Texas Football: Predicting UT's first portal commit of 2024

Elijah Sarratt, WR

Potentially the biggest need at wide receiver for the Longhorns in the portal entering the offseason is at the boundary spot. Texas will likely need to replace junior starting boundary wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who is expected to enter the NFL Draft this spring.

Sark and staff are still working on trying to retain Mitchell for one more season, since he does have one year of eligibility remaining. But it sounds like Mitchell is still more likely than not to declare early for the NFL Draft this offseason.

Texas also lost two of its other boundary wideouts with the most Power Five experience, Casey Cain and Isaiah Neyor, to the transfer portal.

Wide receivers coach Chris Jackson, Sark, and the Longhorns have a few options to replace Mitchell at boundary receiver in 2024. Five-star 2024 wide receiver signee Ryan Wingo will compete immediately for a spot on the two-deep this spring. Wingo has the versatility to play at any spot in the receiving corps for the Longhorns.

Texas can also turn to the portal to find an immediate impact starter to replace Mitchell, assuming he departs for the NFL Draft this year.

One viable option that checks many of the boxes the Longhorns would want from an impact receiver at the boundary spot in the portal is a big-bodied wideout with proven experience in the FBS. That's where the former James Madison Dukes sophomore wide receiver Elijah Sarratt could be a good target in this conversation at the boundary spot for the Longhorns.

The 6-foot-3 and 210-pound Sarratt was a dominant possession receiver for the Dukes this season. He finished the season scorching hot, registering four-straight 100+ receiving yard games to close out the campaign.

Sarratt was James Madison's leading receiver, with nearly 1,200 receiving yards on 82 catches and eight receiving touchdowns. He's an ultra-reliable receiver who can bring down those tough contested 50-50 balls on the boundary. Sarratt had the second-best catch percentage (82.8) of eligible FBS wide receivers this season.

He also ranked in the top 10 among FBS wideouts in contested catches (15) and led the FBS in contested catch percentage (83.3 percent).

Sarratt brings good straight line speed and above-average acceleration for a boundary receiver. That in combination with his size and technically route running ability allows him to create separation in different route concepts in the intermediate and deep passing game.

The physicality Sarratt runs with makes him difficult to get to the ground, allowing him to challenge for those tough yards after the catch.

Sarratt is the type of high-level wideout who could give quarterback Quinn Ewers a big target on the outside who can bring down those high and contested throws. He would give Texas that valuable possession receiver who can threaten opposing defenses at multiple levels of the field while creating the necessary separation to generate big plays in the passing game.

Anytime you have the opportunity to get one of the five-highest-graded receivers in the FBS at a position of need in the receiving corps out of the portal, it sounds like a pretty good idea.