Matthew Golden reveals exactly who he believes will step up for Texas Longhorns now that he's headed to the 2025 NFL Draft
The Matthew Golden era at wide receiver with the Texas Longhorns may have been short lived, but it was special. A transfer from Houston last season, Golden immediately asserted himself as a leader and the best wide receiver on Steve Sarkisian's Texas team last fall and now he's rising into first round discussions for the […]
The Matthew Golden era at wide receiver with the Texas Longhorns may have been short lived, but it was special. A transfer from Houston last season, Golden immediately asserted himself as a leader and the best wide receiver on Steve Sarkisian's Texas team last fall and now he's rising into first round discussions for the 2025 NFL Draft.
When I caught up with him at the NFL Combine last week he was extremely impressive, thankful to Texas, and couldn't help but get excited for the Longhorns wide receiver room that he left behind as a few young players look ready to step up in 2024. But before diving into the players he expected to step up in his place he talked through his transfer to Texas, what made him successful so quickly, and how the program "changed his life".
"Transitioning to a pro style offense [at Texas], it's different. It's a lot of different concepts. It's a lot of different details in the run game. So trying to get that playbook down and just staying consistent. Getting with the interns and the coaches trying to learn it as fast as I can…Going [to Texas], it changed my life. It changed me as a player."
Steve Sarkisian's offensive scheme has long been perceived to be one of the best in all of college football, so it's no surprise to hear Golden talk through all the details and how well it prepared him for the next level. And despite the offensive complexities, when Golden was asked about the wide receivers he expected to break out in 2025 and beyond, he was confident at least two playmakers were ready to step in his stead.
"Ryan Wingo. DeAndre Moore. Them young guys. And you know, DeAndre Moore, we competed each and every day. Wingo is going to be tremendous. He understands the game, especially for how young he is. He's got that athleticism. He's 6'2", 215 and he can run. He can stretch the field. DeAndre Moore, he's a leader. He has the work ethic to compete at a high level. So I feel like that wide receiver room is going to be real good."
When Matthew Golden first arrived on campus he and DeAndre Moore were initially competing for a similar role on the offense, but Steve Sarkisian quickly shifted Golden to an outside wide receiver role with Moore in the slot as they were both too good to keep one another off the field.
Wingo, just a true freshman in 2024, saw his role continually expand down the stretch as Isaiah Bond struggled with health and consistency. And just like Golden mentioned, Wingo's athleticism was constantly on display whether he was catching passes or creating explosive runs as he tallied nearly 600 yards from scrimmage in his first collegiate season.
Given the work ethic and elite level athleticism of both Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore the Texas Longhorns wide receiver room should be in good shape to kick off the Arch Manning era. Texas fans should feel confident in that. And if the true freshman duo of Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench both impress right away too? The Longhorns might just find themselves back in the College Football Playoff, and quick.
We'll be back with more Texas Longhorns coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to see why Texas Longhorns fans should be excited about the breakout year coming for Ryan Wingo just check out his highlights from the 2024 season.
