning period. He is also reportedly impressing his teammates and the coaches with how “he goes up and snatches the ball out of the air”.

A good sign is that Mitchell already seems to be developing a good connection with rising redshirt sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers. We’ve known since Ewers started in the workout program last offseason at Texas that he was going to have a more natural connection with taller receivers.

That became more and more evident when we heard that he had the best connection with receivers such as sophomore tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and Neyor. It makes sense that Ewers is more natural throwing the ball to taller targets given his larger frame and higher release point.

However, it’s great to hear that Mitchell’s transition into the program is going so well thus far. When you hear that a new addition is blowing people away both in winter conditioning and in throwing sessions, that is an excellent sign of what’s to come for him for the rest of the offseason.

I fully expect that we’ll continue to get positive returns in terms of what Mitchell is showing the coaching staff as we head into spring ball in the next few weeks.

Texas finished up last season with a record of 8-5 (6-3 Big 12) following a loss on Dec. 29 in the Alamo Bowl to the No. 12 Washington Huskies. Sark, Mitchell, and the Longhorns are less than a month away from the start of spring drills and the annual Orange-White spring football game is set to take place on April 15 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.