"He became the go-to guy", Steve Sarkisian raves about Parker Livingstone's ability

Despite the Longhorns' heartbreaking loss to Ohio State on Saturday, several Texas players demonstrated significant individual growth and playmaking ability. Steve Sarkisian specifically mentioned WR Parker Livingstone and his performance throughout the summer and in week one.

The 6'4". 195-pound speedster from Lucas, TX was on the receiving end of a lot of Arch Manning touchdown balls in the offseason and showed off his long-speed against the Buckeyes on Saturday on his 32-yard touchdown catch.

Sarkisian had some nice things to say about Livingstone in his post-game press conference as well:

"The guy had a great spring. When DeAndre and Ryan were out, he became the go-to guy and I think there was rapport built between he and Arch, and all he did was continue to build on that throughout fall camp. I think that when his opportunity presented itself Saturday on a couple of plays, he made plays and I didn't expect anything less from him because that's what he's been showing us all along."

Livingstone has been playing "second fiddle" to both Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore Jr. throughout the summer, but has shown consistent improvement in Texas' offense. He's most likely locked himself into the staring "Z" spot, which is where Emmett Mosley V has been working as well. Livingstone will rarely see separation underneath or at the intermediate level of the field because he's not the most twitched-up route runner, which is natural due to his height and length. His strength will always be his ability to outrun defenders over the top, which is beneficial to the offense in multiple ways.

Steve Sarkisian will be able to clear out congested areas of the field in 2025 by using Livingstone to draw safeties away from the middle of the field, which is where players like DeAndre Moore Jr. and Jack Endries can hurt defenses the most.

The Longhorns look to get back on track this weekend against San Jose State at home, and along with the rest of the wide receiver group, Livingstone could have a big game against the Spartans' underwhelming defensive backs.