Texas Football: Breaking down UT's room with Isaiah Bond

Boundary receiver

Starter: Matthew Golden, JR

Among the early portal targets for the Longhorns in the December transfer window, Golden was the top priority at wideout. Golden fits Sarkisian's offense tremendously well given his 6-foot and 190-pound frame and elusiveness in space.

The addition of Golden also gives the Longhorns a big-time threat on special teams in the return game. Golden led the FBS in 2023 with two kicks returned for touchdowns.

Golden has two seasons of proven experience under his belt from his time at Houston. He registered nearly 1,000 receiving yards and over a dozen touchdown catches in his two seasons with the Cougars.

It sounds like Golden will be asked to fill the role Mitchell had at receiver for the Longhorns last season. He can burn opposing defensive backs by stretching the field in the deep passing game. Golden can also threaten opposing defenses with his route running in the short and intermediate passing game and ability to pick up yards after the catch.

Backup: Ryan Wingo, FR

A good bet to break the wide receiver rotation in live-game action during the upcoming season for the Longhorns is true freshman early enrollee Ryan Wingo. The elite five-star recruit from St. Louis University (MO) was the crown jewel of Texas's 2024 signing class from the high school ranks.

The 6-foot-2 and 200-pound Wingo can play multiple spots in the receiving corps. But given his combination of size, route running, and reliable hands, Wingo is likely a good fit at boundary receiver for the Longhorns in spring camp.

It's a good bet that Wingo gets a healthy number of live-game reps at wideout if he shows out during camp, as Cook did during his true freshman campaign in 2023, especially since he can play at multiple spots in the receiving corps.