With Texas losing eleven players to the 2024 NFL Draft, including six selected on the draft’s first two days, Head Coach Steve Sarkisian hopes he has the talent to replace them.
Among those picked were defensive signal caller and veteran presence Jaylan Ford, two game wreckers on the defensive line in T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II and a quartet of pass catchers, who made up Quinn Ewers’ entire receiving corps.
Did Texas effectively reload to meet its National Championship aspirations? The performance of three expected contributors at weaker positions may help determine this.
Silas Bolden
The senior speedster who transferred to the Forty Acres from Oregon St. figures to be a key contributor to the passing game. Last year, Bolden was one of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei’s top targets in Salem as the California native hauled in 54 catches for 746 yards and five touchdowns.
He steps into a Texas offense devoid of proven deep ball threats besides Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, who may lineup in the slot as he did in Tuscaloosa. Despite Bolden’s 5-foot-10-inch 176-pound frame, he truly can be an X or a Z receiver in Sarkisian’s new-look offense alongside sophomore Johntay Cook II and Houston transfer Matthew Golden.
With Bond poised to be the No.1, it will be between Cook II, Golden, Bolden, and Alabama transfer tight end Amari Niblack to settle how the rest of the passing production is distributed. If they can step up and be close to last year’s stellar pass-catching group, this Texas aerial attack will be among the nation’s best.
Related: Five-Star WR Jamie Ffrench Jr. Announces Commitment Date and His Top Four
Jerrick Gibson
Sticking with the offensive skill positions, true freshman tailback Jerrick Gibson, a four-star recruit out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, will need to make considerable contributions for the Longhorns.
Even before the season-ending knee injury suffered by starting running back CJ Baxter in practice this week, Gibson was likely poised to get some carries in Sarkisian’s offense. Now, he will likely be second on the depth chart behind junior Jaydon Blue, who was named to the Preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List.
Gibson is an every-down back with the toughness and size to run between the tackles and the 4.5 40-yard dash speed to burst outside of them. In his senior season at IMG, facing opponents from across the nation, he totaled 740 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 5.8 yards per carry. He also factored into the passing game, catching nine passes for 122 yards and a score.
Also factoring into the backfield will be returning sophomore Quintrevion Wisner, who carried the ball 12 times for 73 yards and a rushing touchdown in the 2023 season, but the bulk of the work should fall to Blue and Gibson, making their performance crucial to the offense’s function.
Liona Lefau
While many Texas fans may not know Lefau, he could be a crucial part of the new linebacker room following the departures of stalwarts Ford and Jett Bush. In 2023, Lefau served as Ford’s primary backup at middle linebacker, a crucial position in any defense, and he stands to potentially start there alongside sophomore star Anthony Hill Jr. and senior leader David Gbenda.
While Lefau most likely won’t match Ford’s 101 total tackles and 2 INTs, the former four-star recruit out of Hawaii could be an unsung hero amongst a secondary with bigger names like Barron and Hill Jr.
If not Lefau, perhaps Defensive Coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski could turn to sophomores Tausili Akana or Derrion Gullette, but Lefau appears most likely to fill the middle linebacker role. As for who will be calling signals, it appears that rising star Hill Jr. is the primary candidate to fill that role with the introduction of the helmet radio to college football.
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