The talk of the town lately has been revolving around what position groups Texas is going to attack in this year's transfer portal. Offensive line, linebacker, and running back are a given, but ever since DeAndre Moore Jr. decided to transfer out, wide receiver has been a top priority as well in some fans' minds.
Though Steve Sarkisian and Co. could definitely add a more experienced pass-catcher, especially in the slot, there's a realistic chance that Kaliq Lockett could sway them against it. The 6'2", 185-pound blue-chip pass catcher from Sachse, TX, was an enormous get for the Longhorns in last year's class. He's incredibly versatile and can play wherever Sarkisian wants him to, whether that's at X, Z, or in the slot.
Texas commit Kaliq Lockett with a wild 52-yard TD pic.twitter.com/wLBJfDz72Y
— solvingfootball (@solvingfootball) September 20, 2024
Lockett was originally expected to come in an settle down at Z for Texas, and he still can, but he was actually working in the slot for a majority of summer practices in Austin. If he can refine his route-running a bit more and work on influencing defenders on two-way "go's", then Lockett could end up being a deadly weapon inside the hashes in 2026.
Sarkisian briefly mentioned both Lockett and Jaime Ffrench in a recent bowl practice presser:
"These have been great practices for Jaime Ffrench and Kaliq Lockett. The young tight ends, I think about, who kind of fell back a little bit, and, we saw his growth, and Jordan (Washington)."
Lockett at the very least could make the Longhorns feel comfortable enough to save money by adding a depth-level/rotational player at wide receiver instead of breaking the bank for one of the top guys available. That would allow the team to spend more of their NIL budget on the offensive line and linebacker positions, which are undoubtedly more important for 2026.