3 Texas true freshmen who can breakout in second half

Young players for No. 1 Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian have made significant contributions and on-field impacts on both sides of the ball this season. Underclassmen from the past two signing class from high school recruiting played a major role in Texas going an undefeated 6-0 after the regular season's first half for the first time in well over a decade.

Young players making impacts on both sides of the ball for No. 1 Texas football early in the 2024 regular season in the first half

Texas's first half of the regular season went about as good as the Longhorns' faithful could've hoped. Sarkisian's team dominated arguably their biggest rival, the No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners, and the defending National Champions both by convincing double-digit margins.

Getting major contributions from underclassmen, especially from the top-five-ranked 2024 signing class, helped the Longhorns stay undefeated and earn the top spot in the major polls after seven weeks. Over a half dozen true freshmen for the Longhorns have already burned their redshirts this fall for the four-game redshirt rule.

Texas could also see multiple true freshmen step up in the regular season's second half, and in the postseason since the NCAA won't count those games to the four-game redshirt rule this year.

Here are three true freshmen for the Longhorns who could breakout in the second half of the regular season.

Jordan Washington, TE

True freshman tight end Jordan Washington has played exactly four games for the Longhorns this season, meaning he is on the brink of burning his redshirt down the stretch this regular season.

Washington has the tools necessary to become a top-notch receiving tight end in Sarkisian's offense. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Washington has the combination of size and speed required to be the next receiving threat at tight end once Gunnar Helm graduates after the 2024 season.

From what we've heard in the past couple of months since preseason camp, Washington has also improved drastically as a blocking tight end, compared to where he was at when he first arrived on campus last offseason for spring camp.

Washington's ability to impact the game as a receiving threat at tight end could give him the opportunity to pick up more late-game targets down the stretch this season, especially if the Longhorns have the lead late in the second half in SEC play.