Three potential Texas Longhorns breakout players for the 2024 college football season
After last season Texas Longhorns football looks like it's finally "back" to the standard they are seeking to set in college football. Steve Sarkisian has packed a roster full of top tier talents with experience, but there are still several new breakout players who could be the difference between Texas winning it all or failing […]
After last season Texas Longhorns football looks like it's finally "back" to the standard they are seeking to set in college football. Steve Sarkisian has packed a roster full of top tier talents with experience, but there are still several new breakout players who could be the difference between Texas winning it all or failing early in the first 12-Team College Football Playoff this season. So, who will step up and help Texas bring home a trophy this year?
There are several potential breakout players on the Texas Longhorns to watch for this fall, but let's talk through three that could completely change the course of the season if they step their game up to the peak of their potential in 2024.
Isaiah Bond, Wide Receiver
Last season Isaiah Bond was Mr. Clutch for Alabama when they needed a game breaking play. From long third down completions on deep out routes to his 4th and 31 touchdown against Auburn, Bond was unstoppable in crunch time. His smooth route running and easy speed look a lot like Xavier Worthy, which is perfect since he'll plug in to that role for the Texas passing attack this season.
Steve Sarkisian was actually a critical part of Isaiah Bond's recruitment to Alabama when he was still with the Crimson Tide a few short years ago, so it's no surprise the connection was made this off-season to bring him to Texas. Bond will split targets with Houston transfer Matthew Golden, rising stud sophomore Johntay Cook, among others, but he should easily be the lead target this fall.
Trey Moore, Edge Defender
For those familiar with Trey Moore, he's already had massive breakout seasons as an individual player against lower level competition playing for UTSA. Last season alone he tallied 13 sacks by himself, posting the highest pass rush pressure rate among all Group of Five conference edge defenders.
Last year the Longhorns largely depended on interior pass rush pressure from Byron Murphy and T'Vondre Sweat, but now both of those players are in the NFL. And even then, the Longhorns had exactly zero players log more than six sacks last season. The team needs game-changing pressure off the edge if they're going to rattle the top quarterbacks late in the year, and Moore should bring exactly that.
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Amari Niblack, Tight End
When Amari Niblack scored his 39-yard touchdown for Alabama last season against Texas that must have made an impression because Niblack was an early transfer addition for the Longhorns this off-season.
Niblack is one of the most explosive receiving threats in the nation at tight end. He averaged over 16 yards per reception and a 75% contested catch rate boasting a perfect mix of play strength and speed to win at the position. He's a much faster, more agile version of Ja'Tavion Sanders who just posted over 600 receiving yards for Texas last season. Niblack should immediately become a mismatch nightmare in Austin.
Be looking for more Texas Longhorns coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) on X (Twitter) for all the latest football news!
And if you want to see how special Isaiah Bond could be for the Texas Longhorns at wide receiver just check out the video below!
