Texas Football: 3 notable nuggets from the second spring practice

Texas football concluded the second day of spring practice on March 8. On his birthday, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian led the second of what will likely be three practices before the team puts full pads on in drills next week.

Texas began spring practice on March 6, with a host of storylines coming to light that brings some intrigue on both sides of the ball. March 6 saw the Longhorns take part in the first of 15 spring practices, roughly a dozen of which will be with full pads and contact in drills.

As of the afternoon of March 8, we are now through two of the 15 spring practices before this team will take part in the annual Orange-White spring football game at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 15.

It won’t be long before the Longhorns are in full pads ready to get contact drills going, and get some 7-on-7 and scrimmage work in this spring.

Notable nuggets for Cedric Baxter Jr. and Texas football after the second spring practice

In the meantime, though, there are some nuggets we should discuss following the conclusion of the second day of spring practice on the Forty Acres. Here’s a look at three of the most notable nuggets coming out of the second day of spring practice on March 8.

Johntay Cook II spearheading a rejuvenated WR room ready to make noise in 2023

One of the most exciting position groups to watch this spring for the Longhorns is wide receiver. Texas and new wide receivers coach Chris Jackson have a really talented group at this position in 2023.

Some of the new additions to the program at wideout are one of the biggest reasons why there is so much excitement surrounding the wide receiver room this spring. The highlights among the new additions to the wide receiver room this spring are freshman Johntay Cook II, freshman DeAndre Moore Jr., and the former Georgia Bulldogs sophomore AD Mitchell.

The two names that we’ve heard the most about among the new additions to the wide receiver room this spring are Cook and Mitchell. These two are really making some noise as Texas can now essentially go two-deep with starting-caliber playmakers at each receiver spot.

A practice report from Jeff Howe of Horns247 on March 8 (paid content) mentioned that Cook looks the part of a real “difference maker” that will play a big role in the “explosive playmaking” element of the passing game in 2023.

In the first couple of days of spring practice this week, Cook has taken the second-team reps at field wide receiver behind junior Xavier Worthy. And from what we’ve heard coming out of the first two practices this week, there’s not much of a difference from what we can see between Arch Manning and Cook connecting in passing drills compared to the likes of Quinn Ewers and Worthy with the first-teamers.