Texas Football: 3 true freshmen bound to get extra reps vs. Rice

Ryan Niblett, WR

Among the true freshmen on offense for the Longhorns I’m most excited to see early in the season is the speedy former four-star wide receiver recruit out of Houston (TX) Aldine Eisenhower, Ryan Niblett. The speedy and elusive 5-foot-10 and 165-pound wideout looked ahead of schedule in his development during summer workouts and fall camp.

Niblett showed good hands and route running ability in fall camp, which were two areas that were pinpointed that he needed to work on early in his time at Texas.

Despite being the only summer enrollee among Texas’ three blue-chip wideout signees in the 2023 class, Niblett appears to be someone who could lock down a spot on the two-deep depth chart next season. If he progresses a lot this fall and next offseason, Niblett could be vying for a starting spot at wide receiver in 2024 with all the turnover Texas is facing at this position after this season.

Texas will likely lose standout junior wideout Xavier Worthy, junior AD Mitchell, redshirt senior Jordan Whittington, and potentially redshirt junior Isaiah Neyor after the season. Sark and the Longhorns will need other talented guys to step into those roles next year.

Niblett and fellow true freshmen receivers Johntay Cook II and DeAndre Moore Jr. will be counted upon to fill the voids left by the potential departures at wideout next year.

The particular reason why I’m so excited to see Niblett in live-game action is to see what his speed and elusiveness look like as a true freshman. If Niblett can make things happen after the catch early in his true freshman campaign, the sky is the limit for where he can go from here.

Outside of Texas’ top four or five wideouts, there is still a solid group of receivers capable of contributing this fall and in the future. Niblett, Moore, and redshirt sophomore Casey Cain are all part of that group outside of the top five wideouts for the Longhorns this fall that should still get a decent dose of offensive snaps during the season.