Texas Football: 4 players that will make or break Longhorns 2023 season
In 10 days, Texas football will kick off a season with some of the highest expectations we’ve seen on the Forty Acres in the last few years. Texas will begin the 2023 regular season at home at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sep. 2 against the Rice Owls at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns wrapped up training camp earlier this week. That gives the Longhorns a little less than two weeks for game prep and install in practice before the regular season kicks off.
Texas needs to get off to a good start this season to meet the high standards set for this team during the preseason. Not only were the Longhorns picked atop the preseason Big 12 media poll, but it also ranks 11th in the preseason AP Poll. This is the highest preseason AP Top 25 ranking for the Longhorns since 2019.
Texas football players that will make or break the 2023 season
If the Longhorns are to meet expectations this fall, Sark and this staff will need a handful of key players to step up to the plate. Here’s a look at four Longhorns players that will make or break the 2023 season.
AD Mitchell, WR
This spot on the list could belong to the former Georgia Bulldogs junior wide receiver transfer AD Mitchell and redshirt junior wideout Isaiah Neyor. Texas needs Mitchell and Neyor to step up and give redshirt sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers bigger deep threats with large catch radiuses on the boundary.
Mitchell gets the nod as the choice for the wide receiver that can help make or break the Longhorns’ 2023 season since he is the starter at the boundary spot this fall. If Mitchell is a consistent force on the boundary for the Longhorns, this will be the most difficult receiving corps to deal with for opposing DCs in the Big 12 this season.
Moreover, Mitchell showed great chemistry with Ewers during training camp, hauling in multiple touchdown catches in the two fall scrimmages the last two weekends.
Not only will Mitchell help stretch the field for the Longhorns in the deep passing game, but he will also create space for the vast amount of other skill weapons Sark has on offense to pick up yards in chunks. Mitchell will occupy a lot of attention from opposing defenses on the boundary thanks to his threat in the deep passing game, his large catch radius, and his ability to bring down contested 50/50 balls.