Texas Football: Xavier Worthy is ‘best version’ of himself this summer

Texas football will report for fall camp in less than one month, meaning the start of the college football season isn’t all that far away. One of the players that Texas fans are most excited to see on the field this season is junior standout wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

The two-time All-Big 12 selection and former Freshman All-American honoree is looking to have a bounce-back campaign this fall after his sophomore production fell short of expectations. Worthy took a step back in almost every major stat category year-over-year during his sophomore campaign.

A lot of that could have to do with the broken hand that Worthy played through the second half of last season. More than half his drops came in the second half of last season so that theory lines up to some degree.

Texas football WR Xavier Worthy looking like the “best version” of himself this offseason

So far this offseason, it sounds like Worthy is making the necessary strides to have the best season of his collegiate career in 2023. Worthy was one of the Longhorns’ spring standouts in the wide receiver room. And we’ve heard good things about what he and fellow junior wide receiver AD Mitchell have displayed in 7v7 this summer.

Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods reported on July 8 (subscriber content) that Worthy is “definitely the best version of him that we’ve seen since he’s been here”. That same team source told Richardson that Worthy will “break records” this fall if he and redshirt sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers can stay healthy.

Worthy and Ewers connecting on the deep ball will be a critical component of this offense performing at a high level for head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns this season. That component of the offense was missing for much of last season, as the chemistry between Ewers and Worthy seemingly disappeared during Big 12 play.

As one of the most productive wide receivers returning in the Big 12 this year, Worthy will have high expectations again heading into the fall. Worthy was an All-Big 12 preseason selection by the media last week, along with four of his Longhorns teammates.

Texas returns a loaded receiving corps, the best in the Big 12 in 2023. Worthy and Mitchell highlight a loaded wide receiver room for new wide receivers coach Chris Jackson and the Longhorns, including redshirt senior Jordan Whittington, redshirt junior Isaiah Neyor, and true freshman Johntay Cook II.