Isaiah Neyor, No. 1 receiver?
When former Arlington (Texas) Lamar and Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor flipped his commitment from Tennessee to Texas in early 2022, the hope was that one of the best wideouts from the Group of Five ranks would create depth behind Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington that simply was not present on the 2021 Longhorns.
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Since his arrival, Neyor has been all that and more. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has mentioned at various junctures throughout the spring that Neyor arrived a bit faster than they expected him to be at his size. Then, he backed up those measurables with solid performances on the practice field, highlighted by his long touchdown catch delivered by Quinn Ewers in the Longhorns’ spring game.
Sarkisian recently mentioned he is looking forward to seeing what Neyor can do for the Longhorn passing attack this year after his strong introductory semester in Austin. Could that include stepping into the role of Texas’ No. 1 receiver?
Unseating Worthy from that role will likely prove to be difficult. Worthy put his name near the top of several categories in the Longhorn record book after just one season in Austin. He hauled in 12 touchdowns, most for a freshman and second most in a single season in program history behind Jordan Shipley’s 13 in 2009. Those two are the only Longhorns in program history to record 260 or more receiving yards in a game.
But what’s worked for Worthy ahead of the 2021 season is working in Neyor’s favor ahead of the 2022 campaign. Worthy was a highly-touted prospect who joined Texas’ 2021 class extremely late in the process. He arrived at Texas and wowed behind the scenes, but it wasn’t until his three-touchdown game versus Texas Tech followed two weeks later by his record-breaking performance against Oklahoma that he became a household name and a focus for opposing defensive coordinators every week.
With his top-end speed and sticky hands, Worthy will be one of the top targets for whoever wins the starting quarterback job for the Texas Longhorns. Could Neyor unseat him as the top target?
Neyor will have geometry on his side in the process. He’ll fill the role of the X receiver, typically aligned into the boundary and close to the quarterback. However, that will also often net him the assignment of the opposing team’s top defensive back.
Also, he won’t exclusively be aligned to the boundary every snap. Sometimes, it could be Worthy at X and Neyor aligned to the far side of the field. Geometry works against him there. The eventual quarterback decision factors in, too. Ewers and Neyor showed in the spring game what their potential link ups would look like. If Card wins another quarterback battle, will he be able to make similar deliveries?
It’s difficult to see Worthy unseated from the Texas WR1 role, but with the praise given and surprise expressed by Sarkisian about Neyor, his track record at Wyoming and brief time at Texas, plus his physical gifts, Neyor is the best candidate to challenge for the top spot.
